Opened in 1942 just northwest of Gainesville, Cooke County, Texas, the purpose of Camp Howze was to train infantry for activation during World War II. It became a VERY busy place, housing over one hundred thousand troops in its short life. For a while, it also served as a prison camp for German P.O.W.s; trained female auxiliary workers in fields like nurse aide, drivers, clerical, and mechanics; and became an important center for Gainesville's war efforts.
Hastily built, Camp Howze only lasted a four years and was, just as hastily, decommissioned by the federal government. As it econompassed nearly 60,000 acres, its ghostly remnants still lie on the prairies a few miles from the southern banks of the Red River.
The plat map of Camp Howze was sketched in 1942. The photo of a lonely chimney, surrounded by several foundation blocks, stems from me enjoying a lovely Summer day a few years ago.
Students at the University of North Texas created a wonderful resources for Camp Howze. To learn more about the camp, follow the link here: http://camphowzemuseum.org/s/home/page/overview
