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Texas National
Guard Camp Maxey
Photo courtesy Gerald
Massey, August 2010 |
Marker Location
- Entrance #5, off US 271
Historical Marker Text:
Camp Maxey
Recognizing
in 1940 that hosting peacetime draftees might revive the county's
economy, the city of Paris
sent a request for the army to build a training camp here. The local
American Legion acquired land options.
Delegations from the Chamber of Commerce of Lamar County received
initial support, but Congressman Lyndon Johnson moved the planned
camp
to his district at Bastrop.
In response U. S. Senator Tom Connally and army officials ensured
a camp for Paris, confirmed
in July 1941. The 70,000 acre site was being surveyed when the U.
S. entered World
War II in December.
Camp Maxey,
named for C. S. A. General and U. S. Senator Sam
Bell Maxey from paris, was activated on July 15, 1942. Its main
entrance was "Gate 5" marked by stone portals at this site. Two
infantry divisions, the 102nd "Ozark" and 99th "Checkerboard," trained
here with the 250th Field Artillery and other army units. A regional
hospital and a prisoner of war camp hosting 7,000 Germans were part
of the reservation.
Local women formed the "Maxey Command" to host dances for the total
of 194,800 soldiers stationed here. Area residents housed thousands
of dependents and filled 10,300 civilian jobs on base. The camp
was closed when the P. O. W. stockade was vacated in early 1946.
1992
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Camp Maxey Historical
Marker
Photo courtesy Gerald
Massey, August 2010 |
| "Camp Maxey
pillow" - Luke Akemon |
Camp Maxey
Forum
"I purchased
a Camp Maxey pillow cover this weekend and was wondering if you have
one on display there?" - Sincerely, Luke Akemon, TSGT USAF Ret.,
November 17, 2014 |
| Texas
Escapes, in its purpose to preserve historic, endangered and vanishing
Texas, asks that anyone wishing to share their local history, stories,
landmarks and vintage/historic photos, please contact
us. |
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