Many German and Japanese POWs arrived in the
United States in 1942. The military placed them in secured
camps around the country. Some businesses and farmers contracted
with the government to use POWs as laborers. The United States
made $360 million from POW labor during the war.
Camp
McCoy in Monroe County acted as the main POW camp in Wisconsin.
It held 5,000 German and 3,500 Japanese POWs at its peak.
Thirty-eight seasonal camps grew up around the state. Local
companies contracted for POW labor from these camps to harvest
crops, bale hemp, and work in nurseries, tanneries, and dairies.
POW
branch camps in Wisconsin
| Camp
|
Opened |
Closed |
Peak
POWs |
| Antigo |
7/45 |
10/45 |
150 |
| Appleton
|
7/45 |
12/45 |
180 |
Barron
|
7/44 |
9/45 |
422 |
| Bayfield
|
8/45 |
11/45 |
125 |
| Beaver
Dam |
6/44 |
8/44 |
300 |
| Billy
Mitchell |
1/45 |
5/46 |
3,000 |
| Cambria
|
6/44 |
9/45 |
335 |
| Chilton
|
6/45 |
8/45 |
300 |
| Cobb
|
6/45 |
9/45 |
176 |
| Columbus
|
6/44 |
10/45 |
575 |
| Eau
Claire |
7/45 |
9/45 |
143 |
| Fond
du Lac |
6/44 |
8/44 |
300 |
| Fox
Lake |
6/44 |
9/45 |
350 |
| Fredonia |
6/45 |
1/46 |
330 |
| Galesville
|
6/44 |
10/45 |
450 |
| Genessee |
6/45 |
1/46 |
280 |
| Green
Lake |
6/44 |
10/44 |
600 |
| Hartford |
10/44 |
1/46 |
600 |
| Hortonville |
7/45 |
12/45 |
305 |
| Janesville
|
6/44 |
10/45 |
600 |
| Jefferson
|
6/44 |
7/44 |
180 |
| Lake
Keesus |
6/44 |
7/44 |
250 |
| Lodi
|
6/44 |
11/45 |
250 |
| Markesan |
6/45 |
10/45 |
637 |
| Marshfield
|
7/45 |
9/45 |
243 |
| Milltown
|
6/44 |
9/45 |
325 |
| Oakfield |
6/45 |
12/45 |
238 |
| Plymouth |
6/44 |
8/45 |
180 |
| Reedsburg |
6/45 |
8/45 |
137 |
| Rhinelander
|
8/45 |
10/45 |
330 |
| Ripon
|
6/45
|
12/45 |
555 |
| Rockfield
|
7/44 |
1/46 |
531 |
| Sheboygan |
7/45 |
12/45 |
450 |
| Sturgeon
Bay |
5/45 |
8/45 |
2,140 |
| Sturtevant
|
6/44
|
12/45 |
350 |
| Waterloo
|
6/45 |
9/45 |
310 |
| Waupun
|
7/45
|
10/45
|
350 |
| Wisconsin
Rapids |
5/45
|
11/45
|
200 |
|
|
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