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Show War camp set up in Orem for prisoners By DONALD W. MEYERS The Daily Herald During World War II. more than 350 German ami Italian solideis were billeted in Orem. The soldiers were not pan of any cover! operation to sabotage American industry. In fact, the Axis troops were in to come to the city. The soliders were prisoners of war who were kept at a prisoner of war camp at SIX) Fast and 000 North. Along with (.ioniums and Italians, the camp served as a home for internees and Japanese-AmericaMexican farmhands. When World War II broke out. Orem was still a farming community. While the construction of Geneva Steel brought many people to the city, the demand for soldiers on the battled out produced a shortage of farm laborers. To solve the problem, the I 'tali I arm l aborer's Association proposed the construction of four labor camps throughout the state to house prisoners who could labor on area farms. The Orem camp, a complex of several barracks and tent like structures, was dedicated IVc. 12. 043. by Gov Herbert Maw. The camp was erected on land owned by James Stratum and the state. But the first inmates did not arrive until the spring of 1044. when 2(H Japanese-Americanwea brought to the camp. The Japanese-American- s were originally American citiens living on the west coast, but they were forced out of their homes at the Franklin orders of President Roosevelt and placed in camps in inland western states for fear that they would support J ipan in the war. The internees sent to Orem came d n s fill i Photo courtesy of Hollis Scon captured German and Italian soldiers were sent to Orem as prisoners, During World War II, more than 350 from camps in Topa and Delta. the During that summer, Japanese-American- s were sent out to pick fruit and perfomi other chores on fanns in Provo and Orem. In the fall of 1044. the Japanese-Americawere transferred, and a contingent of captured Italian soldiers took up residence in the camp. The Italians took care of the har PROVO: after the death in I $55 of Ute Chief Walker. But the threat of famine emerged in 1855 as hordes of (Continue! From Page grivvhoppers devoured their crops. mobile tank, the Monnons stormed The settlers survived by making sur tin. Bean cabin and succeeded in sugar from a saccharine-lik- e ance from off the Indians the to they gathered flight putting The Indians split into two gaxips. leaves of trees. Hard winters in 1855 and I $56 The main Nx.lv tied south and were all killed while trying to escape further exacerbated matters, resulting in poor harvests and not across the ice of I'tah Fake. A smallenough grain er puny led by Big Elk fled toward to feed the settlers and the steady Rock Canyon. Big Flk was killed, influx of immigrants to the area. To and the same fate befell his squaw as improve the dedication of the settlers. Mormon Church leaders initiated a she fell from the mountain while trying to escape. The mountain has been reformation in the autumn of 1856. known is Squaw Peak ever since. Many people in Provo. as well as in Troubles with the Indians abated surrounding cities, were rebaptued in somewhat, and on Jan. 31. I $50. the a show of rededication to God and general assembly of IVseret named church. In 185$. insects were the struggling settlement "Provo." replaced by and declared the city to be the seat of hordes of Salt Lake City residents government of the nev y created w ho fled to Prov o before the adv ance I'tah County. Soon after Provo was of General Albert Sydney Johnston"s U.S. President James granted a city charter on Feb. 6. I $50. army. residents elected Ellis Fames as Buchanan had ordered the ffoops to mayor, along: with four aldemien and Utah to put down the "Mormon Rebellion." The refugees, nine cvunsekxs. some 30.000. took refuge in Provo Relations with Indians improved ed 5S ?rOoB JfM) Reports indicate there were no attempts to escape because there was no place else to go. vest on local farms, as well as making improvements to the labor camp. The prisoners erected a fence and watch towers around their prison. The next summer, the camp became home to 340 Gentian prisoners of war. The German POWs were mostly officers captured during Allied campaigns in North Africa. One of the farms w as ow ned bv Roy H. Gappmayer, who grew fruit on part of what is now Utah Valley State College. Beatrice Pyne, Gappmayer's daughter, said she was never afraid of the 10 German prisoners w ho w orked on her family's farm, despite the war between the United States and Germany. (St CAMP, Page 59) homes, and a huge tent was erected in (he center of the public square for a storehouse and offices for church leaders. Once territorial governor Alfred Cumming had persuaded Brigham Young to have the Saints return to Salt Lake City. Provo residents had to contend with the about 100 unruly federal troops. Judge "One-Eye- d Jeffries" Cradlebaugh brought in the "gentile" troops to try polygamists and to intimidate the largely Mormon of the Utah Southern Railroad, which forever ended Provo's isolation and city. On the plus side of the ledger, the army's presence did stimulate the local economy. And when the taxps were removed, locals were able to purchase roughly $4 million worth of government goods for SI 00.000. Despite such difficulties. Provo continued to gaw anj become more Schools ecnomically were established, a number of important industries established, and prominent men like AO. Smoot brought stability to the frontier citv. That gawth was further accelerated with the arrival in November 1877 brought the city more into the economic and societal mainstream. Another important event in Provo's history was the opening in I860 of the Timpanogos Branch of Deseret University, which was later to become the BY Academy. After the building was destroyed by fire in 1884. the new academy was built on 500 N. University Avenue where it still stands today. In 1883. the Provo Tabernacle wa built. As originally constructed, the building had a center tower that was removed in 1917 because its weight was causing the building to sag. When the "Gay '90s" arrived. Provo had a population of more than 5.000 and was an important center for culture and entertainment. By the time Utah was granted statehood in even before the coming of electricity and the horseless carriage. Provo was already firmly entrenched in the shadow of Mount Timpanogos and well on its way to becoming the modem city it is today 18. |