Camp Douglas Pop-Up Exhibition

Did you know there was a POW camp in Bronzeville a few blocks away from Illinois Tech’s Mies Campus? Camp Douglas was the largest military installation in the state of Illinois and, as a mustering in center, received and trained over 40,000 Union soldiers beginning in September 1861. From February 1862, the camp also became a prison camp processing 30,000 Confederate POWs until it was closed in late 1865. Camp Douglas had a significant impact on the economy of Chicago and the history of the Civil War.

The Bronzeville Black Metropolis National Heritage Area and the Camp Douglas Restoration Foundation have curated a pop-up exhibition beginning June 8 at the east side of the lobby in Michael Paul Galvin Tower. A brief program in partnership with the Office of Community Affairs will precede the exhibition opening at 2 p.m. in the auditorium.