Camp Rupert 1943-1946

The prisoners came for the harvest. The first, Italians, arrived in May 1944 and 500 Germans followed that September, and from here they were sent out to branch camps to plant, thin and lift sugar beets and potatoes for farmers who set work quotas with the War Labor Board and were expected to guard them. The Utah-Idaho Sugar Company made a German-language film to show them how. By October 1945 the camp answered for 15,047 men, and labor shortages kept many in Idaho until after the 1946 harvest.

What the plaque says

Camp Rupert 1943-1946 Camp Rupert was the largest prisoner of war camp in Idaho, housing some 4000 POWs most were German and Italian. The Camp was built at an initial cost of $500,000 and maintained by nearly 1000 army personnel and civilians. Over 170 buildings were constructed on 300 acres, including a field house, hospital, mess halls, barracks, chapel, commissaries, large warehouses and recreation centers. It also served as a base camp for 24 branch camps in Idaho, Oregon and Montana. 506

Where it stands

Worth the stop nearby

• Minidoka National Historic Site — 19 mi
  The prisoners built a board for the names of their sons in the Army. When the camp was given away as farms, the board was lost.

More markers nearby

• Starrh's Ferry — 5.3 mi
• Milner Dam — 7.0 mi
• Minidoka Dam — 16 mi
• Caldron Linn — 18 mi