Exploring an Abandoned WWII POW camp in Michaux State Forest

[@davetappany6822]

Just finished thus hike . Awesome! It is worth its weight in gold to print the trail map as it gives detailed information as to what each thing was with pictures. Don’t go without this!

[@MichelleJune67]

The arrow was the flag pole..very interesting had to look up the walking map tour and my goodness it was such a sight to see!!! Great video would of never known!!! Thanks a million!!!

[@Cindy1956ful]

If you get down that way, I was told by the locals that there was also a German POW camp at the fairgrounds in Stewartstown, PA. Not sure if there’s anything left. The POWs worked in the nearby orchard outside of town. There’s also an old mill outside of town. Stewartstown was founded in 1770. Still a few Revolutionary War houses there and surrounding country. And Civil War houses. Soldiers are buried just over the Mason Dixon line at the Church in Butler, MD.

[@craigs.546]

Thanks for doing a great video Cliff!

[@terryanderson5947]

Thank you for this awesome video bub. I would love to walk through and enjoy seeing the history of this place. Be careful outhere man.

[@meggalina]

you're like a kid in a candy store at this place. do much to see! really cool, thanks got the great video.

[@74dartman13]

So cool! I never knew this place existed. Thanks for sharing it with us!

[@bertgeneray5954]

I read down thru your comments looking for a mention of a book published in 2006. I didn't find it. The book is titled "Secret War At Home - The Pine Grove Furnace Prisoner of War Interrogation Camp" by John Paul Bland. It explains some of the history of the area pertaining to the iron industry, the CCC camp, the prisoner of war camp and then the church camp. Well worth the read.

[@melisadoherty8995]

Can't wait to discover this tomorrow on my day off. Thank you!!!

[@owen4248]

Great explore lots of history there for sure thanks for taking me with you.....

[@kateclark7250]

Interesting place. Thanks for the adventure.

[@michaelsowers8584]

Again, you continue to do a very good job exploring areas that are easily reached here in PA. Lycoming County has some neat and interesting areas to explore. Utceter Cemetery below Slate Run is interesting, albeit, in horrible disrepair.

[@abethepunk]

I visited this forest thanks to you! A bit of a drive but I loved it! I can't wait to go back, although I set my tent up where a bobcat hunts at night.

[@paulmerritt7540]

BTW thanks for the great tour!! I love that area.

[@richekay]

Great video, as always. The old spillway (12:55) has been replaced with a new spillway. No more concrete sluice boxes. All new river rock and channeling.

[@GoMandiMartin]

That is an awesome video! Thank you so much! :)

[@gohistory590]

Awesome videos !! Keeps up the great work. I really enjoy them Rick

[@thewanderingwoodsman7227]

Thanks

[@karenpacker8862]

Awesome explore. What history.

[@texashikeaholicsadventures5651]

Very interesting!! Thanks for sharing!

[@MindlessNonsense]

Holy crap!!! I'm so happy to discover this video!!!! I live near there, and I always hear about that, yet I can't find much about it. Thanks for posting this video!

[@thewanderingwoodsman7227]

Thanks for watching

[@craigs.546]

The following map has numbers that may correlate with the numbers on the posts at that actual site. It's a Church camp map with certain references to old POW camp structures As well as church camp structures or foundations thereof.: www.schaeffersite.com/michaux/#Definitive

[@Friskee62]

Very cool video. It is good that you changed your video gear to what you have now. Kudos...

[@BLACKTHUMB01]

Just came back from visiting the Fuller Lake area, I was not aware of how much remained of the Camp, will have to go back and check it out now.

[@timkiner1006]

Great place I use to live right over the mountain from there and every time I go there I see something different

[@PrepsteadingWithBelinda]

wow if the trees could talk the stories that we would learn. Thanks for sharing!

[@trackeryak]

Very interesting place. My wife and I will take a drive over soon!

[@rickmiller9845]

I went to church camp here with the Central Presbyterian church in Chambersburg. Pretty cool place. We actually have a cabin right down the road from the camp. I remember the big steps where we had our summer pictures taken. I have walked this area many times but never could locate them. A lot of history here.

[@paulmerritt7540]

Behind the crumbled barn foundation, heading to high ground was where they held worship services. It was once clled vespar hill, and there lies some remains of the old benches used during services. The area is full of multiflora rose now-a-days though.

[@llstarlight]

WoW - people left messages in cement - the farm where I grew up had 1880 - 1881 markings in cement - so I thought that was an origin dating - recently I found that the main house was built abt 1750 - watching your pod inspired me to look things up - the house is still there after a couples of renovations - additions and a pool lol

[@ww2abandonedcampshelby665]

I live next to camp Shelby, ms. they had a pow camp there. I hope to make a video of it some time. great info thanks.

[@terryciavola2251]

Awesome, loved the old door. Are there any pictures of what it used to look like? Enjoyed the history.

[@nickmad887]

Great video

[@patrickwentz8413]

Too funny. I have been at the fallen barn many times and never knew there was a POW camp right up the road!

[@debraadamsadams6955]

Very nice video. Watch the black bears and rattlesnakes.

[@wooderdsaunders6801]

Would love for you to do a more detailed tour of this site.

[@kristgeo]

Cool video!

[@RoyalSupertramp]

The arrow was the flag pole for the CCC camp, it was abandoned by the pow camp because it was inside the prisoner area. The platform that looked like a lookout was the incinerator, and the structure with the wooden posts was the main mess hall. They built the pool because the water quality in the reservoir (2nd dam) was not good. When I visited earlier this month you could see what looked like acid run-off going into the reservoir. Super cool place, but some aspects are really deteriorating so visit while you can! The self guiding tour brochure has some photos of the different buildings, some of the shrubbery in the photos are fully mature trees now!

[@waynegrant8982]

excellent investigation ....Keep it up your doing a great job...Western Canada

[@thewanderingwoodsman7227]

Thanks

[@577buttfan]

The fountain was built to last.Looked cool!

[@hillarys.k8518]

Cliff maybe time to revisit this places .

[@paulbislin8471]

Very interesting video! I guess that „Leutnant Momborg“ wrote 2 addresses on that bridge: „Prag Ovenecka 35“ (Prague Ovenecka house No. 35, that address still exist) and „Kassel Altenritte 56“.

[@lisamunson1789]

We have remenants of a old ww2 pow camp here in western wi. Its located on the south post of a current army base called fort mccoy wi.

[@paulmerritt7540]

At 9:25 that IS the old swimming pool....off to the south east side you'll find the access to the underworkings of the pool below grade.

[@landentrayer3061]

The star is for the flag pole. If u notice the circle in the middle. I stumbled accross this amazing place by chance hiking one day. There is a map online somewhere i wish I could find it.

[@Bryan-yx3rq]

Corps is pronounced "core" not like a corpse. Pet peeve of mine being 31 year US Army. Great video, love that place, been there many times, live in the general area.

[@vikkinicholson2300]

thank you Bryan, that got my attention too.....once an Eng. major, always an Eng. major.lol

[@firstcitytraveler]

those concrete block were foundations for huts (housing) at camp. Keep the wood off the ground.

[@koalabay08]

we take the 4 wheeler to Michaux state park Will have to check this out

[@bobbieschke599]

I've been there, believe that belonged to the Civilian Conservation Corps . Toms Run shelter is up the hill about 3/4 of a mile in off the AT . Camped there..........Grizz 🐻

[@buckJuddson]

hey woodsman have you ever been to Altoona PA ? Horseshoe curve ? there is some awesome old house foundations just beyond the curve . Not many people know about them ! Pennsylvania !!!!!

[@thewanderingwoodsman7227]

Hopefully I'll get out there sometime this summer for fall

[@mikeb8613]

The U.S. had over 500 POW camps.

[@markbrubaker8585]

Did your research mention where the prisoners went when they left this camp? Just curious.

[@Misfitprime]

Where is that relative to the CCC camp?

[@sandraplonka5225]

Great history of Pa. My father in law was an U S Army guard in Pa. guarding Germans.

[@paguy63]

Hello Sandra, was he a guard at the Pine Grove Furnace POW camp?

[@erica-lillycrider1088]

That is on Dynamite Shed Road i live not far from that area on the mountain

[@tindoortailgator]

More History - Lost to Time - If Only the Tree's Could Talk ? Thanks

[@paulmerritt7540]

The center of the STAR was the location of the flagpole.

[@gillygil8747]

Clearly, the Keystone. But, what was it? Yes. Very interesting. (That is not a Colonel Klink reference.) I can't help but be reminded of the SNL skit years ago. Steve Martin said to Bill Murray, "What the hell is that? What the hell IS that? What's 'at dang thing doin' here? How did that get here? What the ...."

[@wendywarrior2264]

I didn’t know this existed! So much history in PA! Love living in this state! My Dad used to tell me that my uncle worked for the CCC camps! I don’t know where, but maybe here!

[@vikkinicholson2300]

Cliff has his fan base using the word, "cool"......an oldie but goodie.

[@nickmad887]

thanks

[@craigs.546]

Map of the POW camp shortly after use as a POW camp: www.schaeffersite.com/michaux/DERmapLarge.gif

[@johnwrhel9190]

I believe those concrete blocks supported the barracks that housed the prisoners. The buildings were wooden.

[@Timbo63a]

Do a google search on: "lt momberg" michaux state, and you'll see info on the German who left his name on the bridge....

[@edithdavis2848]

Interesting.

[@billiefloyd7106]

In the comments some one mentioned seeing a rattlesnake at this camp when they were there. I'm glad you didn't see any.

[@paulmerritt7540]

The "Steps to nowhere" were at 9:10 bud......they use to be in much better shape than today.

[@davidwilson8800]

Leaving out the o saves time&energy

[@craigs.546]

Don't be the "o" police. Lol :)

[@richardgithens1960]

Corpse?

[@808TheDuck]

POW camp or CCC camp?

[@thewanderingwoodsman7227]

Both. it was a CCC camp first then a POW camp during the war.

[@johnwrhel9190]

That 22.5.45 was written by a German. They put day first followed by month followed by year. Americans would have written 5-22-45.

[@lindamccoy4871]

I hear a Woodpecker at the beginning

[@privatedata665]

Cool vid , I wonder if any German descendants of the prisoners have watched this ?

[@Makaiamar06]

12 volts

[@garyjohnson4608]

this place should be studied researched and restored

[@BrianClunie]

It's off the beaten path!

[@davidwilson8800]

The arrow is so Planes know where the prisoners are

[@dinahnicest6525]

"Interrogation" means torture. This was a 20th century Abu Graib. Unpleasant thought, but it happens.

[@harrowgateguy]

Not a POW camp but an interrogation camp.

[@prismstudios001]

If the numbers written on the edge of the dam are a date, then it is in the European style, day/month/year.

[@secretaryandactress]

It would help if you mentioned which state Michaux State forest is in. Locals know this but I had to look it up.

[@jtkm]

secretaryandactress it's in Pennsylvania. About 15 minutes west of Gettysburg. The Appalachian trail goes right through it. I'm a local btw

[@secretaryandactress]

I ended up looking it up. Thank you. I frequent PA but the northeast area. Kind of far. Someday I would like to visit Gettysburg. I love history. I have taken interest in the holocaust lately. I'm reading about the events that took place right after liberation.

[@jtkm]

secretaryandactress yes, in fact if you look up Letterkenny Army Depot, you will find out that Italian POW's built the depot, and one famous structure is the church.

[@robdwy1708]

No light cool.

[@davedutile6317]

State? What f I go state.!

[@wvmontani]

Just so you know, "corps" is pronounced "core"; not "corpse." :) :) :)

[@davidwilson8800]

Pw is prisoner of war it became pow

[@patt8315]

You need to go back armed with more information.

[@craigs.546]

I kind of like it when he doesn't have all the information in his videos because it sparks my curiosity and makes me want to investigate it on the internet.

[@lindabingham394]

corpse is a body

[@JuanaHernandez-nz3tp]

tk

[@lindabingham394]

what is that noise your iron lung or camera annoying