J.M. Caldwell Sr. Community Park

500 W College St, Princeton, TX 75407

In 1940, the migratory camp was built west of Princeton where the Community Park is now located. It was built for the people who moved into the area to work during the onion and cotton seasons. It was estimated that there were 300-400 migrants at the camp during this period.

An overhead storage tank with the capacity of 30,000 gallons of water was the first unit erected on the campsite. Also, 76 cabins were built of California redwood with shingle roofs and concrete floors. Each cabin was equipped with two beds, oil cook stove with oven, oil heater, and four chairs.

In February 1945, the camp was turned into a prisoner of war camp for Germans captured during World War II. The local farmers paid the POW’s to work on their farms. This operation was continued for eight months.