During World War II, the U.S. government operated a prisoner of war (pow) camp here. Administered through the semi-permenant Camp Fannin (Smith County), camp center began at the request of the U.S. Forest Service and Texas Timber Salvage Corporation to alleviate manpower shortages in the area. The military built the temporary tent camp, the largest of its kind in the U.S., here at what was then the Shelby County fairgrounds. It opened in May 1944 with a peak population of 773 prisoners and averaged 500 during its brief existence. The camp provided labor for area lumber, paper and brick companies, as well as construction of a nearby swimming pool. Camp center closed in November 1945.