A Guide to the Camp Fannin Cultural Resources Collection, 1917-2012; Bulk, 1943-1945

Administrative History

Located outside of Winona, Texas, near Tyler, Texas in Smith County, Camp Fannin Army Training Camp was in operation from 1943-1946. Primarily a WWII Infantry Replacement Training Center and prisoner of war camp, the camp also served as an Air Corps Replacement Center and a separation center for discharged soldiers.

In 2012 under the administration of the Veterans' Land Board and the Texas General Land Office, the Watkins-Logan-Garrison Texas State Veterans Home opened on a portion of the old Camp Fannin site known as the cantonment area. Also known as the Tyler Veterans Home, the home incorporates a family-style design with ten cottages. As an archaeological dig would have uncovered few if any historic items, Bob D. Skiles, R.P.A., GLO/VLB Staff Archaeologist conducted an archival research project and wrote a Cultural Resources Report in lieu of an archaeological dig and report.

As described in the Cultural Resources Report, Skiles gathered materials from various archival repositories and libraries and kept digital copies for his subject files. Artifacts were generally purchased from eBay.

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Scope and Contents note

The Camp Fannin Cultural Resources Collection contains artifacts, subject files, and a draft Cultural Resources Report. Artifacts and documents include a pin, an aerial photograph, correspondence, booklets, newsletters, a pennant, pillow shams, a bridge cloth, and panoramic photographs.

Subject files include copies of articles, books, reports, manuals, photographs, maps, aerial photographs, oral history interviews, and moving images.

Materials were collected in 2009-2010. The artifacts and documents are WWII-era, and subject files include resources from the WWI-era forward; however, the majority of materials date from 1943-1946.

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Restrictions

Conditions Governing Access note

Digital files exist on DVD and an internal server. They may be accessed on-site upon request.

Conditions Governing Use note

Materials may be under copyright protection. US copyright law does allow for reproduction of materials under copyright for uses such as critique, criticism, news reporting, teaching (including multiple copies for classroom use), scholarship, or research. The researcher has full responsibility for determining copyright status, locating copyright holders, and abiding by current copyright laws when publishing or displaying copies of Special Collections material in print or electronic form.

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Administrative Information

Preferred Citation note

Camp Fannin Cultural Resources Collection (AR.268). Archives and Records Program, Texas General Land Office, Austin.

Accession Information

Materials were deposited in the archives upon Bob Skiles’ retirement in 2011.

Processing Information note

With the exception of the Cultural Resources Report and “Camp Fannin Reminiscences,” all of the subject files exist in digital format only. The processing archivist kept the creator’s folder structure and file names. The following file formats found in the materials were maintained: PDF, JPEG, PNG, GIF, TIFF, MHTML, MPEG-4 Part 14, and MPEG-1. RealMedia and Flash Video files, while not standards, were also kept. Microsoft Office Word and Rich Text Format documents were converted to PDF.

Digital Copies

Texas General Land Office employees can access the Camp Fannin Cultural Resources Draft Report and Appendices on the Docushare server: http://docushare.glo.state.tx.us/docushare/dsweb/View/Collection-33784

External customers must visit the GLO Archives & Records Reading Room at 1700 N. Congress Ave. Suite 935 Austin, Texas.

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Detailed Description of the Collection

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