“String Along” whispers the Camp Thornton Plaque. Its weathered bronze face speaks of a time long past a time etched in the very soil beneath our feet. This isn’t just a plaque it’s a portal to a forgotten chapter of Thornton’s history.
Here in the Sweet Woods Forest Preserve stands the Camp Thornton Plaque. It commemorates Camp Thornton a Civilian Conservation Corps camp established in 1934. During the Great Depression the CCC offered unemployed young men a chance to work earn a meager wage and contribute to the nation’s recovery. At Camp Thornton these men initially slept in tents amidst three-foot-high weeds. Later they built their own impressive barracks complete with mess halls washrooms and even a parade ground.
Imagine the scene: hundreds of men working together building a community in the midst of hardship. They were paid $31 a month $25 of which went directly to their families. This wasn’t much but it provided some much-needed relief during a time of widespread poverty. The men learned valuable trades like bricklaying carpentry and machinery operation skills that would serve them well after their six to eighteen-month stints with the CCC. The craftsmanship of the CCC is still visible today in the beautiful flagstone picnic shelters and roadways found throughout the Cook County Forest Preserves.
The Camp Thornton Plaque doesn’t just remember the CCC. It also tells of the camp’s later use as a German POW camp from June 1945 to April 1946. Local stories recall the apprehension of the townspeople yet the surprising friendliness of the prisoners of war. Following the war Illiana Christian High School briefly occupied the grounds. In 1951 the South Suburban Council of Girl Scouts took over and used the facilities as a camp. Finally in 1989 the last vestiges of Camp Thornton were demolished. Yet the foundations still lie beneath the ground a silent testament to the camp’s enduring legacy.
Today as you stand before the Camp Thornton Plaque take a moment to reflect on the lives shaped here the struggles overcome and the enduring spirit of a community that rose from the ashes of hardship and war. The plaque serves not only as a memorial but also as a powerful reminder of the resilience and resourcefulness of the human spirit. The quiet strength of the bronze speaks volumes more than mere words can express about the rich history of this place. The enduring legacy of Camp Thornton lives on.