Camp Ford was the largest prisoner of war (POW) camp run by the Confederacy west of the Mississippi. Opened in 1863, it held over 5000 Union prisoners; conditions were often appalling. Outside the camp, mob-rule often prevailed. Freed African Americans were often slaughtered and burned at the stake for having 'Yankee sympathies.' The site today has interpretive trails, a reconstructed POW cabin and a small museum.
Camp Ford Historic Park
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Nearby attractions
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2. Tiger Creek Wildlife Refuge
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Trace the town's boom – and bust – at the evocative East Texas Oil Museum, with vivid exhibits that do an admirable job re-creating the pre-oil discovery…