Fort Lincoln: The Internees, the Staff and Life at the Camp

Map of Fort Lincoln circa 1944


Courtesy United Tribes Technical College (formerly Ft. Lincoln)

The Staff

Guard house at entrance TRACES Collection

Internees arriving at Ft. Lincoln 1941 John Christgau Collection

Guards at Ft. Lincoln with dogs John Christgau Collection

Ft. Lincoln Staff TRACES Collection

Border Patrol Camp Guard John Christgau Collection

Mounted Border Patrol Guard at Ft. Lincoln. John Christgau Collection

Street inside Ft. Lincoln Ursula Vogt Potter Collection

Severe winter weather down to -40 degrees and howling winds greeted internees at Ft. Lincoln, a shock to many from southern climates, like Latin America. John Christgau Collection

Ft. Lincoln Barracks – Note double fence. John Christgau Collection

Germans internees pose for photo by one of the “dormitories.” 1942 Ursula Vogt Potter Collection

Inner fence line of double fence at Ft. Lincoln John Christgau Collection

Winter inside the fence at Ft. Lincoln John Christgau Collection

German Internees at Ft. Lincoln circa 1942 Ursula Vogt Potter Collection

German Internees at Ft. Lincoln circa 1942 Ursula Vogt Potter Collection

Meal time at Ft. Lincoln John Christgau Collection

Passing the Time

Hours moved slowly for the internees. Here they play cards in the sleeping quarters.
TRACES Collection

Hockey on the Parade Grounds John Christgau Collection

German internees had an active theatre group. Guenther Greis Collection

 

Others enjoyed singing as shown by this large “Manner Chor”
Suzy Lechner Kvammen Collection

Camp Commander IP McCoy permitted the men to have a canteen…
John Christgau Collection


…and a popular “casino” decorated with murals by internee Paul Lameyer. It was enjoyed by
German and Japanese internees alike and helped pass long years of internment.
John Christgau Collection


Others engaged in more nefarious pursuits, including tunneling under the fence that ringed the camp.
This escape attempt failed when the tunnel collapsed because a truck drove over it. John Christgau Collection

Internees were expected to perform many of the day to day duties at the camp. Here men prepare to feed the other internees. Ursula Vogt Potter Collection

Others did the laundry. Some preferred this task because the laundry room was warm.
TRACES Collection

Still others studied, hoping one day to become US citizens. John Christgau Collection.

Internees still celebrated holidays. This image is original postcard from Ft. Lincoln.
Suzy Lechner Kvammen Collection



But all internees shared the anxious, constant waiting and wondering of internment -- “gitterkrankheit” (“fence sickness”).
TRACES Collection