There's A POW Camp On A Nature Trail In Allegan

Way back in the day before most of us were born, there were the two biggest wars our world has ever seen. There was World War I and World World II during the late 1910s and the late 1930s into the early to mid-1940s. A common part of war is a soldier being taken in as a prisoner of war(POW) and some say this is worse than being killed in action. POWs are normally taken to some low-down "prison camp", where they are held in horrible conditions, treated inhumanely, and tortured in hopes that they will give up information.

These POW camps were stationed all over the world and most countries held POWs and were doing all they could to gain valuable information on the opponent. Russia, France, Italy, Germany, and so many more countries chose to use these POW camps and many of the ruins still exist. Until recently, I had no clue that there were POW camp ruins right here in Michigan.

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According to a Tiktok video posted by a user (frommichganwithloveblog) who travels the state of Michigan showing off all the hidden gems, there are POW camp ruins here in one of our lovely Southwest Michigan towns. Watch the video below to see if you know where these ruins are:

@frommichiganwithloveblog We had World War Two POW camps in Michigan! Crazy! This one is in Allegan! #alleganmichigan #westmichigan #allegancounty #michiganhistory #historichiddengem #worldwar2 ♬ original sound - Jackie | Michigan Travel

Just north of Kalamazoo sits the pretty town of Allegan, which now has some unique and dark history. There is the Allegan Heritage trail that is just west of Lake Allegan that is known to house beautiful nature, tons of wildlife, and immaculate vibes. Although, back in the 1900s it was "home" to foreign military officers who were overseen by American soldiers.

There is now the opportunity to walk through this nature trail and take a step back in time. As you take in all the beauty and enjoy the nature around you, there is a brief break from reality as you reach the ruins that hold secrets. There's the ability to walk in a place where war prisoners once suffered.