MMS off ers greenhouse Austin, Russell to represent as learning Monticello at Meet of Champs experience 1B 1C ADVANCE-MONTICELLONIAN 75¢ WEDNESDAY, MAY 9, 2018 SERVING DREW COUNTY SINCE 1870 Camp Monticello is LET THE DECISIONS BEGIN included on 2018 list of endangered places BY HAROLD COGGINS 1942 and consisted of three com-
[email protected] pounds for enlisted men, two com- pounds for offi cers, a hospital, gar- Camp Monticello, an Italian rison echelon and other facilities. prisoner-of-war camp during The camp was surrounded by World War II located along Ar- barbed-wire fences and guard kansas Highway 35 southeast of towers. After the British captured Monticello, has been included on much of the Italian high command the 2018 Most Endangered Places at Tobruk and elsewhere in North list by Preserve Arkansas, the only Africa, Italian POWs, the vast ma- statewide nonprofi t organization jority of them offi cers, began to ar- focused on preserving Arkansas’s rive at Camp Monticello in 1943, architectural and cultural resourc- spending their time working, play- es. ing sports, attending Mass, pre- The annual list, which began in paring Italian meals, learning and 1999, was announced last Friday creating art. by Preserve Arkansas Executive The camp was closed in 1945 Director Rachel Patton. To quali- at the conclusion of World War fy, the historic properties must be II, and prisoners were eventually threatened by deterioration, ne- returned to Italy. The camp prop- glect, insuffi cient resources, insen- erty was declared surplus and pur- sitive public policy or inappropri- chased by Arkansas A&M College, ate development.