Camp Breckinridge was built in 1942 on 36,000 acres at a cost of $39,000,000. It was named for John C. Breckinridge, US Vice President from 1856-60 and Confederate Secretary of War in 1865. It was created as an infantry training center for up to 40,000 men. During WWII, from 1943-46, it was also used as a prisoner of war camp for as many as 3,000 enlisted men of the German Army. The camp was deactivated in 1949. During the Korean War, from 1950-54, it reopened for infantry training. From 1954 to 1963 it was used for summer training of 4,500 National Guard troops. Army disposal of the camp began in 1963. The Dept. of Labor obtained 853 acres for a Job Corps Training Center that opened in 1965, and the remaining acreage was acquired by individuals, the city of Morganfield, and the state of Kentucky.
