This semester, our IL History students visited the Easley Pioneer Museum in Ipava, IL; home to the largest collection of artifacts on the WW2 museum Camp Ellis. Students had the opportunity to speak with museum workers Marion Cornelius and Julie Terstriep and develop their own blog posts. Check out two of these posts below, as well as a few additional resources about Camp Ellis.
Thanks to students Audrey Cozart, Jack Cozart, Andrew Christian, and Nic Houston for letting us share these posts. Thanks to Marion and Julie for hosting us on this trip.
Marion Cornelius speaks to students about Camp Ellis
Jack & Garrett check out the original schoolhouse in Ipava that is maintained by the Easley Pioneer Museum (more pics below)
Marion has been hard at work restoring this cabin in Ipava, IL; one of the original structures housed at the Easley Pioneer Museum.
Marion & Julie give students an idea of how large Camp Ellis actually was!
Well-known YouTuber “The History Guy” recently visited Camp Ellis and made this video. “The tiny village of Ipava became, for a moment, one of the largest cities in Illinois.”
Great episode from IL Stories about Camp Ellis. “Each September the town of Ipava holds a festival called “Camp Ellis Days”. This story delves into the history of Camp Ellis with those who lived and worked there during World War II.”
The Forgottonia Project 