Breaking News
Community News

History Channeled: Marietta museum welcomes campers of all ages to learn about World War II and more

By Evan Bevins 3 min read

MARIETTA -- Having fun while learning isn't only for children's summer camps.

The Castle in Marietta held its annual All Ages History Camp Saturday, showing and telling participants about different aspects of American history during and after World War II. Attendees at the morning session got to see the equipment of U.S. soldiers during the war, hear about the experiences of a Japanese-American family in an internment camp and learn about rationing by making French toast.

"We took stale bread and turned it into a meal," said Kyle Yoho, the Castle's education director. "(During rationing), you were supposed to use your shopping supplies to the max."

The afternoon session included presentations on Eloise (Burke) White, a Black woman from Marietta who served in the military and worked as a typist for the head of the Tuskegee Airmen; the use of plastics in World War II and the 1950s and '60s; and the popularity of soda fountains in the '50s.

"It's a great opportunity for cross-generational learning," Yoho said. "We treat everyone like a camper when they come here."

That means name badges and items to take home, like the French toast they made and replicas of World War II-era ration books.

Marietta resident Kimberly Johnson found the presentation by Castle Executive Director Scott Britton on the camps to which Japanese-Americans were sent during the war particularly interesting, as it was a subject she did not know much about.

"It's just good to learn," she said.

Britton described the conditions in the camps through the perspective of one family. He noted that the mother was a nurse who taught others in the camp about her trade. One of them went on to study nursing at Marietta College, one of four Pioneer students who spent time in the camps after President Franklin Roosevelt ordered their voluntary and then forced relocation in an effort to curb potential espionage following the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Johnson's son, Mitchell, appreciated the cooking portion of the morning.

"I liked the hands-on stuff," he said.

Paden City resident Patty Wright said she came for the World War II subject matter because she's working on a book about her parents, who both served in the war and met when her father was hospitalized and her mother was a nurse. She enjoys history in general and wanted to check out what else the Castle has to offer.

"I want to come back for more things. This is so exciting," Wright said. "I love this town."

Information about upcoming activities at the museum can be found online at www.castlemuseum.org and on the Castle's Facebook and Instagram pages.

Evan Bevins can be reached at ebevins@newsandsentinel.com.

Starting at /week.