05/02/2026
Camp Grant, IL.
Version World War 2.0
CG was originally founded as one of the 16 National Army cantonments during the first world war (out of eleven) that would train young men for battle. It was located 4 miles south of Rockford, in Winnebago County, and named in honor of Gen. Ulysses S. Grant, U. S. A., Commander-in-Chief, U. S. A., 1864-69, and POTUS #17, 1869-77.
While Camp Grant was retained after World War One, a lot of the buildings were razed after the Great War; only for the place to be totally rebuilt again for WWII, and then torn down again. (Your tax dollars at work.)
In between wars one and two, it serves as a Civilian Conservation Camp. These places were created all over the country during the Depression to build infrastructure, and put young men to work with a little spending money, plus room and board; not much different from military life. But, without the risk of war.
Also, during WWII, Camp Grant served a much smaller role, and was not even in the top 50 of training camps in terms of size. Quite a contrast from WWI, where it was one of the largest facilities!
During the second world war it served as an induction center, hosted some German POWs, and was a medical training center. That's quite the contrast from being an absolutely massive infantry training center just a little over 20 years earlier.
In 1919 $, the construction costs were about $14,000,000. In 2026 $ that would be worth $267,224,393. In contrast, much less was spent during WWII to rebuild it. In 1945 $, it cost Uncle Sam $10,003,656. In 2026 $ that would be worth $183,518,737, or about 2/3 the cost of WWI.
During WW One the size of the cantonment site proper was 1600 acres; entire reservation, 5,665 acres; including shooting ranges. But, during WW Two it was only 3,338 acres.
Many of the former WW1 National Army cantonment sites have also seen plenty of post WW2 use; some of which are still active today, and have advanced in rank to achieve permanent fort status. But, there was no Fort Grant or Fort Ellis for Illinois.
As a matter of fact, other than Fort Sheridan, there were not any post WWII forts in the Land of Lincoln. Finally, FS was on the list for the very first BRAC round of 1988, and closed in the 1990s.
Today the former site for Camp Grant is the airport for Rockford. That's ironic, because its usually growing cities infested with NIMBYs that gobble up airports, and make them disappear. In fact, Camp Grant would have been large enough to be in the top five Illinois cities at the time. But instead, an airport displaced this former Army city.
However, there was an occasional plane that few in and out of the parade grounds during WWI; well before any runways were ever added. But, there were no aero squadrons attached here, so the flights would have been inconsistent, and not a regular thing.
While there are no surviving WWI buildings, a few WWII buildings do remain east of the airport. As of yet, it is unknown if Camp Grant will be reclaimed and used for World War Eleven, or where the buildings will be located.
