From Command Post Restaurant to Midway Village Museum, new exhibit details the history of Rockford’s Camp Grant

By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD — For the children and grandchildren of Yolanda and Stanley Weisensel, walking through Midway Village Museum’s newest exhibit on Thursday was an emotional reminder of the years they spent chasing down personal and poignant artifacts tied to Camp Grant.

Pictures, uniforms and other memorabilia connected to the former Army infantry training camp in Rockford filled the Weisensel’s restaurant and museum near the Chicago Rockford International Airport for more than two decades. The closure in 2020 of the Command Post Restaurant and Camp Grant Museum, 1004 Samuelson Road, spurred the need for the training site’s history to be preserved elsewhere. On Thursday, after years of preparations, Midway Village opened a new exhibit that does just that.

“It just brings back memories of when I went with my parents to collect it for the museum,” said Neil Weisensel, one of the couple’s four children. Stanley Weisensel died in May 2017 at age 82. Yolanda died in April 2024 at age 86.

The new permanent exhibit is called “You’re in the Army Now: Camp Grant, Rockford’s Legacy.” It was created with information and history gathered from more than 1,500 pieces of memorabilia, including much that was won at auction from the old Command Post Restaurant. The exhibit opens to the public for free this Saturday and Sunday at Midway Village, 6799 Guilford Road on the city’s east side.

It tells the story of Camp Grant — which was south of Rockford largely where the airport is now — from its founding in 1917 to its closure in 1946. Stories span from World War I and World War II through interwar years, the flu pandemic of 1918 and include a multitude of other touches that offer insights into the lives of the hundreds of thousands of soldiers who came through its gates.

“My goal with this was we really wanted to make sure we were talking about people’s stories,” said Laura Furman, chief curator of collections and education at Midway Village. “We want people’s lives to live on and those personal stories to be what we’re highlighting, not just the military life and the battles that they may have gone through, but these were real people with real experiences.”

Midway Village spent more than two years researching and preparing the exhibit, which includes memorabilia on display as well as a colorful mix of graphics and presentations created in partnership with Edwards Creative of Milan near the Quad Cities. Furman said Midway is continuing to collect Camp Grant information and artifacts.

“Even with the exhibit up, we want to retain an archive of Camp Grant stories that we can protect and preserve,” she said.

Dozens of invite-only guests got a first look at the exhibit on Thursday for a private ribbon-cutting ceremony before it opens to the public this weekend. The group included local dignitaries and museum officials and leaders from businesses such as Bergstrom Inc., which was the primary sponsor for the exhibit.

“I personally feel that we should get as many of our school students as possible through this museum so that they can learn about Camp Grant,” said David Rydell, chairman of Bergstrom Inc. “The exhibit is so well done and it so well preserves this great part of Rockford history.”

Rydell said the collection is so vast that he needs more time to spend going through the space.

“I’m going to come back some day and have a couple, three hours available,” he’s said. “I want to go through and study everything, and you can’t do that on 15 minutes or even a half hour. You can’t even begin to do it.”

Tens of thousands of recruits trained at Camp Grant during World War I, and thousands more were discharged through the camp. Furman said the arrival of roughly 13,000 Black soldiers was of particular importance as it represented new diversity for a community that had only 200 Black residents before the war. The camp then underwent a dramatic expansion during World War II, when more than 300,000 soldiers went through its gates.

“This exhibit preserves and honors the impact of Camp Grant on our community and on our nation,” Winnebago County Board Chairman Joe Chiarelli said. “The camp played a crucial role in local war efforts, economic development and shaping Rockford’s history.”

Family of the Weisensels said a memento with a personal connection was a favorite piece of Stanley Weisensel.

On display near the entryway is a silk memorial napkin from Camp Grant’s first Thanksgiving in 1917. It’s imprinted with the 341st Infrantry roster and the holiday menu. The Weisensels got the napkin from the son of a Camp Grant soldier, Edward Bibby, who is pictured on the wall next to the encased cloth holding his then 11-month-old son Jimmie.

“If you went into the restaurant and asked him what his favorite piece was, that was it hands down every single time,” said Tina Weisensel, who is married to Neal.

Open House | Camp Grant exhibit

What: “You’re in the Army Now: Camp Grant, Rockford’s Legacy” exhibit opening weekend.

When: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 22; noon to 4 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 23

Where: Midway Village Museum, 6799 Guilford Road, Rockford

Cost: Free for the opening weekend public house

Info: Midwayvillage.com

This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on X at @KevinMHaas or Instagram @thekevinhaas and Threads @thekevinhaas