We are thrilled to have David Keller, noted Chicago amateur historian and longtime resident, present his archaeological research at Chicago's Camp Douglas site. David is the managing director of the Camp Douglas Restoration Foundation as well as the author of two books: The Story of Camp Douglas, Chicago’s Forgotten Civil War Prison and Robert Anderson Bagby, Civil War Diary (Annotated) 1863-1865.
David has worked alongside DePaul's Dr. Michael Gregory in the archaeological excavations and artifact analyses of finds from Camp Douglas. Opened in 1861, Camp Douglas was a Union training and reception facility for over 40,000 Union soldiers in Chicago. Camp Douglas became a prison camp, housing over 30,000 Confederate prisoners, from 1862 until it was demolished in 1865. Containing over 200 buildings on 60 acres, Camp Douglas was the most significant Civil War facility in Northern Illinois.
