During WWII 6000 POWs were sent to 32 camps in Michigan to help out with the labor shortage.  

There were 32 POW Camps in Michigan. While the existence of the camps was not kept secret, it was not publicized for security reasons.

List of Camps:

Camp Allegan
Camp AuTrain
Barryton, Mecosta County, MI
Benton Harbor, Berrien County, MI
Blissfield, Lenawee County, MI
Caro, Tuscola County, MI
Coloma, Berrien County, MI
Croswell, Sanilac County, MI
Fort Custer, Galesburg, MI
Dundee, Monroe County, MI
Camp Evelyn – Alger County, MI
Freeland, Saginaw County, MI
Fremont, Newaygo County, MI
Camp Germfask – Germfask, MI
Grant, Newaygo County, MI
Grosse Ile Township, Wayne County, MI
Hart, Oceana County, MI
Camp Lake Odessa, Ionia County, MI
Mattawan, Van Buren County, MI
Mass, Ontonagon County, MI
Milan (USFR), Monroe and Washtenaw Counties, MI
Odessa Lakes, Tuscola County, MI
Camp Owosso – Shiawassee County
Camp Pori – Upper Peninsula
Camp Raco – Upper Peninsula near Sault Ste. Marie
Romulus Army Air Field, Wayne County, MI
Shelby, Oceana County, MI
Camp Sidnaw – Sidnaw, MI
Sparta, Kent County, MI
Wayne (Fort), Detroit, Wayne County, MI
Waterloo, Jackson County, MI
Wetmore, Alger County, MI

The local orchards here in Berrien County were paying them 50 cents an hour to pick fruit.

I live in "The New Way To Go " between Fremont and Grant

Brother in Law built the sign/display for the Owosso one for his Eagle project.  Pretty interesting history. My understanding is they helped out the local farmers in the area and when the War was over a lot of them didn’t want to go home. Just down the road from where my grandparents farm was at the time. I’ll have to ask mom if she remembers anything about it.

After further reading the farms were paying the camps 50 cents per hour per prisoner.  The prisoners would receive currency that could only be redeemed at the camp store.  It was enough to take care of personal care items.

OP, any sources that describe the camps?  Or good pictures of them?

Here's info on the Owosso (my hometown) camp: Owosso POW camp

My wife grew up in Owosso.  We drive by that sign every time we go visit.

https://www.dailytribune.com/news/local/ferndale-author-pens-story-of-pows-in-michigan-during-wwii/article_bfc11482-1b5a-11e9-a943-2748fe48f5c9.html

Imagine fighting the enemy, get captured, then find yourself sitting on the enemy's porch drinking lemonade and having pie a couple months later.

That women-Eva Worthington- that the POWs saved is the mother of my MIL's neighbors.   My wife is good friends with one of the granddaughters.  Crazy small world.

Thanks guys!  There doesn't appear to be anything left of the Owosso camp.  There are several others that I travel near.  I will have to reasearch and see if there is anything left of them.

Sounds like some of the camps were either on existing bases, or were not much more than temporary buildings with a fence and two rows of razor wire.

Speaking of POW's, has anyone had the chance to meet Bruno Rzonca?  I talked to him a couple of times down at the Crown Point gun shows.  He used to give autographs and sign books.  Funny thing was he never saw the film "Sink the Bismarck," and never planned to.  He passed in 2003, IIRC.

Fort Custer National Cemetery has graves of some German POWs that died while here in US. Interesting that theirs are the only headstones in the whole cemetery, the US graves are all marked with ground level plaques. (Not the case at our Great Lakes National Cemetery north of Holy, row upon row of marble to be seen there... )

I came in to mention this.

16 of poor guys' work truck got hit by a train.

I need to visit section "P"

Fort Wayne in Detroit should be on that list. Wife’s grandfather was an Italian POW there. He met her grandmother on one of the regular weekend dinner visits to Italian households in Detroit. Pretty cool story actually.

The fort is actually quite awesome, we’ve done a couple restoration projects there, gone to the flea market they used to hold there, and attended a couple art fairs.

Eta: oops, it is on the list. I was looking for Fort Wayne, not Wayne (Fort).

ARNG 88-93.   We stayed in WW2 barracks at Ft Custer.   We were told they were ex POW barracks.   The only thing updated in them since the war was paint.    I think they are gone now.

Seems so strange looking back that there was a time we allowed POW's into our homes, yet there were Japanese Americans living in internment camps.  I know perceptions regarding what is familiar or alien were different back then, I guess that shows how much times have changed.

Relatives still live in Tuscola county and told stories of German POWs working local farms.

We stayed in them in 2011.

I was luck enough to get to know a man named Ernst Floeter who joined the German Army to try to avoid being drafted into the SS. He tried to get captured and was successful and was kept in a POW camp in Michigan, plus a couple other states. After the war he was sent back to Germany, but ended up coming back and lived here the rest of his life. He was one of the most patriotic people I've ever known and he truly appreciated this country.

Ernst Floeter