The Elijah Gates Camp 570 of the Sons of Confederate Veterans dedicated its headquarters on Saturday, April 25. The new permanent headquarters, located at 107 Main Street in Auxvasse, will store the group's research and serve as a meeting place.
Commander Noel A. Crowson described having such a space as a "privilege."
"Most camps don't have something like this," Crowson said.
At the camp's new headquarters, it will begin a research library with what information and materials it has collected. The material will be available for others who wish to use it as a reference for research. And, the
group will have artifacts and reproductions of artifacts on display.
Gates Camp member Kevin Wenzel said the group plans to open its headquarters at least one day a week and have someone available to answer questions. He said Callaway has a "rich" history that he feels residents living in the county should get to know. The Auxvasse-based Elijah Gates Camp travels to schools throughout the county often to educate others about Callaway County's civil war history.
"This is part of their local history," Wenzel said. "If they are going to live here, they need to be aware of it."
The group's education component, Wenzel said, is important. He added that they recognize not everyone is going to be a historian.
Gates Camp member Charles (Don) Ernst said the camp works to preserve southern heritage and to honor soldiers.
"(We) try to get people to understand more about what happened in that time period," Ernst said.
One of the group's most recently completed major projects was the dedication of the Battle of Moore's Mill mass grave last summer. Crowson said the Elijah Gates Camp likes to do research and answer questions about Callaway County with regards to the Civil War. Until last summer, the 24 Union and Confederate soldiers who died in the Battle of Moore's Mill were unrecognized. The group marked a memorial site and dedicated the mass grave. In June, the camp will add lighted flags to that memorial.
Crowson added that he has appreciated the city's acceptance of the Elijah Gates Camp.
"The people in the community have stopped by and been very supportive," Crowson said.
Ernst echoed Crowson's appreciate for local support.
"We're very proud of this place," Ernst said of the new headquarters.
Up next for the camp is completion of its Camp Jackson research project. The group, Crowson said, just completed a land survey for the project in Auvasse creek and they will soon hold an archeological dig there. After discovering what artifacts they can and conducting additional research, they will write a paper on Camp Jackson.