Camp Shelby in Forrest County, Mississippi — The American South (East South Central)

Vaudeville Theatre

World War I

— 1917 —

Vaudeville Theatre Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by James Hulse, January 3, 2026

1. Vaudeville Theatre Marker

Inscription. At this site stood the Camp Shelby Vaudeville Theatre during World War I. Operated privately as a concession theater by the Shelby Amusement Company, Inc., it was constructed entirely of lumber in 1917. Vaudeville acts, plays, musical shows, and movies were among the many forms of entertainment on parade at the theater each week, which also featured local acts from among the regiments training at Camp Shelby. The War Department's Commission on Training Camp Activities (CTCA) later operated it as one of its Liberty Theatres. In the early morning of April 14, 1919, it was destroyed by fire. The cause could not be determined. With the war already over, Camp Shelby was soon to be abandoned, and the structure was not rebuilt.

"An official order issued by Major F. L. Lomax, division quartermaster in charge of camp amusements, announces that the Shelby Amusement Company, which operates the theaters at the camp, will start amateur nights next week. Two nights a week, amateur actors from the various organizations will appear before their fellow soldiers. It is anticipated that there will be plenty of amusement, and that the rivalry between the different units will be intense." - The Indianapolis News, Jan. 18, 1918

Boys at Camp Shelby are well entertained
"The winter theater season soon will be in full sway at Camp Shelby. The Camp Shelby theater has bookings of some of the best vaudeville acts in the country and is drawing packed houses at every performance. Two performances are given each evening and matinees are presented Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday" - The Evansville [Ind.] Courier, Oct. 17, 1917

Archaeology at Camp Shelby
Vaudeville Theatre
In

Paid Advertisement

Click or scan to see
this page online

2012, before the present fire station could be built, Mississippi National Guard archaeologists needed to investigate the site for possible intact archaeological features. Three 1 x 1 meter burned wood features were discovered. The floors of each were lined with charred lumber and filled with construction debris. These features were interpreted as having been subfloor ice boxes underneath the World War I Vaudeville Theatre. The burned wood and the deposition of construction debris probably resulted from the 1919 fire that destroyed the structure.

Captions
(Photo #1) In this panoramic photo, the Vaudeville Theatre is seen sitting on Camp Shelby's dusty World War I landscape, nestled between the Camp Library and YMCA No. 3.
(Photo #2) Excavated charred wood floor feature, interpreted as once having been an ice box beneath the theater.

Erected by Camp Shelby Historic Trail.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Anthropology & Archaeology • Arts, Letters, Music • Forts and Castles • War, World I. A significant historical date for this entry is April 14, 1919.

Location. 31° 11.95′ N, 89° 12.473′ W.

Photographed by James Hulse, January 3, 2026

2. Vaudeville Theatre Marker

The view of the marker along the street.

Marker is in Camp Shelby, Mississippi, in Forrest County. It is at the intersection of Jackson Avenue and 21st Street, on the left when traveling east on Jackson Avenue. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 2103 Jackson Ave, Hattiesburg MS 39401, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Mississippi’s Pine Belt.

It is also in the American South,

specifically in the Deep South,

and in the Piney Woods.

Globally, it is in North America,

a Gulf of Mexico state,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain,

the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Special Forces (approx. 0.9 miles away); 85th Infantry Division (approx. 0.9 miles away); 155th Brigade Combat Team (approx. 0.9 miles away); "Go for Broke" (approx. 0.9 miles away); Ohio 37th Infantry Division (approx. 0.9 miles away); 278th Armored Cavalry Regiment (approx. 0.9 miles

Paid Advertisement

away); 38th Infantry Division (approx. 0.9 miles away); Combat Wounded Veterans (approx. 0.9 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Camp Shelby.

More about this marker. The marker is located on the grounds of historic Camp Shelby, an active Mississippi National Guard military installation. Appropriate identification is required for access.

Credits. This page was last revised on January 27, 2026. It was originally submitted on January 26, 2026, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas. This page has been viewed 59 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on January 27, 2026, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.