The construction of Camp Adair during World War II forever changed the Willamette Valley. While the camp's primary mission was to train hundreds of thousands of soldiers for combat, its impact reached far beyond the war itself. The history of Camp Adair is also the history of how World War II transformed the communities and people of western Oregon.

Had Camp Adair never been built, the Willamette Valley would look very different today. The town of Adair Village would never have existed, and the area would have remained known as Wells. Many buildings constructed with materials salvaged from Camp Adair including Corvallis City Hall might never have been built in their present form.

The camp also changed countless lives in ways that cannot be measured. Soldiers stationed at Camp Adair met local residents, leading to friendships, marriages, and families that otherwise would never have existed. After the war, some former German prisoners of war who had worked in Oregon returned to make the state their permanent home, becoming part of the communities they had once known only during wartime.

The purpose of this online museum is to preserve and share that remarkable history. Camp Adair was more than a military training center it was a catalyst for lasting change. Its legacy can still be seen in the towns, buildings, families, and communities of the Willamette Valley. Understanding Camp Adair helps us understand how World War II shaped Oregon in ways that continue to be felt today.