Some of the men transferred from Camp Stronach, CPS Camp No. 1, which had faced open hostility from the community.   

Twenty-six assignees at the camp refused to do emergency farm work but were willing to perform regular project work.  In some cases, work refusal was connected to the type of work as being military related and thus in violation of conscience, or as being work for which CPS men should be paid. Work strikes often attempted to influence Selective Service policies. (Sibley and Jacob p. 270-71)

In early 1943, the School of Cooperative Living was established at Walhalla.  Dr. Morris Mitchell, an educator and founder of the Macedonia Cooperative Community near Clarksville, Georgia directed the school.  Approximately sixty men participated, many of whom had transferred in from other camps.  Most of the work of the school occurred in small interest groups of five to fifteen men.   The groups presented their work in regularly held general meetings.  One of the group projects was an apiary which furnished several hundred pounds of honey that were distributed through the Jack Pines Cooperative Store at Walhalla.  A children’s book entitled The Gooliabah Tree was written by Joe Gunterman, illustrated by Bill Darr and published in 1944 by the Cooperative League of the USA. 

When the Walhalla camp closed the School of Cooperative Living moved to CPS Camp No. 42 at Wellston, Michigan.

From April through October in 1943, the men published the School of Cooperative Living Newsletter.

When Camp Walhalla closed in November 1943, men were dispersed to other units, although many went on to Wellston, CPS Camp No. 42.