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Located on the western edge of the Ochocho National Forest, approximately twenty miles from Prineville, Oregon, Camp Mill Creek served as a major Civilian Conservation Corps worksite from 1933 to 1942. The entrance to the camp's location is marked in honor of the hundreds of young men who worked on projects in this national forest. As described on the roadside plaque: "The young men of Camp Mill Creek did reforestation work, fought forest fires and constructed and maintained roads, trails, telephone lines and campgrounds." CCC workers, under the supervision of the US Forest Service, are credited with constructing several buildings located...

The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) made the first improvements to the newly-acquired Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park.  Company 1903 worked out of a CCC camp established at the north end of the 'prairie' at the present park entrance in 1933.   The first order of business was to develop Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park itself, after which teams from Company 1903 worked at other state parks along the north coast of California.  The CCC camp closed in 1937. Among the many other improvements the CCC enrollees made to Prairie Creek park was a lovely amphitheater, or what is called in this instance...

This two-story brick building served the Concord School District of Clackamas County when it was built in 1936. The Public Works Administration (PWA) provided a grant and local voters approved a bond for the local contribution in the $60,000 structure's construction. Portland architect F. Marion Stokes designed the simple, modernist style building with pared down classical details. Malarkey & Kallander, Portland contractors, built the school. The local newspaper noted that twenty-five men were put to work in its construction. Concord School served as a grade school until 2014 when the building was acquired by the North Clackamas Parks and Recreation District for...

The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) prepared Dry Lagoon State Park for public use. The work was carried out between 1933 and 1937 by Company 1903 at Camp Prairie Creek, from where the CCC worked on state parks all along the north coast of California. The CCC enrollees built a park boundary fence and demolished the remains of the derelict Dry Lagoon Farm (Dry Lagoon had become a meadow and marsh after being drained for farming in the 19th century). They returned the area to a more native landscape by planting rhododendrons, ceanothus and other coastal vegetation and clearing the beach of...

A Public Works Administration (PWA) $27,000 grant contributed to the funding of the $60,000 Barclay Grade School in Oregon City. The PWA also provided a $33,000 loan that was repaid with approval of a local bond initiative. This simple Colonial Revival style, wooden structure was designed by noted Portland architect Carl Wallwork.  The Salem firm Odum Construction built the structure during 1936 and it opened for fall classes that year. Noted for his work in wood, Wallwork's design included a hexagonal belfry with iron weathervane, a pedimented porch entry with square columns and pilasters, arched lights in the transome over the...

In 1940, the Works Progress Administration (WPA), in concert with the city, developed the Municipal Park of Fortuna – now known as Rohner Park.  By 1940, the WPA was part of the reorganized Federal Works Agency (later to become the General Services Administration). The WPA project card indicates that relief workers were supposed to build baseball dugouts, restrooms, picnic tables and fireplaces, as well as a water and sewer system and hiking trails. A plaque in the park credits the WPA and city with developing the entire park.   There have been many additions and renovations since 1940. The restrooms, picnic area...

In 1940, the Works Progress Administration (WPA) developed the rodeo grounds at the Municipal Park, now Rohner Park, in Fortuna.  WPA relief workers built the grandstand, judges stand, concession stands, restrooms and more – most of which appear to still be in place.   Next to the rodeo grounds is a large building called "Firemen's Hall", which may well be the barn  indicated in the original WPA work order (see image). At the entrance to the rodeo grounds, there is a marker crediting the WPA and the city of Fortuna with creating the Municipal Park.

In 1941-42, the Works Progress Administration (WPA) made major improvements to the Municipal Park in Ferndale, today known as the Firemen's Park.  According to the WPA project card, the improvements consisted of building a softball field with bleachers, reconstructing a recreation hall, adding picnic tables and fireplaces, and changing the channel of Francis Creek. The baseball field, bleachers and recreation hall are all still in place, though altered through the intervening years.  The ball field is dedicated to local sports hero, Carl Oeschger, who enjoyed success as a pitcher in the major leagues in the 1920s.  The recreation hall appears to...

The National Youth Administration completed improvements at the Ezel High School. A team of 18 NYA boys remodeled an old residence that was converted in the science building. The crew consolidated the foundation, added a sewer line to the street, and completed extensive interior and exterior renovations.

In 1935, the City of McMinnville applied for a Public Works Administration (PWA) grant to construct a public library on the grounds of Linfield College. As explained in the region's major newspaper, the Oregonian, the library was to be built by the city with a local bond ($36,000) and the PWA grant ($29,250). In this unusual arrangement, the City leased the library to Linfield, making the college responsible for its maintenance and operation. Initially, the public could use the library by paying the same fee for access required of the students. Located on the northwest edge of campus, the Linfield-McMinnville Library...