Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) Sites

This cabin sits in the Giant Sequoia National Monument at 6,000 feet of elevation. The CCC built the cabin to provide a residence for Forest Service fire patrolmen. "Mtn. Home Guard Station was constructed between 1933 and 1935 by the Civilian Conservation Corps, (CCC) to provide a residence for Forest Service fire patrolmen stationed in that area. In 1964, the Forest Service no longer needed the use of the cabin. Mountain Home State Forest used the cabin to house California Division of Forestry personnel from 1965 to 1997 under a Special Use Permit issued by the Forest Service. The cabin is...

Nipmuck State Forest's Mountain Laurel Sanctuary began "as a beautification project of the Civilian Conservation Corps" in 1935. Located along Snow Hill Road, it features Connecticuts state flowers, and is particularly beautiful during peak bloom.

The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) construction this compound in Gifford Pinchot National Forest.

Mt. Bradley Ridge is near Castle Lake in Shasta National Forest. It now appears to be reached mainly by a trail leading from Castle Lake, to Heart Lake, to Little Castle Lake to the Mt. Bradley Ridge. The highest point of the hike is 6050 feet. From the fire lookout's position on the ridge, there are stunning views of Castle Crags and Mt. Shasta. This timber tower replaced the smaller lookout house on the right in the photo below.

This camp was constructed by the Army Corps of Engineers for training and occupied by the 450th Company, P-234 October 15, 1937 near the old quicksilver mines of Almaden at the site of the ghost town of English Camp. Work projects accomplished by the 450th included construction of truck trails, telephone lines, bridges, lookout towers, fire prevention landscaping, spring development and rock walls. A group of 40 men were sent to a side camp at Aptos near Santa Cruz to build truck trails and another group of 22 went to a camp at Smith Creek near Lick Observatory on Mt....

The Mount Morrision Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) Camp was constructed in 1935-36 and used until 1941.  The young men stationed there were the labor force that built the magnificent Red Rocks Amphitheatre and improved Red Rocks Park. The camp is still intact and serves as the maintenance yard for Red Rocks Park. Fourteen of the original fifteen CCC buildings remain. The camp is part of the Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre Historic District, listed on the national register in 1990 and declared a National Historic Site in 2015.    

Rising 1,350 feet, Mount Nebo offers sweeping views of the Arkansas River Valley. In 1933, a portion of the mountain was chosen as a park site. Native stone and logs from Mount Nebo were used by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) to construct many of the park's bridges, trails, rustic-style cabins, and pavilions. The park offers 34 campsites (24 Class B; 10 Hike-in Tent Sites) and 15 fully-equipped cabins for rent, complete with fireplaces and kitchens. Fourteen miles of trails encircle Mount Nebo and take visitors to the awe-inspiring Sunrise and Sunset Points, perfect places to take in the view. For...

The Mount Shasta Ranger Station was constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in 1935 in classic rustic park style.  The original Ranger Station consists of several buildings, including the main office/visitors' center, timber management office, guest house and auxiliary buildings – which remain in pristine condition. The ranger station was the headquarters of the Shasta National Forest (1905) until it was unified with the Trinity National Forest in 1950. It is now one of four management units of the Shasta-Trinity National Forest, whose headquarters is in Redding.  A sister station is located in McCloud CA. A relief map of the Shasta-Trinity area hangs...

The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) made extensive improvements to the newly-formed Mount Tamalpais State Park on Mount Tamalpais – a favorite hiking and recreational spot for San Franciscans all the way back to the Gold Rush era (1850s). The California State Parks website adds these details: "The CCC expanded the recreational opportunities of park visitors with new trails, camping facilities, and the monumental amphitheater. Except for the winter of 1938, veteran companies occupied the CCC camp from April 1934 through April 1940.  Mount Tamalpais State Park has other CCC features: Mountain Theatre (Cushing Memorial Theatre) and Actor Dressing Rooms, Footbridges, Camp Stoves, Sixteen campsites...

The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was very active in the Coronado National Forest during the 1930s. Coronado National Forest is discontinuous across southeastern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico because the forested areas occur only on isolated mountain ranges called "Sky Islands" – a type of landscape similar to the Basin and Range in Nevada. CCC camp F-30 was located in Madera Canyon in the Santa Rita Mountains (we are not sure exactly where or for how long).  The CCC 'boys' (enrollees) did extensive work in the canyon, including a campground, picnic area, amphitheater, trails and erosion works. The largest CCC project in...

The CCC did extensive work in Muir Woods National Monument. The National Park Service site summarizes their activity: "The men began work in Muir Woods and the surrounding Tamalpais State Park. Projects included a revetment (rockwork stream banks) in Redwood Creek; construction of a stone-faced concrete bridge on Fern Creek; construction of utility buildings and benches; and the construction of the Sidney B. Cushing Memorial Amphitheater (the "Mountain Theater"), near Rock Springs, on Mt. Tamalpais. The CCC completed its last project in Muir Woods in May 1941, and was disbanded shortly thereafter."   (https://www.nps.gov/) Not everything the CCC did was ideal by modern standards,...

Mule Peak is in the Tule River Ranger District and overlooks the Tule River Indian Reservation to the west: "Established in 1936 as a primary fire detection facility, Mule Peak Lookout was constructed for $2,800 on a rocky peak at elevation 8,142 feet. The C-3 live-in cab was built by the CCCs who packed all the materials in by horseback. To this day, all materials and supplies must be packed in the 1.25 miles from the parking area or delivered by helicopter. There is a small gable roofed shed built near the base of the lookout. The lookout is in good condition...

According to Stacy Lundgren of the US Forest Service, the CCC was responsible for much of the infrastructure in the Stanislaus National Forest, including "roads, trails, bridges, dams, campgrounds, lookout towers, ranger stations, pretty much everything." To do the work, CCC camps were established at Italian Bar, Tuolumne, Jupiter, Hulls Meadow, and Corral Creek on the Mi-Wok Ranger District; Dorrington, Mokelumne, and Skull Creek on the Calaveras Ranger District; Strawberry on the Summit Ranger District; and Buck Meadows, Camp 17 (out of Crane Flat in Yosemite National Park) and Greeley on the Groveland Ranger District. Most work that persists today was done...

The Bristow town website explains that the amphitheater was "built by the CCC and the NYA, one of the first youth projects completed. Eleanor Roosevelt came to Bristow to dedicate the project in March 1937." A 1985 National Register nomination form for Creek County explains that the amphitheater itself is a one-story, flat-roofed, wooden structure (later painted white). The foundation is stone, the seats are concrete, and the whole area was planted around with trees, which are still there today. The form further explains that: "Architecturally, the structure is unique to the park in terms of type, style, and workmanship. This project...

In 1933-34, the CWA erected a wharf in Occoquan. The PWA and CCC also worked on other nearby improvements. The original docks and wharves have been replaced over time due to disastrous floods in 1965 and 1974, but the photos shown here the documented site where New Deal works were conducted in Occoquan.

The New Deal agencies C.W.A., E.R.A., C.C.C. and W.P.A. were involved in standard relief and infrastructure work in the small resort town of Rangeley according to town reports from 1933 to 1937 1934 E. R. A. Acct. $685.94 C. W. A. Acct. $1,345.00 R. Davenport, use of auto for C.C.C. crew to clear slash on Bald Mt. road $60 00 Harold M. Ferguson, rent of C. C. C. lot $100 00 C. W. A. ACCOUNT OF ADMINISTRATOR* Received from Town Treasurer $1,561 00 20 people employed and 5 companies involved Feb 1935 to Feb 1936 Sixth Annual Report of the BUDGET COMMITTEE 57. W. P. A. Projects, $1,200 00 Feb 1936 to...

Extensive work was done in Berlin by a combination of the CWA, FERA, PWA, NYA, CCC and WPA all during the existence of the New Deal when “in 1935, under the leadership of newly-elected Mayor Arthur Bergeron, the Farmer-Labor Party began the process of reorganizing city government and acting as a conduit for federal monies in response to the mass lay-offs in the the Great Northern and Brown paper mills” (https://www.berlinnh.gov) 1935 The period of the Civil Works Administration ended on April 1, with jobs incomplete as follows Athletic Field, Boating and Bathing Pool at the Bog. 1936 "The Federal Work Projects have assisted...

Extensive work was done in Berlin by a combination of the CWA, FERA, PWA, NYA, CCC and WPA all during the existence of the New Deal when "in 1935, under the leadership of newly-elected Mayor Arthur Bergeron, the Farmer-Labor Party began the process of reorganizing city government and acting as a conduit for federal monies in response to the mass lay-offs in the the Great Northern and Brown paper mills"   (https://www.berlinnh.gov) Road, street, and sidewalk work in Berlin included the following: 1934 CWA work on the Glen Rd. 1935 FERA constructed the Rockingham St wall. 1936 "By far the two largest jobs undertaken by the city were...

Extensive work was done in Berlin by a combination of the CWA, FERA, PWA, NYA, CCC and WPA all during the existence of the New Deal when "in 1935, under the leadership of newly-elected Mayor Arthur Bergeron, the Farmer-Labor Party began the process of reorganizing city government and acting as a conduit for federal monies in response to the mass lay-offs in the the Great Northern and Brown paper mills"   (https://www.berlinnh.gov) Utilities, culverts, water mains, storm drains, & sewer lines were improved by New Deal agencies: 1934 CWA builds the Coos Street Culvert, Boating and Bathing Pool at the Bog. 1935 "FERA builds the Main...

Annual municipal reports for Claremont document extensive New Deal involvement in developing the city's water supply and sewage systems. In 1935, this work included WPA aid in the construction of the local Rice Reservoir, and CCC construction of five "water holes" "in outlying sections as an added aid in combating fires on isolated farms." In 1940, the PWA contributed to a municipal sewer project, and WPA labor was used to improve the hospital's sewer lines. New Deal aid for sewer projects continued into 1941.

"Munson Valley Historic District was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1988 for its landscaping and eighteen of the buildings.  During the 1930’s and 1940’s, landscape architects Thomas Vint, Merel Sager, and Francis Lange oversaw the development of the rustic landscape around Munson Valley at almost every level.  The landscaping of Munson Valley no longer has much of the original work of Vint, Sager, Lange and the CCC, but the layout and natural placement of buildings still remains. Some of the historically significant buildings within the Munson Valley Historic District include: Administration Building Ranger Dormitory Superintendent's Residence (now housing part of...

The State of Oregon received a two-acre, ocean-front property from Jack Ponsler in 1939 to be made into a public park in memory of his wife Muriel O. Ponsler. Civilian Conservation Corps enrollees provided the labor to develop it. The small park's improvements consisted primarily of a picnic area and viewpoint with a circular access road. The entrance to the park is enhanced by an ornamental stone fence on both sides of the circular roadway.

Jennings County Park. Established as the 4th Indiana State Park in 1921, originally called Vinegar Mill State Park after a pioneer-era stone cutting mill on the site. Renamed Muscatatuck State Park in 1922 and used as a state park, youth camp, and wildlife-raising station until 1968, when the property was transferred to the county. CCC and WPA built roads, trails, shelters, and stairs at the Vinegar Mill site.

"Muscatatuck County Park, formerly known as Vinegar Mills State Park and Muscatatuck State Park, is a recreational park located by the town of Vernon, Indiana in Jennings County. Formally opened on May 17, 1921, on land given by Jennings County to the Indiana state government, Vinegar Mills State Park was established as an 86-acre (350,000 m2) park. It was named for an old mill used to cut stone during the pioneer days along the Muscatatuck River. The name was soon changed to Muscatatuck State Park, to reflect the historical Indian name given the River, believed to mean "winding waters". Aside from...

Built in 1934 by the Civilian Conservation Corps, the Musick Guard Station was used to house fire crews. Like many other guard stations, the Musick Guard Station was rented out to the public in the 1990s. The Guard Station is located in Umpqua National Forest near the town of Dorena.

The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) built the amphitheater at Mutual Dell camp in 1936.  It is a modest sized outdoor theater with a concrete and stone stage and wooden plank seating for about 200 people. It was constructed by CCC enrollees working out of Camp F-43 in Pleasant Grove UT. Mutual Dell is a girls camp run by the Latter Day Saints (Mormon) Church. The amphitheater is still actively used for camp programs.

The CCC did extensive work creating Myakka River State Park between 1934 and 1941. According to the Florida Public Architecture blog, it was the only camp in Florida established by an African-American division of the CCC, reminding the visitor that segregation obtained even in great public works of the New Deal. From the Florida State Parks website: In the 1930's, during the Great Depression, over 17,000 acres of the Palmer estate was purchased by the government to develop Myakka River State Park as part of President Roosevelt's New Deal. The New Deal was intended to boost the economy and spirit of the American population during...

“As a result of colonial wood utilization and wildfires, most of the original forest was cleared and burnt over by the mid-1800s. The Massachusetts Game Sanctuary Association initiated reforestation efforts in 1912 by planting 30,000 white pines around Barrett Pond and East Head Reservoir.  In 1916, the State Forest Commission purchased the 5,700-acre Game Sanctuary Association property, creating Myles Standish State Forest (MSSF).  By the end of the 1920s, the state had purchased the majority of the land we now know as MSSF.  Today, MSSF has approximately 12,404 acres and is the largest public recreation area in southeastern Massachusetts. “After acquiring...

"The Civilian Conservation Corps performed a variety of work throughout the state, including soil conservation, reforestation, fire prevention, and the development of recreational areas. The work of the CCC in South Carolina provided the genesis of South Carolina's state park system. South Carolina's first state park opened at Myrtle Beach in July 1936, and by 1938 fourteen state parks had opened and over 450,000 people had visited them."

The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC)'s Camp Fernow, which housed Company #183, was stationed at Natchaug State Forest in Eastford, Connecticut. The camp was established June 29, 1933 and was discontinued May 28, 1941. Among other projects independently listed on other pages, work included: "tree planting, 8 miles of truck trails, improvements to the Forest Ranger's house, and construction of the Eastern District sawmill, a sawdust and plainer shed, a warehouse, a machine shop, and the 3 lumber sheds that supplied the entire eastern half of Connecticut."

"The Natchez Trace Parkway is a National Park Service unit in the southeastern United States that commemorates the historic Old Natchez Traceand preserves sections of the original trail. The Natchez Trace Parkway logo can be seen on signs and trail markings along the parkway. Its central feature is a two-lane parkway road that extends 444 miles (715 km) from Natchez, Mississippi to Nashville, Tennessee. Access to the parkway is limited, with more than 50 access points in the states of Mississippi, Alabama, and Tennessee... Construction was begun by the federal government in the 1930s. The development of the modern roadway was one of the...

This Tennessee state park was developed by several New Deal  "on land bought from residents who could no longer farm the land due to erosion." (wikipedia.org) "Three New Deal agencies, the Works Progress Administration (WPA), the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), and the Resettlement Administration, assumed responsibility for the park's initial planning and development. Like other early state parks, the Resettlement Administration relocated property owners from unproductive and overused farm land; the CCC and WPA began land replenishment and park construction. The CCC concentrated its efforts on reforestation work and instigated land stabilization programs that included the introduction of the Japanese vine...

"In December 1929, the state of Tennessee established Nathan Bedford Forrest Memorial Park atop Pilot Knob, which had been donated by the Paffords. A road was built connecting Eva with Pilot Knob, where a memorial consisting of a granite obelisk had been erected. In the mid-to-late 1930s, the Civilian Conservation Corps and Works Progress Administration arrived to build the park's roads, trails, and facilities."

The United States National Arboretum was established as a public center for scientific research, education, and gardens to conserve and showcase the floral bounty of America and the world.  It was authorized in 1927, but the actual development of the arboretum was accomplished during the 1930s by the New Deal. The Public Works Administration (PWA) funded land acquisition, as well as extensive planning and mapmaking, for the Arboretum. Young men of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) performed the work under the supervision of the Bureau of Plant Industry (today's Agricultural Research Service) of the Department of Agriculture (USDA)  The Arboretum was established by an...

In 1934, Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) enrollees constructed the fire Guard Station in Bonanza, Idaho. Bonanza is a former mining camp on the Yankee Fork of the Salmon River, near its confluence with Jordan Creek. Nothing is left of the town. This small structure housed the Challis National Forest fire guard with responsibility for the Yankee Fork area, including the maintenance of the nearby Forest Service bathhouse at Sunbeam Hot Springs. The Guard Station is still intact and occupied.

The New Deal years 1933 to 1941 were arguably the best years in the history of the National Zoo, thanks to the many projects undertaken by the Roosevelt Administration.  Labor was provided by work-relief programs — the Civil Works Administration (CWA), Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA), and Works Progress Administration (WPA) — and construction was funded by the Public Works Administration (PWA) and, later, the Federal Works Agency (FWA). New Deal agencies built or improved virtually every aspect of the zoo.  The PWA paid for a new elephant house and small mammal house and an addition to the bird house.  It funded...

The Union Creek Historic District on the upper Rogue River in Union Creek, Oregon, is listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places because it is a fine representative of a type of rustic resort popular in the early 20th century and has been little altered since the 1930s.   There are almost one hundred buildings and other facilities in the Union Creek Historic District, almost all of which conform to the Forest Service plans of the 1920s and 30s.  Roughly a third were constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) from 1933 to 1942, working out of the Upper...

The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) developed Kentucky's Natural Bridge State Park during the 1930s. The CCC built trails, shelters and stairways.

"This structure is a meeting house for the tribal council of the Navajo Indians. Its shape and construction is based on Navajo building forms. It is octagonal in form and approximately 72 feet across in each dimension with its exterior walls constructed of native rubble stone finished on the inside with adobe plaster. The upper roof is supported by unhewn logs which extend somewhat like flying buttresses into the stone piers at the corners of the octagon. Both upper and lower roofs are covered with adobe. It is one of many buildings constructed on the Navajo Reservation with P.W.A. funds....

Navajo Lake in Kane County, UT is a natural lake formed by a prehistoric lava flow.  The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) added a dike to raise the lake level and extend the recreational boating, swimming and fishing season.  This is one of several projects undertaken by the CCC in Dixie National Forest during the 1930s, under the supervision of the US Forest Service.