Lodges, Ranger Stations and Visitor Centers Sites

The CCC conducted substantial development work at J. W. Wells State Park in Michigan's Upper Peninsula: they constructed roads, signs, kiosks, a pump house, a comfort station, a laundry facility, a bath house, Bay Stone Lodge (was staff residence), cabins, and trail shelters.

Concrete foundation, gabled roof. Historic photo indicates there was a 6th garage door south of present office entrance. Dormers originally flat-roofed. Constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in 1934.

With establishment of the Emergency Conservation Work (ECW) program in 1933, better know as the Civilian Conservation Corp. (CCC) resources became available to develop facilities for the park. Civilian Conservation Corp. Co. 553 SP-16 arrived at John Bryan in June 1935 to begin six years of work.  The men laid out roads and blazed miles of trails (including the Pittsburgh–Cincinnati Stagecoach Trail preserving portions of a 19th century wagon-road). Also, enrollees built two foot-bridges across the Little Miami River.  One bridge featured a dam that, when closed, created a “swimming hole.” The workers also erected the park office, two picnic...

“In 1930, the Henderson Audubon Society requested $100,000 from the Federal government to help construct an Audubon Museum. The Society had a large and growing collection of Audubon artifacts that needed proper housing. National interest in the works of Audubon had increased through the years and now seemed the right time to involve the government in helping preserve and promote the Audubon collection. A bill introduced in Congress to appropriate money for the Audubon project failed to pass. Undeterred, local citizens continued to raise funds for the proposed museum. By 1934, 275 acres had been acquired through donations and purchase....

The Civil Works Administration (CWA) built the Josey Boy Scout Lodge in Huntsville in 1934. Huntsville native and self made millionaire Robert A. Josey donated $5000 for the construction of a Boy Scout lodge in 1933. "The material for the construction was donated by J. P. Gibbs of Gibbs Brothers and Co. and included treated logs and stones from local forests and quarries. Lewis. E. Meekins of Austin was hired as contractor to build the log cabin style lodge. The structure was designed by architect Mike Mebane and based on a scale model made by the Scouts themselves." The lodge has five rooms,...

Kabetogama Lake CCC Camp number S-81, Company 724 was active in the Kabetogama State Forest from 1933-37. A marker at the site today describes CCC activity in the forest: "In 1934 a CCC camp of 400 men was established a mile south of Lake Kabetogama. This most northerly camp in the US had all its facilities under one roof and the lowest sickness rate.The CCC boys worked on forest and building projects in Kabetogama State Forest. In 1936 they fought and 18,100 acre forest fire saving the Kettle Falls Hotel from destruction. A few structures remain to memorialize this depression era program....

The National Youth Administration (NYA) pursued improvements at South Bend’s Kennedy Park in 1939. The park was known as Bendix Park during the New Deal. “Plans for beautifying Bendix Park are being completed by the board of park commissioners of South Bend, Ind.,” a reporter noted in April 1939. “The board hopes to transform the bare land into one of the City’s beauty spots by next summer. The park will be landscaped around the NYA building, which is being financed jointly by the NYA and the park department as a city recreation center. Plans for landscaping include an experimental garden in...

"The Keweenaw Mountain Lodge and Golf Course Complex is a resort located near Copper Harbor, Michigan. It was designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1976 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1970, and is open to the public... During the early 1930s, the Great Depression hit Keweenaw County hard. The mining industry had fallen on hard times, and unemployment stood at over seventy percent. Ocha Potter, the head of the Keweenaw Road Commission and superintendent of Ahmeek Mine, conceived of constructing a resort complex in the county. In 1933, he applied to the Federal government for...

The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) constructed the Kilauea Visitor Center at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. A plaque outside the building credits the CCC with its construction.

Kingfisher Park is a large city park on the east side of Kingfisher, along Highway 33. The park was constructed with a WPA allocation of $11,000 - year unknown. This park is listed as a WPA project in the Oklahoma Landmark Inventory database. Remnants of WPA construction were noted in the native stone picnic tables and a suspension footbridge which has masonry support pillars at each end.

The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) constructed facilities at the Gum Springs Recreation Area, located in Kisatchie National Forest. The CCC also planted trees.

"The cabin of local limestone was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) around 1930. The cabin was planned by a local Kiwanis group." "The SBAC has determined that the CCC ruins are potentially a nationally significant historic intrinsic quality; however, the only visible site access and interpretation is at the Kiwanis Cabin. Therefore, the SBAC considers this intrinsic quality to be only regionally significant at this time. The Kiwanis Cabin is located seven tenths of a mile from NM 536 Milepost 13.6 (Sandia Crest). There is adequate parking, a visitors center, and an improved path to the site. The U.S....

“The Klamath National Forest (KNF) was sponsor to numerous CCC projects and played host to many camps. Throughout the nine years of the CCC program, the Klamath National Forest had ten base camps and numerous spike camps – many of which were forgotten over time. KNF activities assigned to the CCC enrollees included vegetation clearing and CCC camp construction; administration building construction and building improvements (includes ranger stations, guard stations, lookouts, garages, etc.); livestock tanks and troughs; corral construction, drift fence construction; erosion control; trail construction (including the Pacific Crest Trail); waterline construction; well construction; fire fighting; blister rust control;...

The CCC built several buildings for the Krassel Ranger District in 1937 and 1938.

“The Forest Service’s CCC program blazed new roads and trails into prospective campgrounds, existing mines, or susceptible fore zones. The Forest Service with its ample staff of engineers and natural resource specialists provided technical expertise for CCC projects. Similarly, the technical staff assisted the Soil Conservation Service by supervising construction activities on southern Nevada flood-control projects in the lower Moapa Valley, Panaca, and Caliente. Similarities in construction and design in different forests are no coincidence. Most early ranger stations, roads, and campgrounds were built according to standard regional plans prepared by architectural engineer George Nichols in Utah. After 1938, a manual...

The Works Progress Administration (WPA) constructed the Atalanta Lake Park in 1937. Located in Rogers AR, the park and lake development secured recreational opportunities for area residents for years to come. The Fort Smith office of the WPA notified the town officials in Rogers that funds for the project were approved in 1936. Its total cost was estimated at $53,667 and sought to improve approximately one hundred acres. The original project “contained a restaurant, swimming pool, ice skating rink, boat rentals, a tennis course, miniature golf and more. It was not only a city park, but a destination for tourists.” Due to...

Pecan Bayou flooded the city of Brownwood in late September of 1900 causing considerable damage to the business district and washing away the train track that served the city. The citizens of Brown County looked for a way to control Pecan Bayou. They voted in 1926 to create the Brown County Water Improvement District. The water district acquired seven tracts of land for the purpose of building a dam on Pecan Bayou. The water district completed the dam in 1932 just before another flood swept down the Bayou quickly filling the reservoir. The Texas State Parks Board acquired 538 acres of...

The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) constructed the Lake Kabetogama Ranger Station, in Kabetogama State Forest. The structure is still in use.  

From the North Dakota Parks and Recreation Department: “Nestled in the scenic Turtle Mountains on the shores of Lake Metigoshe, Lake Metigoshe State Park was constructed by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in the 1930s and is one of the most popular year-round vacation spots in North Dakota.” The site continues: Several ND state parks have infrastructure within them that were built as a result of the New Deal programs, including Lake Metigoshe State Park. The first 10 workers to show up to build this camp complex started in August 1934. By October, there were 50 men working onsite. Those workers were quartered...

Both the CCC and the WPA worked extensively on Lake Murray State Park in the 1930s. The lake itself was completed in 1937 and opened to the public in 1938. The Lake's iconic Tucker Tower was started by the New Deal workers, but not finished until the early 1950s. An article on www.americasstateparks.org describes CCC work in the park in detail: "Members of the CCC constructed 10 state parks in Oklahoma, beginning with Lake Murray State Park, the first and largest of the original parks. Recruits began construction on park structures in 1935, two years after the inception of the CCC....

“One of the most conspicuous reminders of the CCC program located along any state highway in Oregon is the Lake of the Woods Work Center. Situated about 30 miles northwest of Klamath Falls on OR-140, these structures were built from standard plans provided by the U.S. Forest Service architects. The ‘pine tree’ cutout, a symbol associated with both the USFS and the CCC, is clearly seen on the ranger station. Beyond the highway are Forest Service campgrounds originally developed by enrollees from Camp South Fork near Butte Falls during the 1930s.” –“CCC Landmarks: Remembering the Past”

The Wikipedia page for Lake Shetek State Park, indicates that both the FERA and the WPA played instrumental roles in the early development of the park, including roads, sewers, and the construction of several structures, some of which are still in the park today. From the Murray County website: Much of the early development and construction of park facilities was done by Works Progress Administration (WPA) workers. The workers were part of a WPA Camp which was located on Keeley Island, across the lake to the west, from 1934 to 1940. The camp employed 200 transient and homeless men. Initially operated...

In the summer of 1933, the City of Sweetwater offered land on Lake Sweetwater to the State of Texas in exchange for the state developing a park. Development started with the Civil Works Administration in the winter of 1933 with construction of a refectory at the site. In fall 1934, Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) Company 1823(V) arrived to continue work. The company was a mix of white and black enrollees. Six months later the unit became the state's only all black company. As a result, politicians demanded the removal of the camp, and the company moved to Lake Abilene State Park. While...

The Ranger Station was constructed by the WPA in 1935 and is still in good condition: "This one and a half-story astylistic utilitarian ranger station features a rectangular shaped plan configuration, a concrete foundation, a rock-faced concrete block exterior, wood trim, and an asphalt shingled gable roof with three dormers on the facade. Located within are five garage stalls, two of which are heated and insulated. Concrete comprises the floors on the first story, while maple comprises the floors on the second story. The structure is in good condition. The Lake Tomahawk Ranger Station has functioned as an office, a storage...

In the 1936-37, the Works Progress Administration (WPA) helped the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) build the stone observatory (later visitor's center) at Land's End on the western tip of Grand Mesa. It was built in the Rustic Style popular in the early 20th century, of heavy basalt stone from the mesa and rough timbers. Grand Mesa is the largest flat-topped mountain in the world, around 500 square miles in area and 10,500 high.  It is entirely within the Grand Mesa National Forest. The observatory was shuttered when we visited, but not permanently closed, we hope.

During the late 1930s, with funds from various New Deal programs, the Seattle Park Department made significant improvements to Laurelhurst Playfield. The largest of these improvement projects was the construction of a field house near the southern end of the playfield. Workers with the CWA began constructing the field house in January 1934. Work had not yet been completed when the federal government shut down the CWA program at the end of March 1934. The remaining work on the structure was completed in 1935 with assistance from the Washington (State) Emergency Relief Administration. Designed by Seattle architect Lloyd J. Lovegren,...

Leif Ericson Park is a long, narrow park in the Bay Ridge neighborhood of Brooklyn, which "features a Norse theme in honor of Leif Ericson and the local Scandinavian-American community" (NYC Parks). By the turn of the 20th century, the neighborhood had a large Norwegian population, and in 1925 community leaders convinced City Hall to turn the five blocks from 4th Ave. to Fort Hamilton Parkway between 66th St. and 67th St. into a park. In the 1930s, the park was extensively developed by the New Deal. In October 1934, the Department of Parks announced the addition of two play areas...

The Works Progress Administration (WPA) built a caretaker’s cottage in Lincoln Park in Grand Junction, Colorado.

The field house at the former Lincoln Playground (now Joy Evans Park and Lincoln Capper Pool) was built by Civil Works Administration (CWA) relief workers in 1934. It appears to have been demolished and replaced by the Joy Evans Early Childhood Center. The design was brick Colonial Revival, the standard plan for field houses from the period. The Lincoln Playground field house was a notable example of its type and follows the design first established by Municipal Architect Albert L. Harris, whose work is closely identified with civic architecture in Washington, D.C. The Lincoln Playground field house was the only one of...

Lincoln State Park was occupied by three New Deal agencies from 1933-1942. The first agency to occupy Lincoln Park was the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). The CCC Company 1543 was active in Lincoln State Park from 1933-1934. The CCC laborers planted trees and constructed a fire tower, shelters, and a ranger cabin. After the CCC laborers were relocated in 1935, Federal Emergency Relief Administration laborers arrived and continued to build improvements for the park. FERA workers developed numerous fish rearing ponds. Later the Works Progress Administration (WPA) was stationed at Lincoln Park. WPA workers built hiking trails, a service building,...

The Ranger's Cabin, also known as the boathouse, sits on the shore of Lake Lincoln. It was completed by CCC Company 1543 in 1934. The structure was intended for park personnel residence but is now used as a boat rental office. The style of the cabin is classified as parks rustic.

The house was part of a planned service area, which developed after World War II. The superintendent's residence was nearly completed by CCC laborers when the CCC Camp abandoned in 1942.

This large, tiered park in Brooklyn was acquired by the City in stages between 1916 and 1935. In 1939-1940, the WPA constructed a brand new playground on the lower level of the park and then completely redesigned the upper levels as well. The August 1939 press release announcing the opening of the lower section described this work in detail: "The Brooklyn playground, in Lincoln Terrace Park, is one of the most intensively developed recreational areas that has been constructed by the Park Department. It is thirteen acres in size and contains a large open play area for group games for older...

Long Lake National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1932 under President Herbert Hoover.  Like many other extant refuges, it was improved during the New Deal by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) working under the Bureau of Biological Survey (which became the US Fish & Wildlife Service in 1940). The refuge encompasses 22,000 acres, most of which is made up of Long Lake. "At Long Lake National Wildlife Refuge, the Civilian Conservation Corp, comprised largely of local residents, played an important role in the refuge's development. Participants worked primarily on water development, wildlife conservation, and erosion control. They constructed dikes to control...

"Originally the headquarters of the Cleveland Natural Science Club, Look About Lodge in South Chagrin Reservation was built in the late 1930s by the federally-funded Works progress Administration (WPA). The building is only open for scheduled programs."

The CCC’s role in developing the park, as explained by the state of West Virginia: “During the Great Depression, beginning May 15, 1934, Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) Company 1524 occupied Camp Hardy, which was located near the present day entrance to Lost River State Park. By 1937, the CCC boys had built 15 standard cabins, an administration building, the superintendent’s residence, a swimming pool and bathhouse, a spring house covering the Lee Sulphur Springs (named after Henry “Light Horse Harry” Lee, Robert E. Lee’s father), and several bridges and other small stone structures throughout the park. The stonework of these beautiful buildings...

When the state of Michigan was given 3,500 acres of logged-over land on the shores of Lake Michigan in 1926, it was hoped that the nearby Big Sable Point Lighthouse might become a beacon not only for ships but for tourists as well. Back then, the land was reachable only by foot or boat, and the state lacked money to develop it as a park. That changed in 1933 with the advent of the New Deal. The Pere-Marquette S-2 CCC Camp quickly went up on the state’s land and the young men of the Michigan Civilian Conservation Corps began shaping the...

This Lake Michigan Beach House in Ludington State Park was built by the CCC. Under the direction of the National Park Service, the CCC built roads, retaining walls, campgrounds, hiking trails, the park’s headquarters, and the Lake Michigan Beach House. Designed by renowned NPS architect Ralph B. Herrick, the one-of-a-kind, arts-and-crafts-style Beach House is regarded as the crown jewel of Michigan’s park system. The CCC Boys hand dug the foundation, water system, and septic field for the 116-foot building. A deal struck with the Morton Salt Company in the nearby town of Ludington had the CCC tear down a derelict salt...

The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) developed Vermont's Maidstone State Park during the 1930s. "Maidstone was designated by the state of Vermont as a state park in 1938. The camp areas were wilderness, but the area around the lodge was a Civilian Conservation Corps camp. The CCC built many sites with fireplaces for camping, the lodge, and a picnic shelter, which are still in use today."

    As noted in the State of Oregon's Historic Preservation database: "The John Day Compound, Supervisor's Warehouse is a complex of work buildings, employee residences, and related infrastructure owned an operated by the Malheur National Forest in John Day, Oregon, United States. Built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1936–1942, it is the headquarters for field operations in the national forest and is typical of projects carried out by the CCC on behalf of the Forest Service. It represents that era's shift in the Forest Service's architectural vision toward comprehensive site planning, as well as its policy evolution from custodial superintendence...