Picnic and Other Facilities Sites

NYSParks.com: "The park was donated to the State of New York in 1929 by Dr. McRa Livingston with the provision that the lake and park be named Lake Taghkanic. The lake had been previously known as Lake Charlott. In 1933 a Civilian Conservation Corp (CCC) camp was established at the park. C.C.C. projects in the park included construction of the East Bathhouse, the East Beach, the camping and cabin areas and the water tower."

In addition to Mosque Point, the CCC completed many other projects at Lake Worth. The pictured National Park Service document lists the many projects built by the CCC from 1934-1937, including: foot and auto bridges, several shelters, picnic and campground facilities, roads, foot trails, landscaping, tree planting, drinking fountains, toilets, water lines, fire protection amenities and more.

A Paterson landmark dating back to 1892, Lambert's Castle was originally home to the Lamberts, a wealthy family that owned area silk mills. The building fell into disrepair in the early twentieth century, was purchased by the city of Paterson for $125,000 in 1925 and in 1928 transferred the title to the Passaic County Parks Commission. The Works Progress Administration (WPA) helped to expand and build up the grounds in 1940.  According to a WPA press release, “A picnic area developed by WPA which adjoins the tower is one of the most popular improvements at Garret Mountain. The tower itself was...

Lamoille Canyon is the largest valley in the Ruby Mountains in northeastern Nevada. It is a spectacular glaciated canyon, known popularly as "Nevada's Yosemite" and is surrounded by peaks rising over 11,000 feet.  Lamoille Canyon lies mostly within the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, which extends in patches across all of Nevada. The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) established a camp in the lower canyon in 1933 and did extensive work there from 1933-1937, under the supervision of the US Forest Service.  The CCC enrollees built the road up the canyon, built trails, and laid out two campgrounds in the canyon. The large Thomas Canyon...

In 1933, the Lampasas Chamber of Commerce raised $2,500 to buy 154 acres of land along Sulphur Creek and presented the land to the State of Texas as a site for a state park. Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) Company 896 arrived the same year, set up Camp Miriam (in honor of Miriam "Ma" Ferguson, the Governor of Texas) and began development of the park. The CCC cleared brush and cactus, built gravel roads, a native stone entrance, a concession house, a low water dam, native stone picnic tables, barbecue pits, native stone cabins, a baseball field, and a polo field....

Birmingham's Lane Park was the site of substantial work relief efforts on the part of multiple New Deal agencies: the Civil Works Administration (CWA) and the Works Progress Administration (WPA). Historical marker: "The land was also used for the Allen Gray Fish Hatchery (fed by Pullen Springs), a stone quarry, a complete baseball diamond, and a golf driving range. Several of the stone structures were erected by the WPA. Two hundred acres are now the home of the Birmingham Zoo (est. 1954) and the Birmingham Botanical Gardens (est. 1962)." A CWA/Alabama Relief Administration project was soon after launched to fully develop the...

 During the 1930s, Langdon Park was upgraded as part of a larger Capital Parks improvement program undertaken by the Public Works Administration (PWA), Civil Work Adminstration (CWA), Works Progress Administration (WPA), and Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). A Washington Daily News article from 1936 described New Deal work in the park: "Wading pool built; new walks, picnic groves and parking area completed." In this case, the improvements were most likely done by the WPA, which was at work on a million-dollar program of parks renovation in 1935-36.  Langdon Park today contains a swimming pool and pool building, basketball courts, tennis courts and as...

"Beginning in 1935, the Federal Emergency Relief Administration began purchasing sub-marginal agricultural and forest land so that it could be converted to better use. In 1936, the National Park Service was given the responsibility of the Recreational Demonstration Areas. Laurel Hill was one of five areas in Pennsylvania and targeted for restoration and reforestation, and organized group camping and day picnicking. Beginning in 1935, with cooperation of the Pennsylvania Department of Forests and Waters, men of the Works Progress Administration (WPA) and the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) began building roads, trails, bridges and recreational facilities. Two CCC camps, SP-8 and SP-15 arrived...

Auburn, Nebraska's Legion Park was dramatically improved as a result of Work Projects Administration (WPA) efforts. In addition to the park's bandshell, "uring the late 1930’s, the City received WPA funding to build the ... playground, picnic shelter, and the arched entrance."

The Civilian Conservation Corps built park amenities and landscaped portions of the Leiter Estate in 1936-1937. A National Parks Service/Historic American Buildings Survey report describes the nature of the work performed by the CCC: “Upon acquiring the Leiter estate, the NPS planned to turn the acreage ‘into a public recreation area...form a section of the George Washington Memorial Parkway.’ Enrollees from Camp NP-6-VA (Fort Hunt) engaged in ‘selective cutting to open up desirable vistas of the river.’ In addition to creating view sheds, they further enhanced visitor amenities with the construction of 2.5 miles of foot trails and fifteen table-and-bench combinations,...

The CCC assisted in the development of this state forest.

A site devoted to the history of the park (www.letchworthparkhistory.com) has compiled an extensive list of CCC work done in the park: During the Great Depression, Letchworth Park was the site of several Civilian Conservation Camps. (See the Glimpse of the CCC) The information highlights the work done by the CCC "boys" in the Park, and is taken from Annual Reports of the Genesee State Park Commission during the time period. Great Bend Camp SP-5 (in operation for 30 months) constructed the camp built 6 miles of 18 ft wide gravel road installed 400 ft of 6" under drain constructed 15 concrete...

From Waymarking.com: "Lincoln Park is a large area on the east side of Northeast Lake and the Oklahoma City Zoo. The CCC was responsible for the construction of the lake, and several buildings in the zoo were constructed by the CCC and WPA. In Lincoln Park, there are dozens of picnic tables built by the WPA in 1936, located throughout the wooded picnic areas. They are actively used by the citizens of Oklahoma City. They consist of a rusticated native sandstone cube on top of which is a poured concrete table top. Each table has four seats which have a rectangular...

A Pennsylvania Historic Resource Survey documents both CCC and WPA work on the park: "The CCC and the Works Progress Administration (WPA) jointly developed Linn Run State Park. There is some indication from secondary sources that the WPA constructed the cabins and other buildings and structures, while the CCC landscaped the logged area and constructed roads, water and sewage systems, and other utilities... Other CCC-built resources within the district include two stone foot bridges, an automobile bridge constructed of steel I-beams with stone abutments, and low profile stone cooking fireplaces."

The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) first developed Little River State Beach in the early 1930s.  CCC enrollees built a park boundary fence, an entrance gate, a parking area, and a day-use picnic facility with tables, benches, stoves, cupboards, and restrooms. All of these improvements have been lost to winter storms and the shifting sands typical of Pacific Coast beaches and dunes, especially in far Northern California. The work was carried out some time between 1933 and 1937 by the men of Company 1903 at Camp Prairie Creek, from where the CCC worked on state parks all along the north coast of California.

Lockhart State Park is located at the southwestern edge of Lockhart, Texas and is administered by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. The park consists of 263.7 acres of land that was purchased by the State of Texas on December 14, 1934. The park was constructed by Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) Company 3803 between 1935 and 1938. The park was leased to a local country club until 1948 and then opened to the public as a state park. The CCC built the park residence, the combination building, Park Road 10, a stone arch bridge, a swimming pool, a concrete water storage...

CCC crews built this small recreational lake on Mill Creek in Mark Twain National Forest in 1940. It is at least partially spring-fed and tends to be clear. The dam has a simple concrete spillway. In addition to the lake, the project consisted of a trail around the lake, a campground, and picnic ground.

"... icnic shelters are integral to the public image and identity of West Virginia’s New Deal projects. The shelters also represent the essence of rustic architectural and landscape design. Among the most impressive examples is the Long Branch Picnic Shelter at Cabwaylingo. The ca. 1936 building is a one-story, side-gabled building with cut stone pillars supporting the roof. The 1-by-1 bay building measures 20 feet wide by 12 feet deep on the exterior. A stone wall encircles the shelter. The stone floor featu res a raised relief carving of a pine tree with crossed axes and the words “U.S.” and...

A marker erected in 1998 describes the CCC's role in developing Loy Park and Loy Lake: "Grayson County officials became aware of a growing need for a public recreation facility for the area's approximately 65,500 residents in 1930. Three years later the federal government agreed to create a small lake on land provided by the county. The county commissioners court purchased a site 2.5 miles southwest of Denison in October 1933 and secured the services of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), a federal public works program, to construct the dam and build a recreational park. In early November, 200 men from...

CCC Camp SP-1, 1191 was established in Macedonia Brook State Park in 1935. The CCC "did much site development here in the 1930s, including construction of a pavilion and a carriage road with massive retaining walls constructed without mortar." (www.townofkentct.org) The road, built from 1935-37, is now used for hiking and skiing. "What makes the road so outstanding is that its solid workmanship was performed by young men who had little skill in road construction other than the ability to perform hard labor day in and day out. But 75 years after its completion, the craftsmanship has mostly survived the ravages...

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."

Company 1743 of the CCC was an all-black company that came to Mark Twain State Park from Washington State Park in De Soto.  There was initial resistance to having an all-black company in the area, but the quality of their work dispelled any doubts about them.  They were called the Thunderbirds.  The most obvious structures they constructed were the entrance to the buzzard’s roost picnic area and the shelter in the area as well as walls and the roads in the area.  There were more extensive plans that were scrapped with the onset of WWII.

WPA Bulletin, 1937: "Picnic Cave Unusual Feature of Playground Lunenburg — An underground cave equipped with a fireplace and picnic facilities for 40 persons is the outstanding feature of Lunenburg's WPA-built recreation centre at Marshall Field. The grounds also boasts a cinder track, a baseball diamond, and two half-completed tennis courts. But the cave is most popular— especially with the Boy Scouts and other young people's organizations who have held many meetings and hot-dog roasts there. As it was not scheduled as part of the project, many of the townspeople and NYA workers pitched in and did the extra work. The cave is about...

Miami and the surrounding Dade County were effectively without city or county parks until the 1930s.  The city got its first park in 1925, after which the city was devastated by a hurricane the following year. The county received its first donation of land for a park in 1929, which became Matheson Hammock Park.  In 1930, the park system got its own director and a beach park, Surfside, was added in 1932. The county began improvements on the parks using mostly convict labor and men sent by the Charity Office once the Depression hit, as well as starting a Roadside...

In 1933, the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) built the Recreation Center at McCormick's Creek State Park. The building served as the CCC’s Camp 589 Recreation Hall. After the CCC vacated the camp, a WPA project adapted it into a nature museum in 1935. The WPA also built an adjacent shelter to display animals. This structure is now used as a open picnic shelter. The Recreation Center was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1993. The architectural style of the Recreation Center is "parks rustic," a term used by the National Parks Service to classify the style of recreational park facilities.

At Camp McCormick, CCC laborers completed a Dining Hall (1935) as well as cabins #22-#26 (1934-35). The buildings are classified as in the Parks Rustic style.

Camp Na Wa Kwa was constructed by the CCC. In 1935, CCC laborers completed a log cabin, the dining hall, and cabins, all in the Parks Rustic style.

The Old Concession Stand was completed by CCC laborers in 1935. The style of the Old Concession Stand is classified as Parks Rustic.

Also referred to as the McKenzie River Campground, the McKenzie Bridge Campground was among the first campgrounds built with Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) labor in the Willamette National Forest (WNF). The forest supervisor prioritized recreation projects in the WNF, setting a goal that 25% of CCC time be spent on recreational development with the remainder be spent on fire fighting and forest management responsibilities. CCC enrollees from Camp Belknap constructed the McKenzie Bridge Campground, laying out the site's roads and campsites, providing water, and constructing picnic tables as well as the needed facilities for camping and picnicking. Today at McKenzie Bridge...

In 1851, Dr. John McLoughlin formally platted Oregon City reserving land along the city's prominent bluff for use as a park and naming that public amenity the Promenade. For decades, the Promenade's minimally improved walkway provided a view of the city's downtown, nearby neighborhoods, and rivers. That changed in 1936 when plans were made to improve the Promenade using skilled and unskilled Works Progress Administration workers. The plans involved three related projects: a stone and concrete pathway, the Grand Staircase, and Singer Falls. John L. Franzen, Oregon City's city manager and a registered engineer, designed all three integrated projects. The stone and...

The Works Progress Administration (WPA) contributed to the improvement of Oklahoma City’s McMechan Park in 1940. “McMechan Park at Oklahoma City, Okla., will be expanded to a 17-acre development,” a reporter noted in January 1940, “according to plans disclosed by Donald Gordon, superintendent of parks. A $12,000 WPA project which will include landscaping, tree planting, grading, and establishment of play areas on the site will be submitted.” According to the Parks and Recreation Department, the WPA expanded the park to include land on both sides of McMechan Parkway. The park still serves as a recreation site for Oklahoma City residents today.

Medicine Lake National Wildlife Refuge is located in northeastern Montana between the Missouri River and the Canadian border. Medicine Lake NWR encompasses 31,702 acres and consists of the 28,438-acre north tract, which includes Medicine Lake, and seventeen smaller water units. The Refuge was established in 1935 under the auspices of the Bureau of Biological Survey to provide breeding and stopover habitat for migratory birds.  The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) and Works Progress Administration (WPA) sent workers in to improve the refuge under the direction of the Biological Survey (transformed into the US Fish & Wildlife Service in 1940). The WPA and CCC...

"A significant addition to the park occurred in 1941, with the construction of a large stone pavilion on high ground west of the memorial grove. Architect Leroy Bradley designed the pavilion, and the Works Progress Administration (WPA) provided the labor and materials. The stone was salvaged from old foundations, sidewalks and bridge abutments, and hand-hewn oak beams supported the roof. The west wing of the pavilion was designed to house a park caretaker, and the east wing contained restrooms." "the WPA picnic pavilion is an important historic structure and provides evidence of the Depression recovery period of influence on Fort Wayne’s parks....

The WPA conducted extensive work on Memory Grove Park, or Memory Park, including landscaping, building rock walls, cutting paths, and so on.

Meridian State Park is located along the 98th meridian on the edge of a natural transition zone between prairie and hill country. The land was acquired from private owners between 1933 and 1935 and the 505.4-acre park opened to the public in 1935. The park is currently administered by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Meridian State Park was developed by Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) Company 1827(V), comprised of World War I veterans. The CCC developed the park using local limestone and timber, primarily oak and cedar. The CCC built the entrance portal, roads, vehicle bridges, culverts, the concession building, which...

The Middlesex Fells Reservation spans multiple towns north of Boston. The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), Civil Works Administration (CWA), and Works Progress Administration (WPA) were each active in developing the area. Massachusetts Metropolitan District Commission annual reports detail the work of the New Deal over time. 1934 report: "During the first eleven weeks of this year about 2,800 men were employed on Federal Civil Works Administration projects. Most of these men were employed in the Blue Hills and Middlesex Fells Reservations. A large amount of necessary work was accomplished in the various divisions, which consisted mainly of cutting and burning brush, removing dead and...

The WPA (and possibly CCC) conducted extensive work to create Miller Park from 1935 to 1936. From the Intermountain Antiquities Computer System (IMACS) report: Site 42SL000711 is Miller Park, a historic public park, with seven built features, in Salt Lake City, Utah. The features consist of a stone double staircase (F-01 ), a stone platform wall and culvert (F-02), a stone bridge (F-03), two stone benches and stairs (F-04, a stone bench and raised platform F-05), a metal bridge (F-06), and stone retaining walls (F-07). Two maintained walking trails run along the east and west sides of the park. The park...

Franciscan Monks established the Spanish Mission San Francisco de los Tejas in what is now East Texas in 1690. The monks were forced by the local Indians to abandon the mission in 1693. The monks burned the mission when they left. The discovery of a Spanish cannon barrel led to the park's development near the village of Weches, where the CCC set up a reforestation camp in 1933. The Texas Forest Service developed San Francisco Mission State Forest as a tourist attraction and commemoration of early Texas history, just in time for the Texas Centennial celebration in 1936. Those individuals involved in...

The WPA constructed stone walks, walls, benches, tables, fireplace, pavilions, and footbridges to build Monocacy Park between 1936 and 1937. A swimming pool was also constructed above the dam, but this feature is no longer in use due to sediment. Mcall.com: "The Monocacy Park bridge features two 30-foot towers of hand-cut stone. The creek had to be diverted, most likely with sandbags, to enable the stone masons to erect the towers. Block and tackle, a series of ropes and pulleys, had to be used to set the pieces in place." As of 2016 the park is under restoration.

The seven-acre Montclair Park in Oakland was built with the aid of the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in 1938-40.  This gem of a park lies just north of Montclair Village in the Oakland hills and below Montclair Elementary School.   The park features a picnic area, children's playground and a play area under a group of large trees, as well as a large lawn area for general play.  The park also includes a recreation center, duck pond, baseball field, tennis courts and extensive rock walls and stairs.   The City of Oakland Recreation Department put in $90,000 for the park and recreation...