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  • Klamath Reclamation Project Improvements - CCC Camp Klamath - Merrill OR
    “The Klamath Reclamation Project owes much to the CCC enrollees of Camp Klamath (BR-41) and Camp Tule Lake (BR-20). Between 1935 and 1941 the enrollees’ efforts, under the supervision of the Bureau of Reclamation, resulted in an expansion of the land area irrigated by the Project, and thereby increased the agricultural output of the region. Enrollees at these camps regularly worked on building water control structures of timber and concrete, digging ditches, clearing weeds, and killing rodents. However, some of the projects they completed were far from routine and demanded advanced skills and technical expertise. They also responded to emergencies...
  • Klamath Reclamation Project Improvements - CCC Camp Tule Lake - Tule Lake National Wildlife Refuge CA
    “The Klamath Reclamation Project owes much to the CCC enrollees of Camp Klamath (BR-41) and Camp Tule Lake (BR-20). Between 1935 and 1941 the enrollees’ efforts, under the supervision of the Bureau of Reclamation, resulted in an expansion of the land area irrigated by the Project, and thereby increased the agricultural output of the region. Enrollees at these camps regularly worked on building water control structures of timber and concrete, digging ditches, clearing weeds, and killing rodents. However, some of the projects they completed were far from routine and demanded advanced skills and technical expertise. They also responded to emergencies...
  • Klamath Reservation Improvements - Chiloquin OR
    “Almost immediately upon the initiation of CCC-ID work on the Klamath Reservation, several projects were outlined. Authority was granted to spend $25,000 to conduct CCC-ID conservation work. The first project, implemented on December 9, 1933, was coyote eradication. The second project, started on January 5, 1934, was the Agency-Lone Pine telephone line. The third was to construct the Sycan Bridge, which was started in January. Although the initial projects were not forestry related, most of the CCC-ID work on the Klamath Reservation concerned forestry activities such as fire hazard reduction, tree planting, mistletoe control and especially, pine bark beetle (Dendroctonus brevicomis)...
  • Kooser State Park - Somerset PA
    Kooser State Park in Western Pennsylvania is surrounded by the Forbes State Forest. "The park’s original design character was stamped by the Civilian Conservation Corps projects of the 1930s that established the existing lake and most of its use areas, its architecture and site details."   (https://www.dcnr.state.pa.us) "The CCC established by President Franklin D. Roosevelt during the Great Depression built a camp on the western edge of Kooser State Park. The young men of the CCC built the dam on Kooser Run creating Kooser Lake. They also built roads, outdoor fireplaces and cabins. Much of their work can still be seen today...
  • Kyle Canyon Development - Mount Charleston NV
    “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...
  • Lake Atalanta Park - Rogers AR
    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...
  • Lake Brownwood State Park Improvements - Brownwood TX
    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...
  • Lake Carlsbad Beach Park - Carlsbad NM
    Quoting from a supplement issued 30 years prior, the Carlsbad Current-Argus stated in 1970: "Through the assistance of WPA the city has just completed a $50,000 improvement program at Municipal Beach park. This includes a beautiful bath house of natural rock design and complete landscaping of the park area with walks, trees and grass." The park, which was constructed during the late 1930s by the Works Progress Administration (WPA), lines a reservoir along the dammed Pecos River. Its riverwalk currently extends for miles along either side of the lake. The original "beach park" was located along the western side of the...
  • Lake Cisco-Area Park Improvements - Cisco TX
    Among the Works Progress Administration (WPA) projects identified as completed in a Abilene Daily Reporter article from June 14, 1936 was "park Improvements" in Cisco, Texas. "Lake Improvements consisted of clearing the creek channel below the dam and swimming pool, lining the channel with rock, terracing banks of the creek, and building walks, drives, and a small bridge. Twenty-five men were employed for six months. Total expenditure was $5,000." Living New Deal believes this to be a reference to Lake Cisco.
  • Lake Corpus Christi State Park - Mathis TX
    Lake Corpus Christi State Park is situated along Lake Corpus Christi southwest of Mathis, Texas. The land was leased from the City of Corpus Christi in 1934 and the 356-acre park was opened the same year. The park is currently administered by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Lake Corpus Christi State Park was developed by Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) Company 886. In 1934, the company formed Camp Kleberg, named for local Congressman Richard Mifflin Kleberg, a supporter of early New Deal programs including the CCC. The enrollees worked at Lake Corpus Christi until their transfer to Palmetto State Park in...
  • Lake Metigoshe State Park - Bottineau ND
    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...
  • Lake Murray State Park - Ardmore OK
    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....
  • Lake Shetek State Park - Currie MN
    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...
  • Lake Worth Improvements - Fort Worth TX
    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.
  • Lamoille Canyon Recreation Improvements - Lamoille NV
    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...
  • Langdon Park Improvements - Washington DC
     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...
  • Lassen Volcanic National Park - Mineral CA
    According to a National Register of Historic Places form for Lassen National Park, “In 1933, with the establishment of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), trail construction, campground development and road maintenance benefited from hundreds of laborers, who accelerated the pace of park infrastructure development….CCC workers provided most of the labor on spring clean up and road maintenance projects, including gutter line cleaning and slope stabilization. They built facilities at the park's developed campgrounds, as well as many of the park's 150 miles of hiking trails.” The CCC also removed dead timber (for fire prevention), developed scenic parking areas, made trail signs,...
  • Laurel Hill State Park - Somerset PA
    "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...
  • Lehman Caves National Monument Improvements - Great Basin National Park NV
    Lehman Caves National Monument was established in 1922 and put under the jurisdiction of the National Park Service in 1933. New Deal relief agencies came in to aid the Park Service in improving facilities at the park to make it more welcoming to the public. First to arrive was the Civil Works Administration (CWA) in the winter of 1933-34. Relief workers made repairs to the water line from Lehman Creek to the caves, the cave trail and the modest park buildings by the cave. In the summer of 1934, workers from the Transient Relief Camp at Lehman Creek did general clean-up...
  • Leominster State Forest - Westminster MA
    The CCC assisted in the development of this state forest.
  • Letchworth State Park - Castile NY
    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...
  • Letchworth State Park: Stairway and Retaining Wall to Lower Falls - Castile NY
    Civilian Conservation Corps Company SP-49 built a stacked stone retaining way and stone staircase to allow visitors to Letchworth State Park access to the Lower Falls from the picnic area above the falls. Over 100 individual stone steps were installed and continue to be used.
  • Lewis Lake Park Development - Winthrop MA
    W.P.A. Bulletin, 1937: "At the southern end of the marsh that was in the center of Winthrop, WPA has created a skating area and rendezvous for aquatic sports out of the formerly ugly Lewis Lake. A dump on one side of the lake was removed. Jagged banks have been changed to gentle grassy slopes, topped by walks. The pond has been changed to two small ponds connected by points of land which will be joined by a rustic bridge. A perfect spot for model yacht races, swimming races, a stroll in the sunlight or under a starry, moonlit sky."
  • Lincoln Park Gateway and Improvements - Los Angeles CA
    Improvements to Lincoln Park (Los Angeles, CA) were carried out by the Reconstruction Finance Corporation (RFC) in 1932-33. According to the 1932-33 Annual Report of the Los Angeles Board of Park Commissioners, "Two hundred lineal feet of walks were built, and 5,075 feet of redwood curbing used to define the older walks. A fire break, 1,500 feet long and 30 feet wide, was built along the north end and east side of the park, protecting the grounds from fires from adjacent vacant land. Catch basins were installed to control the water from rains that wash down from the hills surrounding the...
  • Lincoln Park Trails - Seattle WA
    In 1933-34, New Deal relief workers built trails in Lincoln Park. We do not know exactly which ones, but the work almost certainly included the stone-lined steps down to the beach – which are classic New Deal stonework -- and the picnic shelter looks typical of that era, as well (but may well have been rebuilt over time). A photo from the University of Washington digital collections shows workmen constructing a trail along a steep hillside (see below). The caption on the photo says, "State of Wash., E.R.A. K.C.D., Proj. 509, Dec. 26, 1933, Neg. No. 19; Lincoln Park."   ERA refers...
  • Lincoln Terrace Park - Brooklyn NY
    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...
  • Linn Run State Park - Rector PA
    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."
  • Lithia Park Improvements - Ashland OR
    The Works Progress Administration (WPA) made extensive improvements to Lithia Park, a 100-acre park at the heart of Ashland OR, from 1935 to 1938. Lithia Park was established in the early 20th century along Ashland Creek above the main town plaza, next to a small Chautauqua Park (added to Lithia Park in 1917).  A duck pond with waterfall was built on the site of an old flour mill in 1910 and then John McLaren, the designer of San Francisco's Golden Gate Park, was invited to landscape the park in 1914-15.  McLaren transformed the little valley around the creek into a romantic...
  • Lockhart State Park - Lockhart TX
    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...
  • Loggers Lake, Mark Twain National Forest - Bunker MO
    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.
  • Ludington State Park - Ludington MI
    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...
  • Macedonia Brook State Park - Kent CT
    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...
  • Malheur National Wildlife Refuge - Burns OR
    The federal Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) worked to develop southeast Oregon's Malheur National Wildlife Refuge during the 1930s. "The Refuge was expanded on February 21st, 1935 to incorporate the 164,503 acre Blitzen Valley. The Blitzen Valley was purchased using funds made available under provisions of the Act for the Relief of Unemployment through the Performance of Useful Public Works and the National Industrial Act as established under Executive Order 7106 signed by Franklin D. Roosevelt, July 19th, 1935. Between April and July, 1935 three CCC camps were established on Malheur refuge to fulfill that purpose." (www.fws.gov) The CCC built refuge buildings as well...
  • Marcus Garvey Park Improvements - New York NY
    "Marcus Garvey Park is one of the oldest public squares in Manhattan. Central to the life of Harlem for more than 150 years, it has served as a meeting place for neighbors, a front yard and play area for schoolchildren, and a holy place for members of local churches. Known as Mount Morris Park for more than a hundred years… Parks Commissioner Robert Moses, with the help of the Federal Works Progress Administration, installed playgrounds and a system of stone walls, terraces and stairs that remains in place today. In the mid-1960s the park again underwent dramatic changes. The City constructed a...
  • Marine Park - Brooklyn NY
    Marine Park is the largest public park in Brooklyn. It surrounds the westernmost inlet of Jamaica Bay. The City acquired the first parcels of land in Marine Park in the 1920s and expanded the area in the 1930s. This park was extensively developed by New Deal labor and funding. A July 30, 1936 Department of Parks press release announced the opening of new facilities at the Marine Park, including immediately "three baseball diamonds, two football and soccer fields and one-half of the oval-shaped bicycle and roller skating track." To be constructed in total were "ten baseball diamonds, four football and soccer...
  • Marion Park Improvements - Washington DC
    In 1935, the Public Works Administration (PWA) funded renovations for Marion Park, southeast of the Capitol, such as sidewalk repair, landscaping, and so forth.  Marion Park was first established in 1886, but like other parks in the district had suffered neglect for many years. The New Deal undertook a major program of parks improvement across the city in the 1930s with input from the PWA, Civil Works Administration (CWA), Works Progress Administration (WPA) and Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC).  It is likely that the labor for Marion Park improvements was provided by the WPA. Marion park has recently been the scene of controversy,...
  • Matheson Hammock Park - Coral Gables FL
    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...
  • McCormick's Creek State Park - Spencer IN
    McCormick's Creek State Park received the first Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) Camp in Indiana. The 589th CCC company was active from December of 1933 to July of 1935. After the CCC laborers were relocated in 1935, WPA laborers arrived and continued to build improvements for the park. In 1940 a handful of CCC laborers returned to the camp. The CCC and WPA laborers contributed to a wide range of projects. The New Deal agencies helped create trails, shelters, a bridge, telephone wires, an amphitheater, dams, clearings for campgrounds, cabins, and more. To enhance the outdoors experience projects exhibited designs that...
  • McLoughlin Promenade Grand Staircase - Oregon City OR
    Oregon City's Grand Staircase links the historic center with the town's premier park located on a bluff 100-feet above it. Completed in 1939, the stone and cement pathway replaced an old wooden stairway in approximately the same location. Skilled and unskilled Works Progress Administration workers provided the labor for this feature of McLoughlin Promenade. Several aspects of the Grand Staircase make it distinctive. Workers cut a new pathway into the basalt bluff for the staircase. Natural landscaping and a man-made waterfall adjacent to the stairway enhanced the public amenity. Those aspects of the Grand Staircase's design established it as a safe,...
  • McLoughlin Promenade Walkway - Oregon City OR
    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...
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