CCC Camp Rangeley Lake Co. 144 P-55 – Sandy River ME

Description

The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) built CCC Camp Rangeley Lake Co. 144 P-55 in Sandy River, Maine.

Excerpt  from Official annual, 1937, Civilian Conservation Corps:

“The 144th Company, CCC, is located about three miles south of Rangeley, Maine on Route No. 4. This camp was established on June 5th, 1933. The location of this camp is but a few rods from the edge of the famous Rangleley Lake. The elevation at the camp site is 1650 feet above sea level. The camp is located in a small open valley nestling at the foot of the foothills of the Blue Mountain range. The majority of the work projects are located in the woods surrounding this section.

The projects completed and now underway are as follows: Houghton Truck Trail. This road extends from the outlet of Long Pond in Sandy River Plantation southwest by Four Ponds and joining a road north of Houghton. This road in addition to its purpose as a fire trail will open up a good sporting section, greatly shorten the distance from the Rangeley Region to the south. It will be about ten miles in length when completed. At present about seven miles have been finished.

The Cupsuptic Trail is a road which extends from the Cupsuptic Storehouse on the Cupsuptic Lake northward up the Cupsuptic River to Oxbow Town, thence across the watershed to the Malgalaway Valley, along the Malgalaway River to the Canadian Border. This road is the first route up these two valleys and the first access to timber in case of forest fires. This trail will connect with roads in Canada and will open up an entirely new section to the sportsman and nature lovers. The section abounds in fish and game and beautiful wooded scenery. This trail has used up 22,377 man hour days of labor and 6. 7 miles have been completed.

The Wilson Mills Truck Trail is a road from the Cupsuptic Storehouse to Wilson Mills. This project has been completed using 37,836 man hour days of labor. This project was of particular interest to the people living in the northwest part of Maine and the northeast part of New Hampshire, as before to go from the Rangeley section to the Berlin section of New Hampshire meant a trip of some 100 miles, now one can save some 70 miles by using this new road. This road is also very valuable in case of forest fires, as it opens up several sections of the country to the rangers.

An emergency Landing Field was constructed at Rangeley on the Loon Lake Road, it consists of two runways at right angles 175 feet wide and 1900 feet long and covers an area of 16.2 acres. A road was built connecting the field to the roadway. This field has been used extensively as it is the only field in this section of the state. A total of 3675 man hour days of labor was spent on this project.

Minor projects were as follows: Cupsuptic Fire Line, used 10,331 man hour days ; Lakewood Fire Line, used 641 man hour days; Rangeley Lakes Fire Line, used 625 man hour days; Dead River Road, used 163 man hour days ; Dodge Pond Fire Line, A used 163 man hour days; Bald Mountain Fire Line, used 447 man hour days ; Old Spec Mountain Telephone Lines, used 71 man hour days; Saddle Back . Mountain Telephone Line, used 621 man hour days; Lincoln Pond Trail, used 201 man hour days; Appalachian Mountain Trail, used 3,321 man hour days; 70 miles completed; Oliver Steam Fire Line, used 751 man hour days; Saddle Back Mountain Horse Trail, used 18,663 man hour days. While nothing spectacular has occurred in the history of this camp, we find in looking back over its history that it is almost a daily occurence for the camp to complete an errand of help and mercy. Such things as helping the mails to get through the flooded area, pulling stalled cars back on the road, first aid work in setting bones, helping patients to make emergency trips to the nearest hospital which is 38 miles away, assisting in putting out forest fires, hunting for lost hunters, these all are so nearly daily occurences that the camp personnel assumes them as a matter of routine.”

Leaders, assistant leaders and all members were from Rhode Island.

LIEUT. JAMES D . OSGOOD, COMMANDING
LIEUT. JOHN P. DOYLE, EXCHANGE OFFICER
JOSEPH S. WACKS, SURGEON
MILLARD F. STUDLEY, WPA
ROBERT H. McCLEARY, CEA

LEADERS Angelo Cirillo, Rangeley, Maine; Maxell Dunham, Rangeley, Maine; Thomas F. Kelley, Pawtucket, Rhode Island; Raymond J. Murphy, Rangeley, Maine; James W . Reilly, Woonsocket, Rhode Island; Silvier F. Sirois, Waterville, Maine; Lindell A. West, . Rangeley, Maine; James White, Newport, Rhode Island.
ASSISTANT LEADERS C. R. Bailey, Rangeley, Me.; L. L. Crosby, Rangeley, Me. ; P. DiBucci, Providence, R. I.; W. Furtado, Hillsgrove, R. I.; J. D . Greene, Rangeley, Me. ; J. B. McGrath, Oakland Beach, R. I.; E. J. Roy, Providence, R. I.; W. Waitorwicz, Manville, R. I.; C. E. Washington, Apponaug, R. I.; E. West, Rangeley, Me.