- City:
- Park Rapids, MN
- Site Type:
- Parks and Recreation, Forestry and Agriculture, Lodges, Ranger Stations and Visitor Centers, Paths and Trails, Campgrounds and Cabins, Lakes and Ponds, Picnic and Other Facilities, CCC Camps
- New Deal Agencies:
- Work Relief Programs, Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), Works Progress Administration (WPA)
- Started:
- 1933
- Completed:
- 1942
- Designers:
- Edward W. Barber, V. C. Martin
- Quality of Information:
- Very Good
- Marked:
- Yes
- Site Survival:
- Extant
Description
Between 1933 and 1942, relief workers stationed at two Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) camps and one Works Progress Administration (WPA) camp carried out extensive development of Itasca State Park at the headwaters of the Mississippi River. They constructed 45 buildings in the Rustic Style, and myriad other structures, as well as creating campgrounds, picnic areas and a trail system.
Buildings were constructed under the supervision of the Minnesota Central Design Office of the National Park Service and Edward W. Barber and V. C. Martin were the principal architects. According to the Minnesota Historical Society “Log construction was generally used because timber was easily available in the area.”
Source notes
Barbara W. Sommer, Hard Work and a Good Deal: The Civilian Conservation Corps in Minnesota. St. Paul: Minnesota Historical Society, 2008. Pg. 100-101.
https://www.mnhs.org/places/nationalregister/stateparks/Itasca.php
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