Pactola Lake CCC Camp – Black Hills National Forest SD

Description

The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) maintained a camp at Pactola Lake SD from 1933 to 1940.  It was designated Camp F-4 and worked under the supervision of the US Forest Service.  Recruits at Camp F-4 worked chiefly in the Black Hills National Forest of western South Dakota.

“Camp F-4 was part of a national CCC program to renovate forests and build more recreation areas. Work projects, supervised by the USDA Forest Service, included tree thinning, pruning and planting, fire prevention and suppression; rodent, insect and disease control, grazing land improvement and recreation area development. Enrollees removed dead, diseased, suppressed and excess trees (used for posts, poles and firewood) from hundreds of acres of pine leaving enough trees to produce good quality lumber. They removed flammable debris from forests and nearby areas and quelled forest fires. CCs built firetrails and roads and erected dams, wells and fences for livestock. They manned side camps to build more roads, spread grasshopper bait, built Victoria dam and helped erect Sheridan dam.”  (CCC Legacy)

Historical markers have been placed at or near all former CCC camps in South Dakota, thanks to the efforts of the CCC Legacy when it was still active.