Description
Shakamak is an attractive site today, but in 1930 when it opened as a state park, much of the parcel was a wasteland of abandoned strip mines. Shakamak State Park entered a new phase of development during the Great Depression. In the winter of 1933-34, the Civil Works Administration (CWA) employed hundreds of local men to build trails, shelters, and a new lake. The dam was completed by the Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA) which also constructed fish ponds and pens for exotic animals. In 1937, the Works Progress Administration (WPA) finished the projects. The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) constructed many of the buildings that are around today. CCC workers created shelters, cabins, a saddle barns, amphitheater, and more.
Source notes
DNR Historic Site and Structures Inventory National Register: New Deal Resources in Indiana State Parks
Project originally submitted by Indiana Division of Historic Preservation/Nicole Cory on August 13, 2014.
We welcome contributions of additional information on any New Deal project site.
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