- City:
- Hot Springs, SD
- Site Type:
- Parks and Recreation, Lodges, Ranger Stations and Visitor Centers
- New Deal Agencies:
- Work Relief Programs, Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), Works Progress Administration (WPA)
- Started:
- 1934
- Quality of Information:
- Good
- Marked:
- Unknown
- Site Survival:
- Unknown
Description
The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) and the Works Progress Administration (WPA) made a host of improvements to Wind Cave National Park, which had been established by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1903.
The improvements made in the 1930s included a new administration building, a new operator’s building, two new residences, and a large garage/storage facility. Three other buildings were remodeled as residences.
Other projects at the park included the construction of a reservoir and water system, elevator housing and concrete stairs within the cave, game fences around the park, and new signs at the park’s entrance.
In addition, the CCC built bridges in the area, including a pigtail bridge on U.S. Highway 87.
In time, we hope to provide details on all these projects within the park.
Source notes
National Register of Historic Places, Multiple Property Documentation Form, "Federal Relief Construction in South Dakota, 1929-1941." Prepared by Michelle L. Dennis, September 1998.
"Civilian Conservation Corps at Wind Cave," National Park Service Web site: https://www.nps.gov/wica/learn/historyculture/civilian-conservation-corps-at-wind-cave.htm
Sanders, Peggy. The Civilian Conservation Corps: In and Around the Black Hills. Arcadia Publishing, 2004.
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Gabriel Milner
Wind Cave should not be noted as East Custer, SD. For one thing it is in western Custer County. But more importantly the address is Hot Springs, which is the town that should be referenced instead of Custer.
I’m the author of one of the books shown in the brief bibliography above. Thank you. Peggy Sanders
Thank you for pointing this out. We’ve gone ahead and made the corrections.