"30 Years of Commitment Combined with Second Generation Appreciation"
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"30 Years of Commitment Combined with Second Generation Appreciation"
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Introduction to the CCC in West Virginia - by Robert E. Anderson from his book "Written on the Land" List of CCC Camps in West Virginia West Virginia CCC Museum Association West Virginia CCC Day of Recognition West Virginia State CCC Museum Association Brochure Camp Copperhead - West Virginia - NF-17 National Forest Enrollee: Robert H. Lee - Photos, Camp Copperhead Visit the West Virginia CCC State Museum Association Website: www.wva-ccclegacy.org On the heels of the "Roaring Twenties" and following the market crash of 1929, the Great Depression engulfed America and flowed unchecked across our Land. Economic hard times were everywhere. Many Americans became homeless. Families were split up; forced to live apart. Children became orphans. There was little gainful employment. To help ease the unemployment situation, one of the first things President Franklin Roosevelt did in office, was to establish the Civilian Conservation Corp, the CCC. He did this with a stroke of a pen on March 31, 1933. The purpose of this CCC program was to put unemployed young men to work in useful, needed conservation projects around the county. The plan was swiftly put in motion. Within 3 months, over 275,000 enrollees and supervisors were signed up across the nation and began work on critical conservation projects planned by foresters, or, as the case might have been, park service rangers, soil conservationists and extension educators. In the 9 years from 1933 until the CCC program phase-out in 1942, there were over 3 million enrollees and more than 1,600 camps throughout the country. Many CCC projects included fire-fighting, tree-planting, road-building, development of parks, forests and erosion control of farm land...Conservation projects quite evident, as we travel the land, today. The good works of the CCC is one state could be mirrored by the many achievements of the CCC in any state. The late U.S. Senator Jennings Randolph...in Congress when it all began and a tireless supporter of the CCC concept...said in 1983: "That program helped lift America out of the darkness of Depression and into the sunshine of better times." The book "Written on the Land" takes a close look at what the CCC program did for West Virginia and what legacies her "Boys" left...on the landscape; lasting conservation hallmarks written on the land.
The first call for mobilization of the Civilian Conservation Corps came in the neighboring state of Virginia on April 17, 1933 when Camp Roosevelt was established. Soon, there were CCC camps in every state.
In West Virginia, the earliest camps were activated on May 20, 1933 in Tucker and Randolph Counties. Altogether, there were 67 CCC camps and 55,000 enrollees who served in the Mountain State over the nine year span of the CCC program.
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listed in the book “Written on the Land” by Robert E. Anderson, PhD. 1
Camp Alvon, *
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Camp Glady Fork, *
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Camp Little Fork, *
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Camp White Sulfur Springs, Camp
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Some camps were successively home to many CCC
units over the lifetime of the program. In planned moves between work
projects, some units transferred to several camps. In addition, there
were satellite, summer, and temporary work camps. i.e. * Photographs of these camps can be found in the book “Written on the Land” by Robert E. Anderson, PhD. To receive information about how to order this book email: wvacccma@hotmail.com
West Virginia State CCC Museum Association Quiet Dell at Exit 115, I-79 Harrison County West Virginia
The West Virginia State CCC Museum Association (WVSCCCMA) was organized and chartered in 2000 in response to a need to promote the CCC legacy in West Virginia and West Virginians who served elsewhere.
A 501(c) 3 corporation, the organization has a nine-membered Board, five members of which are either children of CCC alumni or former CCC enrollees, themselves. Regular and Life members stretch from New York to Florida and states in between.
A primary objective of WVSCCCMA is to promote the legacy, the lasting achievements and individual heroics of the original CCC by overseeing the operation of the camp museum and providing public education outreach programs about past CCC achievements in West Virginia and other states. Thus, the museum serves as a memorial to the "BOYS" and a learning center for all generations of the general public. We also respond to individual requests for CCC genealogical information, public speaking, (seminar participation, etc) and provide networking of reunion news whenever possible.
We are always pleased to welcome new members, you and yours, to our exciting, most worthy movement. For information about membership, please contact me or one of our other members. Thank you.
Dr. Robert E. Anderson, Pres 31 Maple Lake Drive Bridgeport, WV 26330 304-842-5194
West Virginia CCC Recognition Day
West Virginia House Members recognize the contributions of the Civilian Conservation Corps Resolution honors the contributions of the West Virginia Civilian Conservation Corps and designates March 31 of every year as CCC Recognition Day
Click below to see Press Release
West Virginia State CCC Camp Museum Brochure
Quiet Dell at Exit 115, I-79 Harrison County West Virginia
The Civilian Conservation Corps had over 4000 CCC camps nationally over the 1933-1942 period of operation with 67 camps in West Virginia.
Their lasting achievements..these are things we see today and benefit from...as will all generations to come. In our "Mountain State", some 55,000 young men fought more than 10,000 forest fires! They:
In 1936 alone, 8 CCC units (about 1600 young CCC enrollees) worked with farmers and developed soil erosion control practices on over 48,000 acres on 918 farms in West Virginia. (Ref: 1936 WVA Blue Book) The STATE CCC CAMP MUSEUM honors all former "CCC Boys from everywhere. Here, we recognize the CCC individual, self achievements and their self-sacrifices; many "Boys" went directly from the 3C's to serve our country and die in WWII. We hope after your visit you too, will recognize and expand you appreciation of their collective, lasting achievements on the land...This is really your museum. It has over 150 CCC items on exhibit with many more waiting for space in our future replica barracks building. We hope you will come again, and we'd be honored if you became a member of our West Virginia CCC Association For more information please contact me or any other CCC association member. Bob Anderson, President 31 Maple Lake Drive Bridgeport, WV 26330 304-842-5194
Camp Copperhead, Forest Service CCC Camp NF-17
Camp Copperhead, Forest Service CCC Camp NF-17, was established in July of 1935 and located in Pocahontas County near the mountain hamlet, Frost, WV. All CCC camps had certain unique characteristics, and this one was no exception. One cold wintry night the large wooden water tank that supplied the camp caught on fire. On Sundays, large crowds of CCC "Boys" and local townspeople would gather in Camp Copperhead to watch captured copperheads and black snakes in snake fight competitions. Well... until the higher CCC brass got wind of this past time.
In our CCC museum we have on display a sample of home-made soap made by the church women of Frost. Historically, it would not be significant, except it is very similar to the soap made by women of Frost in the 1930's and sold to the CCC back in the days of Camp Copperhead.
It has been said that every community-at-large around, or in the vicinity of any CCC camp realized a vital economic return of approximately $5,000 in cash, goods and services each month as a result of the support needs of these very productive CCC camps. Such was the gradual ground swell; the beneficial ripple effect across the Land in CCC locations, everywhere.
Contributed by: Robert Anderson, WV CCC Museum Association Author - Written on the Land
Photos and information contributed by Robert H. Lee, Enrollee from July 1935 - September 1937. West Virginia CCC Co. 3539, F-17, Camp Copperhead, served as the "home place" for Robert Lee from the ages of 18 - 20. He terminated his enrollment in September 20, 1937 to accept employment that would better his condition. Born in Newburg, WV he was living with his family in Stafford, VA when he passed away. (Click to enlarge photos)
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The content on this website is reconstructed to reflect organizational changes associated between the merger of NACCCA and the Camp Roosevelt Legacy Foundation. Civilian Conservation Corps LegacyP.O. Box 341 -- Edinburg, VA 22824 -- Phone: 540-984-8735 - Send mail to ccc@ccclegacy.org with questions or comments about this web site.The Missouri office is schedule to be closed on October 31, 2008 The staff can still be reached at: Phone: 314-487-8666 Fax: 314-487-9488 send email to naccca@aol.com
Copyright © 2004 Camp Roosevelt CCC Legacy Foundation / now CCC Legacy - All Rights ReservedLast modified: 08/15/2008 |
