On April 5, 1933, President Franklin Roosevelt issued Executive Order 6101, which established the Civilian Conservation Corps, commonly known as the CCC. The program provided training and wages to young men during the Great Depression by having them work in conservation and natural resources.
This memorial is in Edinburg at the Forest Service Office. The first CCC camp was established not far from here on April 17, 1933 in George Washington National Forest. It was called Camp Roosevelt.
The statue is #44 in a series of CCC statues that dot the American landscape. There’s one in Shenandoah National Park that I have photographed several times. (See all my CCC posts.)
This memorial reminds us of the millions of CCC men who toiled between the years of 1933 –1942 to improve the management of our nation's natural resources and build the infrastructure of the modern outdoor recreation system. Their accomplishments are unequaled and are a testament to the hard work, pride, and determination to overcome the social and economic strife thrust upon them by the Great Depression.
When visiting a National Park I often recognize the work of the CCC, which improved so many areas to make them accessible for recreation. Occasionally I’ve seen exhibits that collected the uniforms, letters, tools, and other memorabilia from the participants, which is really fascinating. It was such a creative way to provide jobs and develop our country.
ReplyDeletebest… mae at maefood.blogspot.com
...we have a beautiful local park thanks to the CCC and a statues like this one. I need to revisit it.
ReplyDeleteThey did great work, much of which still remains!
ReplyDeleteA great memorial and statue to give credit to all the good works done.
ReplyDeleteI have taken photos of the statue in the Shenandoah National Park. I didn't realize there were more of them. The history is very interesting.
ReplyDeleteOne of the best ideas of a great president.
ReplyDeleteI've thought for a long time that we could use something like the CCC again to rebuild our nation's infrastructure.
ReplyDelete