Pathways

Pathways

This year marks the 90th anniversary of the Civilian Conservation Corps, or CCC, one of the hallmarks of Roosevelt’s New Deal. The federal program, which ran from 1933 to 1942, provided young, unemployed men with a steady income and job skills. Often referred to as “Roosevelt’s Tree Army,” CCC boys, as they were called, worked on a variety of conservation projects including planting trees; fighting invasive pests; conducting biological surveys; and building roads, trails, and other infrastructure for parks. They also responded to natural disasters such as wildfires and the devastating hurricane of 1938.

Connecticut was home to 21 CCC camps, including Camp Chapman, located at Stone’s Ranch Military Reserve in Niantic. Initially intended for veterans of World War I and the Spanish-American War who enrolled in the CCC, its crews planted a stand of pine trees at the ranch, and constructed campgrounds and roads at Rocky Neck, Devil’s Hopyard, and Fort Shantok state parks and the Nehantic State Forest.

The Camp Chapman News, a monthly newsletter from 1934, offers a glimpse into the daily life of the camp. There are stories about cribbage tournaments and baseball games, reviews of theatrical productions, and original poetry about the changing seasons or the author’s fondness for the CCC. Many issues include advice for newer recruits, farewells to veterans who are about to leave, and a healthy dose of playful banter. One issue advertises classes at the Adult Educational and Training Center of New London in subjects ranging from trigonometry to French to radio repair, emphasizing the importance of education since, as the article states, “you can only stay in the Civilian Conservation Corps for one year.”

Reading the newsletter, you get a sense of the true value of the CCC, not just for its conservation mission or even its economic impact, but for the ways in which the program buoyed the morale of its members, creating a sense of pride, comradery, and a sense of belonging for millions of young men during the Great Depression.

CCC Kitchen Tent, Camp Chapman, Stone Ranch Military Reserve, Niantic, Conn. 1933-1935