CCC: A recent Lumber Heritage Region newsletter had a fascinating story we wanted to share. It’s about the Civilian Conservation Corps, the CCC, launched as part of President Roosevelt’s New Deal in 1933.

During the Great Depression, young men left school to help support their families. The CCC offered wages, meals, work, conservation training and learning opportunities, including a camp newspaper.

“Most CCC Camps had some form of newspaper or magazine edited by that camp’s enrollees either printed or mimeographed.

“Creating the newspaper in itself was an educational opportunity for vocational training, allowing enrollees to assist in its development through art, writing, editing, typing, mimeographing or even securing advertisements from nearby businesses. In camps where printing equipment was made available, enrollees had the opportunity for setting type and operating a printing machine.”

By 1940, classroom instruction became common in the camps.

“An Educational Report from October 7, 1938, for the Bark Shanty Camp S-146 (Company 2336) in Potter County, Pennsylvania listed the following:

“Subjects of Instruction: English, Spelling, Writing, Reading, Typewriting, Photography, Auto Mechanics, Truck Driving, Woodwork, Carpentry, and Choral Music

“Related Educational Work: Educational Committee Meetings, Safety Forums, Religious Services, Educational Films and Lectures, Visits from Chaplain, Supervised Reading, Personal Interviews of Enrollees, Health Lectures, Athletics, and Recreation Trips.”

The Lumber Heritage Region accessed that report through archives at the Pennsylvania Lumber Museum.

“The legacy of the Civilian Conservation Corp is one that began over 90 years ago. Though nearly a century has passed since these young men found work relief during one of the United States’ most challenging decades, these publications offer a brief glimpse into the personal experiences of young men who helped shape the American landscape — both physically and culturally,” the newsletter read.

The website for the LHR is lumberheritage.org.