The Civilian Conservation Corps, 1933-1942

“Ashcraft’s Carpenters” Camp Lake Catherine, August 1939

maximum of 30,000 men to be selected from veterans of WWI. Another small group included Local Experienced Men (LEMS), who were chosen to provide the needed expertise in fields of Conservation and Construction.

The camps consisted of about 200 men each, and the locations were chosen by the Army with the help of a Forest Service or National Park Service official. Many of the enrollees had never been very far from home. The CCC men performed over 100 types of work in 2,650 camps. They planted trees, cleared trails, restored old buildings, built dams, park shelters, furniture, foot bridges, and crafted many things from wood, stone or dirt. Some state parks systems exist only because of the CCCS, also known as “Shovel Leaners”, the “C’s” or “Roosevelt’s Tree Army.” Many of the rustic log and stone structures they built display craftsmanship that rises to sheer artistry.

CCC Camp 3777 received orders to move to Camp Fair Park, Little Rock, then Lake Catherine near Malvern, to work in the new state park. The camp was not ready, so the men lived at Camp Friendship and drove to work each day until facilities were built at Lake Catherine. Lake Catherine was formed by Remmel Dam which was constructed in the early 1920s. The lake is about 12 miles long and covers about 2600 acres, with 80 miles of shoreline. The men of the CCC carved Lake Catherine out of the forest at the south end of the lake. The park covers more than 2000 acres. There was also a CCC Camp in Lono, AR. It consisted of camp barracks, officer housing, shops and garages.

This Tidbit in Time shared by the Hot Spring County Historical Society

The Heritage, Vol. 35, p.131+