Shiloh Museum presents exhibit about CCC work at Devil’s Den

SPRINGDALE – The Shiloh Museum of Ozark History presents Ozark Tree Army: The CCC at Devil’s Den State Park, an exhibit featuring photographs and select artifacts from the 1930s-era Civilian Conservation Corps’ work at the park near West Fork.

A related program, “Devil’s Den Conservation Corps,” will be presented online at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 21, by Tim Scott, assistant superintendent of Devil’s Den State Park.

Devil’s Den State Park was created on Oct. 13, 1933, with the first company of CCC workers arriving a week later. President Franklin D. Roosevelt established the corps in 1933 as part of the New Deal program to address the problems of the Great Depression. The corps employed between 2.5 and 3 million people between 1933 and its closure in 1942.

Photographs in the exhibit document the hundreds of corps members stationed at Devil’s Den as they created the park’s many structures, roadways, landscapes and trails, many of which are still visible today, making it one of the nation’s best-preserved park developments by the CCC.

Museum Director Angie Albright says, “A number of researchers are taking a special interest in documenting the structures at Devil’s Den right now, and we received a donation of numerous historic CCC photos. It just seemed like a sign to dive into our collections and celebrate our photos and artifacts while the park was celebrating its 90th birthday.”

The exhibit takes its title from the nickname Americans gave the CCC, Roosevelt’s Tree Army, Albright said.

It includes the history of the state park’s role as a world-class mountain biking destination and what is considered the original home of Arkansas mountain biking.

The Ozark Mountain Bike Festival, the first of its kind in the Natural State, began in 1989 at Devil’s Den. A 1980s vintage hardtail Keith Bontrager mountain bike is among the artifacts in the exhibit.

In association with the exhibit, Scott will talk about the park’s history with the CCC and provide images in his Feb. 21 online presentation. Registration is required for this free live viewing by visiting https://shilohmuseum.org/museum-events/ devils-den-civilian-conservation-corps/.

The Shiloh Museum of Ozark History is a regional history museum that serves the public by providing resources for finding meaning, enjoyment, and inspiration in the exploration of the Arkansas Ozarks. Located at 118 W. Johnson Ave., Springdale, the museum is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Admission is free. Learn more at ShilohMuseum.org or by calling (479) 750-8165.