During the 1930s this country was suffering from hardship, despair and hopelessness due to
the high level of poverty. The Upper Peninsula of Michigan (U.P.) was no exception.
Approximately 45% of the population of this beautiful part of the country was
living in poverty. President Roosevelt decided to do something for those in
need in this country by creating the New Deal and what this article is going to
focus on is the Civil Conservation Corps (CCC). This organization provided job
opportunities for young men who did not have jobs and also provided for their
families. Set requirements had to be followed such as the family’s income, the
family must be at poverty level. The young men would travel from various areas
of Michigan to serve in the CCC. Young men from the cities had to learn to
adapt to everything the U.P. had to offer from its harsh weather during the
winter months to the many forms of wildlife: bears, deer, mouse, coyotes, bob
cats and so much more. The camps would be built in the heart of the wilderness. New communities would be developed around these camps. The camps fed the
commerce of each community by the purchasing of goods such as vehicles and
provided management and other service jobs to older men in the communities. Lumber
companies had to hire more staff to keep up with demand for wood for the
building of the camps. The CCC provided much for the families that faced the
trials and tribulations put forth by the stock market crash.
The CCC, when it was developed, was
to be used in what was considered simple work, not to interfere with customary
employment. The CCC was to be confined to forestry, the prevention of soil
erosion, flood control, putting out fires and other similar projects. There was
suppose to be a moral and spiritual value for each project. Within three
months, Roosevelt didn’t want to waste any time, he wanted to have over 1,000
camps developed nationwide with 200 young men in each camp. To help the
economy, the CCC was the first relief program to be established. Further plans
were made for the young men to assist with building roads, planting trees,
erecting telephone lines, improving rivers and lakes, and any other project
that would improve the American landscape. In the U.P. they planted trees, fed
starving deer, planted moose and all the other jobs mentioned
above. Many campers in the U.P. were required to help put out fires. Believe it or not, some of the fires were
intentionally started to provide an income for the fire departments. At any
given time a typical camp would be assigned 40 projects with various crews
working under a foreman.
The assignments were not without
their dangers. The young men lost fingers, hands, and other body parts while
working in the woods. There were vehicle accidents. Walkaways were found dead.
Steps were taken to help eliminate accidents. The officials decided to band
cars from camp. Sometimes there were acts of mischief and when infractions
occurred, the campers would dispense their own justice under a court and jury
system. Those found guilty would have to do extra work in the kitchens and
bathrooms. However, if the case was extreme the camper may be discharged.
Sometimes some of the camps would have more trouble makers than others and
these camps would get a reputation.
The U.S. Army ran the camps and the
U.S. Forest Service (USFS) ran the projects. 22 people were in Army uniform: a
major, six lieutenants, a surgeon or doctor, three sergeants four cooks, a
foreman carpenter, truck driver office clerk, steward, and two trainers. Forest
Service also numbered 22: six foremen, a blacksmith, five group leaders, nine
assistant leaders, and the camp superintendent. There was a total of 44 staff.
The Army built the camps, fed and
housed the young men provided clothing, sport activities, libraries, schooling, health care, and welfare. The camps were run in army fashion with reveille at
6:00 a.m., then exercises, breakfast (big, plain and hearty), cleaning the
grounds and buildings, roll call and supervisory inspection. The eight hour
shift began at 8:00 a.m. and ended at 4:00 p.m. Time was allotted for
relaxation before the scheduled 5:30 p.m. dinner. Lights were flashed at 9:45
p.m., the lights were turned off at 10:00 p.m. and Taps were played at 10:15
p.m. Camp routines were not kept a secret. The camps were opened for visits
from families, journalists, politicians, civic groups, or the public.
There was a push to get the program
up and running. The first six camps in the U.P.,built in only six days, were: Raco, Strongs, Kentucky, Kenton, Steuben, and Paint Lake. Sometimes
they had to live in tents while the buildings were being built. There were 4.4
applicants for each available position. The neediest were taken first.
Considering the U.P. and its remoteness, the camps were built rather quickly.
By July 1st there were 30 new camps and as 1933 ended there were 45
camps altogether. The population rose to 7,600, which could represent the
population a typical U.P. city.
The average size of the each camp
building was 112 feet by 20 feet. Each building housed approximately 40 young
men and each camp had on average 200 young men. The young men when they left
their lives of poverty were often gaunt and not in good shape. After a short
while of eating hearty meals and the hard work, they soon got into good shape.
A typical dinner consisted of roast beef, mashed potatoes, gravy, biscuits and
jam, fruit and vegetables and pie. Even though most of the meals were hearty,
there were food strikes and sometimes a cook would secretly sell food to people
outside the camp.
A 1934 survey revealed that each of the
25,333 U.P. families received an average of $22.34 per family per month as a
relief payment. Picture trying to live on approximately $22. a month. This was
the welfare payment for a family who was faced with outright poverty. Food was
scarce. Mothers with their young children would be found running alongside
trains trying to catch bits and pieces of coal to heat their homes. Gardens
were raided. People would stop at nothing to provide for their families. Starvation
was not uncommon. I remember people telling me that they were reduced to eating
squirrels that their fathers shot during the time of the depression. The young
men were paid $30. a month for their services. They were able to keep $5. and
$25. was sent to their families. They must have felt like they received a gift
from heaven.
The government recognized that these
were young men, who were straddled with poverty, now had freedom and a
little money in their pockets. To prevent trouble they created ways in which
they could blow off steam. Boxing was one of the favorite activities and boxing
matches were held between various camps located throughout the U.P. Boxing was
a popular sport during this time period. Basketball was another favorite sport
which speared new popularity. Baseball was also played at some of the camps;
but space for field and the amount of players was sometimes a barrier for
playing this sport. Keep in mind that many of these camps were located in the
deep woods. They were also kept busy and out of trouble by joining contests in
skiing, hockey, swimming, tug-of-war, tennis, track and field, volleyball, and
hiking. Since winters in the U.P. can be rather long, they would also be
involved in indoor activities such as cribbage, ping pong, checkers and other
games.
By September 1935, more camps were
established in the U.P. The project loads increased. For example, five Alger
County camps had 400 young men planting six million seedlings, the largest
program that ever existed for the Hiawatha National Forest. The camp in Rexton
removed 211 beaver dams over three months to enhance the flowing of streams.
In 1937, the prospects for the CCC
were changing. Things were happening around the world that were getting more
attention, the Japanese invasion of China and the aftereffects of the Hitler
regime to name a few. On the positive
note, the National Hockey League race which was won by the Detroit Red Wings, and
the World Series distracted many people. The Dust Bowl was losing its hold,
however approximately 300 people lost their lives to the heavy flooding of the Ohio
and Mississippi River Valleys. CCC campers were sent to provide assistance.
Roosevelt was seeking approval for the CCC to be a permanent program and the staff
at the Mining Journal agreed with
him. For over 4 years the CCC has provided a well-rounded source of employment
to 2,000,000 young men, supplied $360,000,000 of hard earned wages to families
in dire need, and protected the nation’s forests and other natural resources. A
permanent CCC would possibly reduce unemployment rates, teach useable skills
and enhance the nation’s natural resources
Reference
Chabot, L. (2009). Saving Our Sons: How the Civilian Conservation Corps Rescued a Generation of Upper Michigan Men. Michigan: Globe Printing, Inc.
