In 1932, unemployment in Utah was about 34 percent. Nearly every state west of the Mississippi River was struggling not only with unemployment but also with drought, erosion, and overgrazing. To solve these serious difficulties, President Franklin D. Roosevelt launched what would become arguably the most popular of his New Deal programs-the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). From 1933 to 1942, the CCC employed three million young men on land-improvement projects, many of which are still used today. In this book, Kenneth Baldridge chronicles the work of the 10,000 men who served at Utah's 116 CCC camps. With facts and anecdotes drawn from camp newspapers, government files, interviews, letters, and other sources, he situates the CCC within the political climate and details not only the projects but also the day-to-day aspects of camp life. For thirty dollars a month-of which twenty-five was sent home to their folks-these young recruits planted trees; built roads, bridges, dams, and trails; fought fires; battled pests and noxious weeds; and erected cabins, campgrounds, amphitheaters, reservoirs, and more. Today the CCC is credited with creating greater public awareness and appreciation of the outdoors. This volume documents the public good created by the CCC, provides an extensive bibliography, and is illustrated with numerous historic and modern photos.
Kenneth W. Baldridge, PhD, retired in 1993 after a career teaching history in California public schools, Church College of New Zealand, and BYU-Hawaii. He now enjoys spending time with his children and grandchildren as well as traveling, giving lectures, and delivering Meals on Wheels.
List of Figures List of Tables Acknowledgments Preface 1. The Beginning 2. The Civilian Conservation Corps Comes to Utah 3. Administration of the Program 4. Those Who Did the Work: The Technical Agencies 5. The Work They Did 6. Two Major Concerns: Erosion and Flood Control 7. Dams, Canals, and Irrigation: The Bureau of Reclamation 8. Some Camps Were One or Two or Three of a Kind 9. Emergencies: Fires, Blizzards, Search and Rescue 10. Accidents, Health, and Safety 11. Life in the Camps-and Out 12. Camp and Community Relations 13. Wrapping Up and Winding Down Epilogue: The Beat Goes On Appendix A: Army Corp Areas Appendix B: Utah Civilian Conservation Corps Camp Information Appendix C: Civilian Conservation Corps Camps in Utah Notes Bibliography Index
"This is THE book in its field. The statistics alone make it an outstanding source book. Baldridge has an incredibly extensive knowledge of work details on jobs the CCC completed in Utah. This includes the community relations problems/progress and a myriad of other pertinent areas." - Michael Shultz, creator of The CCC: A Peaceful Revolution
