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Program honors legacy of Civilian Conservation Corps

By Frances Borsodi Zajac fzajac@heraldstandard.Com 3 min read

They called them Dollar A Day Boys.

They were the thousands of unemployed young men who found work during the Great Depression by helping the nation’s environment as part of the Civilian Conservation Corps, a federal program operated through President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal. They earned their nickname by their pay: $30 a month with $25 sent home to their families.

Their legacy will be celebrated locally when historian, author and songwriter Bill Jamerson presents a music and storytelling program 6 p.m. Tuesday at the Carnegie Free Library at 229 S. Pittsburgh St. in Connellsville. The event is being co-sponsored by the Fayette County Historical Society and the Connellsville Area Historical Society.

“That was such an iconic program in the country’s history,” said Jo Lofstead, secretary of the Fayette County Historical Society. “There were quite a few camps around here. They contributed an enormous amount of work to the parks.”

“It’s exciting to know that something you did in the 1930s is still enduring today, being appreciated and enjoyed,” said Karen Hechler, president of the Connellsville Area Historical Society, whose father was a member of the CCC. “Their accomplishments have lasted a long time.”

The CCC worked at several sites in this region: Fort Necessity National Battlefield, Linn Run, Kooser and Laurel Hill State Parks as well as Forbes State Forest.

Lofstead provided information that explained 225 men at Camp Necessity cleared two-and-a-half miles of trails, created a parking area, restored the battlefield, cut a firebreak around the entire property and planted 60,000 trees during the two-and-a-half years the camp existed.

The majority of Company 5462 SP12-PA, Farmington, were from Southern states, but men from communities throughout Fayette County also worked there.

The state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources notes on its website, “The CCC transformed the forests and natural areas of Pennsylvania and the United States and transformed all of the young men who were involved. Although it was a dark time for the economy and the many unemployed people, the conservation programs like the CCC and (Works Progress Administration) greatly enhanced the Pennsylvania Bureau of State Parks.”

The CCC operated as a military camp with all necessities provided, including uniforms, food, housing, medical care and training. Wake up was at 6 a.m.; taps played at 10 p.m. While some camps were established in New Hampshire and New York for women, the majority of camps were exclusively for men, according to information provided by Lofstead.

More than 400,000 enrollees were taught to read. Members also received training in carpentry, diesel mechanics, truck driving, engineering, radio communications and aviation.

During his presentation, Jamerson, who is based in Michigan, will tell stories, sing original songs, such as “Chowtime” and “Tree Plantin’, Fire Fightin’ Blues,” show a video clip from his PBS film, “Camp Forgotten,” and read excerpts from his CCC novel called “Big Shoulders” which follows a year in the life of a 17-year-old youth from Detroit in 1937.

The historical societies will display local memorabilia on the corps and are inviting the public to bring their own.

More information is available by calling the Fayette County Historical Society at 724-439-4422 or at the websites www.billjamerson.com and www.ccclegacy.org.

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