The sign at this location reads;
CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS CAMPS
“ROOSEVELT’S TREE ARMY”
SISKWIT CO 3686, ROCK HARBOR CO 634, WINDIGO CO 3686
UNDER THE LEARDERSHIP OF PRESIDENT FRANKLIN DELANO
ROOSEVELT, CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS CAMPS WERE
ESTABLISHED DURING THE GREAT DEPRESSION OF THE EARLY
THIRTIES. FDR RECRUITED THOUSANDS OF YOURTH AND SENT THEM
INTO BATTLE AGAINST THE DESTRUCTION AND EROSION OF OUR
NATURAL RESOURCES. THIS ACTION BROUGHT TOGETHER TWO
WASTED ASSETS – THE YOUNG MEN AND THE LAND – AN EFFORT
THAT SAVED BOTH.
The Living New Deal, an organization that researches and educates about The New Deal has this to say about the CCC on Isle Royale; “In August 1935, the the first members of Company 2699 of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) arrived on Isle Royale… The CCC, made up of very young men, spent seven summers as the manpower that constructed much of the young park’s infrastructure. They built the park headquarters on Mott Island, created boat campgrounds, and improved the few resorts that the park service had selected to retain. They also erected a fire tower and constructed miles of trails.”
The Confluence of a Great Depression Work Program with the Creation of a National Park.
In 1935 negotiations were initiated by the National Park Service for acquisition of Isle Royale private lands and President Roosevelt approved the establishment of Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) camps on the island, allocating $600,000 for the program. The CCC program was one of several federal work relief programs created as part of the New Deal, which provided social and economic opportunities, professional training and much-needed income to areas hit by the Great Depression. Between the years of 1933 to 1941, the CCC employed 102,814 young men in 42 camps located throughout Michigan. The Departments of War, Agriculture, Interior, and Labor acted together to recruit, house, and feed, cloth, and care for thousands of enrollees in "what became one of the largest mobilizations of manpower up to that point in American history." General and specific work plans were established by the agencies, which selected, organized, and administered the camps in a military-like manner.
Responsibilities of the CCC enrollees included forest fire prevention, flood control, and soil erosion containment; tree planting and implementing improvements to state and national parks and forests; eradicating insect pests; and wildlife management on federal lands. CCC volunteers were required to be between the ages of 18 and 35, stand five feet to six feet, eight inches tall, weigh at least 107 pounds, and have no less than three teeth. The federal treasury provided each individual with $30 per month ($25 of which was to be sent home) for no less than a six-month enlistment period. (
visit link)
The park's wilderness management doctrine restricted the construction of the standard recreational facilities such as baseball and football fields, whereas lsle Royale activities were limited to horseshoe pitching, hiking, archery, and water sports. Additionally, most activities took place outside, as there were no large buildings for indoor recreation. Educational opportunities were similar to most of the other CCC camps. Recruits received vocational rather than academic training, and were taught mechanical drawing, radio operation, photography, typing, and nautical skills. Many recruits would obtain good jobs upon their discharge from the corps. The park's wilderness management doctrine restricted the construction of the standard recreational facilities such as baseball and football fields, whereas lsle Royale activities were limited to horseshoe pitching, hiking, archery, and water sports. Additionally, most activities took place outside, as there were no large buildings for indoor recreation. Educational opportunities were similar to most of the other CCC camps. Recruits received vocational rather than academic training, and were taught mechanical drawing, radio operation, photography, typing, and nautical skills. Many recruits would obtain good jobs upon their discharge from the corps. Also from the NPS
After the three hour ferry boat ride to reach Isle Royale my wife and I found out this is one of the least visited National Parks, but the history and beauty of this island group makes the trip worthwhile.