Connecticut Civilian Conservation Corps Camps: Their History, Memories & Legacy
Marty Podskoch
January 29, 2017
2 pm at the Haddam Fire Station No. #1
439 Saybrook Road, Higganum, CT 06441
Mr. Podskoch will talk about his new book Connecticut Civilian Conservation Corps Camps: Their History, Memories & Legacy. Camp Filley in Haddam was established in 1933 and played an important role in the town for the next decade.
The CCC was a public works program that operated from 1933 to 1942, as part of Pres. Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal. It targeted young men and veterans in relief families who had difficulty finding jobs during the Great Depression, providing unskilled manual labor related to environmental conservation and development of natural resources in rural lands.
Volunteers planted nearly 3 billion trees to help reforest America, constructed more than 800 parks nationwide, updated forest fire fighting methods, and built a network of service buildings and public roadways. In nine years, 2.5 million young men participated in restoring morale and public appreciation of the outdoors.
Mr. Podskoch's book describes the history and projects of the 21 camps located throughout the state including the three camps in Cockaponset SF in Killingworth, Haddam, and Madison.
Enrollees signed up for six months and worked a 40-hour week for $30 a month The government sent $25 to the enrollee's family and the enrollee received $5. The young men received good food, uniforms, and medical care. At first they lived in tents; later they lived in wooden buildings. These young men and special camps for war veterans were able to help their families and gain a sense of worth.
There are hundreds of pictures of the boys at work and at camp, sometimes laboring mightily, other times clowning around or playing on camp teams. There are excerpts from camp newspapers of cartoons, poems, doggerel, and songs that will delight the reader for this unique window into their lives.
Free for members/supporters of the Haddam Historical Society
$3 for non members.
This program will be followed up by a history walk lead by Rob Butterworth in the Spring of 2017 of the Camp Filley site off of Filley Road. Look for information SOON!