Guide to the Civilian Conservation Corps Collection MSS-2010-07-29

Lisa Zakharova and David Fournier
SJSU Special Collections & Archives
© 2010
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library
San José State University
One Washington Square
San José, CA 95192-0028
special.collections@sjsu.edu


Language of Material: English
Contributing Institution: SJSU Special Collections & Archives
Title: Civilian Conservation Corps Collection, 1933-1997
Identifier/Call Number: MSS.2010.07.29
Physical Description: 3 boxes (3.5 Linear feet)
Date (inclusive): 1933-1997
Date (bulk): Bulk 1933-1942
Abstract: The materials in this collection consist of photographs, newspaper articles, original newspapers, memorabilia, oral history cassette tapes, memorial calendars, and alumni association publications related to California camps and one Oregon camp.

Access

Collection is open for research. Photocopying of original Newspapers is prohibited due to their fragile nature.

Publication Rights

Copyright is not assigned to the San José State University Special Collections & Archives. All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Director of Special Collections. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the Special Collections & Archives. Copyright restrictions may apply to digital reproductions of the original materials. Use of digital files is restricted to research and educational purposes.

Preferred Citation

Civilian Conservation Corps Collection, MSS-2010-07-29, San José State University Library Special Collections & Archives.

Processing Information

Collection processed by Lisa Zakharova and David Fournier. Finding aid EAD encoded by Lisa Zakharova. Reviewed by Danelle Moon. Accruals added and Finding Aid updated by Antonia Victoria Rock in May 2023.

Organizational History

The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was created in 1933 as one of the first programs headed by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) to alleviate youth unemployment during the Great Depression. Young men, ages 18 to 24 provided unskilled manual labor supporting reforestation and building the National Parks System. The Department of Labor recruited the men into the program and set up the outdoor camps they would be living at. Upon joining, they were provided clothing by the U.S. Army which also managed the camps. Over three million young men joined the CCC in the nine years it was active. They were paid one dollar per day and were offered free room and board. Members of the CCC became known as FDR's "Tree Army" and worked to revitalize the nation's forests and parks by planting trees, setting up state parks, and building roads that connected parks. They built more than 1000 national, state, county and city parks and planted over three billion trees across the nation. To this day, the CCC remains the only government conservation program that worked to save our country's environment on a national scale. There were CCC camps located in every state in the U.S.
The CCC was disbanded by President Roosevelt in 1942 when the nation's resources focused on the war effort and the economic state of the nation significantly improved. Originally, the program was designed to create jobs for unemployed young men during the depression. The onset of World War II meant an abundance of jobs all over the country, which rendered the original purpose of the CCC irrelevant. The CCC left behind a legacy that would be felt for years to come through the improvement of the country's forests and environment, as well as the hard work the young men performed through their enlistment with the CCC. Since then, several states, including California, have created their own Conservation Corps programs. Similar to the Civilian Conservation Corps, the California Conservation Corps allows young men and women to work for a year for the National Park System. The Civilian Conservation Corps Alumni Association continues working for historical recognition and education of the mass achievements of CCC workers and their families.

Scope and Content of Collection

The Civilian Conservation Corps(CCC) Collection, 1933-1997 (bulk 1933-1942) documents the work relief program established by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) during the New Deal Era in the state of California. It focuses in particular on the Almaden Camp in San Jose also called the Mount Madonna Camp, and is located in English Camp at the Almaden Quicksilver County Park. The records consist of photographs, newspaper articles, original newspapers, memorabilia, oral history cassette tapes, memorial calendars, and alumni association publications.

Arrangement

This collection is arranged into three series: Series I. California Camps; Series II. National Camps; Series III. Affiliated Organizations.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Civilian Conservation Corps (U.S.) -- California
Depressions -- 1929

 

California Camps 1933-1992

Arrangement

This series is organized alphabeticaly based on the camp name.

Scope and Contents

The following camps have ephemera such as photos, documents, and/or programs: Mt Madonna (Co 793) in Almaden, CA P-234 Camp Los Prietos (Co 805?) in Santa Barbara, CA Middle Creek Camp (Co 997) in upper Lake, CA Camp Callahan (Co. 1904) in Callahan, CA Camp Salt Creek (Co 1904) in Santa Barbara, CA Unknown camp, circa 1934
 

Camp Callahan (Co. 1904) in Callahan, CA

Box 1, folder 1

Camp Callahan Photos

box 1, folder 2

Philip Velasco, Gilroy CA, enrolled 4/14/34

 

Camp Los Prietos

 

Camp Salt Creek (Co 3363) in Santa Barbara, CA

box 1, folder 4

Camp Salt Creek Photographs

 

Camp Middle Creek (Co 997) in upper Lake, CA

box 1, Folder 5

Camp Middle Creek

 

Camp Mt. Madonna (Co. 793)

box 1, folder 6

Mount Miner

box 1, Folder 8

Overview of the CCC at Mt Madonna

box 1, Folder 9

A Personal history of hard times and adventure in the early 1930's

Box 1, Folder 10

Newspaper Clippings

Box 1, Folder 11

Donated by Charles Bird

box 1, folder 12

Friedolin Kessler Interview 1/15/1993 and 1/18/1993

Box 1, folder 13

Commemorative Monument

 

Camp Ramona

box 1, folder 14

Camp Ramona

 

Unidentified camps, circa 1934 1934

Box 1, folder 15

Unidentified Camps

box 1, Folder 16

CCC Exhibit at SJSU October 21,1992

 

National Camps 1934-1935

Arrangement

Newspapers in this series are arranged alphabetically by title amd then by date.

Scope and Contents

Three Official Civilian Conservation Corps Newspapers are present in the collection: The Courier, the monthly newspaper representing the March Field District from the Sequoias to the Mexican Line. Issues present: Vol. I No. 1-2, Vol. I No. 5, Vol. I No. 7-8, Vol. II No. 1-4, Vol. II No. 10, Vol. III No.2. Happy Days, the authorized weekly CCC Newspaper. Issues present: Vol. II No. 24-25, Vol. II No. 27-28, Vol. II No. 30, Vol. II No. 33, Vol. II No. 35, Vol. II No. 37-38, Vol II. No 40, Vol II No. 42-46 C.C.C Review- A weekly newspaper devoted to the interests of the CCC camps in the Fort George Wright, Washington and Lewiston, Idaho Districts.Issue present: Volume 5
 

Official Civilian Conservation Corps Newspapers II 1934-1935

Scope and Contents note

The Civilian Conservation Corps(CCC) Collection, 1933-1997 (bulk 1933-1942) documents the work relief program estabilished by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) during the New Deal Era. The CCC employed young men between the ages of 18 to 24 to provide manual labor related to conservation of National Parks and resourse management. The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was created in 1933 as one of the first programs headed by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) to alleviate youth unemployment during the Great Depression. Members of the CCC became known as FDR's "Tree Army", were recruited by the Department of Labor to revitalize the nation's forests and parks by planting trees, setting up state parks, and building roads that connected parks. The young men were able to stay employed during the Great Depression by contributing to a large-scale conservation program which involved every U.S. State.
Three Official Civilian Conservation Corps Newspapers are present in the collection: The Courier, the monthly newspaper representing the March Field District from the Sequoias to the Mexican Line. Issues present: Vol. I No. 1-2, Vol. I No. 5, Vol. I No. 7-8, Vol. II No. 1-4, Vol. II No. 10, Vol. III No.2. Happy Days, the authorized weekly CCC Newspaper. Issues present: Vol. II No. 24-25, Vol. II No. 27-28, Vol. II No. 30, Vol. II No. 33, Vol. II No. 35, Vol. II No. 37-38, Vol II. No 40, Vol II No. 42-46 C.C.C Review- A weekly newspaper devoted to the interests of the CCC camps in the Fort George Wright, Washington and Lewiston, Idaho Districts.Issue present: Volume 5
Box 2, Folder 1

C.C.C Review October 3, 1935

Physical Description: 1.0 folders
Box 2, Folder 2

The Courier Nov 17th 1934

Box 2, Folder 3

The Courier Jan 3rd 1935

Box 2, Folder 4

The Courier Feb 1st 1935

Box 2, folder 5

The Courier Mar 1st 1935

Box 2, Folder 6

The Courier Mar 15th 1935

Box 2, Folder 7

The Courier Apr 1st 1935

Box 2, Folder 8

The Courier Apr 18th, 1935

box 2, folder 9

The Courier May 3rd 1935

Box 2, Folder 10

The Courier May 18th, 1935

Box 2, Folder 11

The Courier Sep 17th, 1935

box 2, Folder 12

The Courier Oct 30th, 1935

Box 2, folder 29

The Courier Circa. November 1935

box 2, Folder 13

Happy Days Oct 27th, 1934

box 2, Folder 14

Happy Days Nov 3rd, 1934

box 2, Folder 15

Happy Days Nov 10th, 1934

box 2, Folder 16

Happy Days Nov 17th, 1935

box 2, Folder 17

Happy Days Nov 24th, 1934

Box 2, folder 18

Happy Days Dec 8th, 1934

Box 2, folder 19

Happy Days Dec 29th, 1934

box 2, folder 20

Happy Days Jan 12th, 1935

box 2, Folder 21

Happy Days Jan 26th, 1935

Box 2, Folder 22

Happy Days Feb 2nd, 1935

box 2, Folder 23

Happy Days Feb 16th, 1935

box 2, Folder 24

Happy Days Mar 2nd, 1935

box 2, Folder 25

Happy Days Mar 9th, 1935

Box 2, Folder 26

Happy Days Mar 16th, 1935

Box 2, Folder 27

Happy Days Mar 23rd, 1935

Box 2, Folder 28

Happy Days Mar 30th, 1935

box 1, folder 17

CCC Art

 

Affiliated Organizations 1992-1998

Arrangement

This series is organized alphabetically by the name of the organization.

Scope and Contents

This series consists of flyers, newspaper clippings, and letters associated with the Civilian Conservation Corps. These organizations commemorate and carry on the legacy of the Civilian Conservation Corps: The California Conservation Corps, Civilian Conservation Corps Alumni, The Conservation Corps State Museum, and The Conservation Corps Institute of California.
 

CCC Alumni

Box 1, Folder 18

CCC Alumni

Box 1, folder 19

Historical Calendars

Box 1, folder 20

California Conservation Corps

box 1, Folder 21

Conservation Corps Institute of California.