Vermont Civilian Conservation Corps Camps

At a time when the Great Depression was crushing the dreams of Americans, President Roosevelt created the Civilian Conservation Corps.  Vermont State Forester Perry Merrill saw its potential and successfully lobbied Washington with a long list of "shovel ready" projects that created the state park system, hiking trails, forest fire protections, stream bed improvements, and reforestation projects.  These helped make Vermont a leader in the sport of skiing and outdoor recreation.  For the first time, the full story of the CCC in Vermont is told in these pages. Brian Lindner, Native Vermonter and historian.  

            Marty Podskoch has been researching Vermont’s CCC Camps (Civilian Conservation Corps) for many years and this book provides a comprehensive history of them. Many of the trails at Bromley ski area were built by the CCC. The dirt road from Landgrove to Mt. Tabor on Route 7 was worked on by CCC crews and my father pointed out the excellent job they did as evidenced by the good condition the road was in compared with some town roads that did not hold up as well. My father told me: “Those Boys knew how to put down a good base” and it still rings in my ears. Lyman Orton, Proprietor of Vermont Country Stores

“At a time when American society sorely needs the spirit that animated Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Civilian Conservation Corps, Marty Podskoch’s crisp, inspirational account of the CCC’s impacts on Rhode Island is a welcome addition to our local historiography. A particular thrill for me was learning about what CCC enrollees did to conserve and improve lands that would later become state parks and other areas managed by the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management. They planted nearly a million trees, blazed trails that are still in use today, and built picnic groves and roads and bridges and shelters. In short, Marty Podskoch’s book shows just how much history the CCC made in committing to what FDR called ‘the nation’s fight for progress.’” —Janet Coit, Director Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management

"With over 13 million unemployed during the Great Depression, the country’s new president in 1933, Franklin D. Roosevelt, as one of his programs to get people back to work, established the Civilian Conservation Corps. The CCC, as it became known for short, grew into one of FDR’s most successful and popular programs. Underfed young men throughout the country enlisted in the CCC and were bused to camps in national and state forests where they were employed making the forests accessible to visitors. In Rhode Island seven camps were established from Primrose/Woonsocket to the north, Escoheag/Beach Pond to the west, and Burlingame/Westerly to the south. Rhode Islanders should be grateful that Martin Podskoch, one of the nation’s authorities on the CCC, has turned his talents to Rhode Island. In this remarkable and authoritative book, Podskoch rediscovers the wonderful stories of CCC efforts undertaken by Rhode Islanders and fills the book’s pages with photographs that bring the period back to life. Some of the sites can be visited today. This book is a real treat for readers to enjoy." —Christian McBurney, publisher and editor, smallstatebighistory.com The Online Review of Rhode Island History smallstatebighistory.com