Connecticut CCC Camps
The Civilian Conservation Corps built Connecticut’s state parks and forests during the Great Depression. This is the story of the 21 camps and the young men who lived it, from Martin Podskoch’s eight years of research.
A Depression-Era Workforce
The Civilian Conservation Corps was a public works program that operated from 1933 to 1942 as part of President 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 manual labor related to environmental conservation and the development of natural resources on rural lands.
Nationwide, volunteers planted nearly 3 billion trees, constructed more than 800 parks, updated forest firefighting methods, and built a network of service buildings and public roadways. Over nine years, 2.5 million young men took part, restoring both the land and the country’s morale.
In Connecticut, these young men worked out of 21 CCC camps scattered across the state, while some enrollees traveled west to take part in conservation projects in other states. Podskoch spent eight years researching their history, gathering photographs, letters, and firsthand memories from surviving enrollees and their families before the stories were lost.
Parks and Forests They Built
Roads, cabins, dams, and trails built by CCC crews are still in daily use across Connecticut’s state park system.
Peoples State Forest
Barkhamsted · trails, the Nature Museum, and picnic groves along the Farmington River
American Legion State Forest
Barkhamsted · cabins, roads, and river access built alongside Peoples Forest
Housatonic Meadows State Park
Sharon & Cornwall · campground and riverside picnic areas on the Housatonic
Macedonia Brook State Park
Kent · trails and stone culverts through the northwest hills
Chatfield Hollow State Park
Killingworth · the stone bathhouse, dam, and pond CCC crews built by hand
Mohawk State Forest
Cornwall · the Mohawk Mountain fire tower access road and trail network
What’s Inside the Book
A literary and photographic history of the 1933–1942 Connecticut CCC camps, prolifically illustrated with archival black-and-white photography and descriptive captions gathered directly from surviving enrollees.
Joan Sharpe, President of CCC Legacy, called it a book that “has revealed this interesting facet of conservation history so it will always be available for us to ponder and enjoy.”
See artifacts and photographs from the camps in person at the Historical Museum of the Civilian Conservation Corps in Stafford Springs.
The Civilian Conservation Corps Series
Four regional histories documenting the CCC camps of the Northeast, state by state.
Connecticut CCC Camps FAQ
How many CCC camps were there in Connecticut?
Connecticut had 21 Civilian Conservation Corps camps active between 1933 and 1942, with enrollees building state parks, forests, roads, and dams across the state.
What did the CCC build in Connecticut?
CCC crews built much of the infrastructure still used today at Peoples State Forest, American Legion State Forest, Housatonic Meadows, Macedonia Brook, Chatfield Hollow, and Mohawk State Forest, including trails, cabins, dams, and roads.
Where can I see CCC artifacts from Connecticut?
The Historical Museum of the Civilian Conservation Corps in Stafford Springs, Connecticut, displays photographs, tools, and memorabilia from the state's CCC camps, founded by CCC alumni themselves.
How long did the Civilian Conservation Corps operate?
The CCC operated nationally from 1933 to 1942 as part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal, employing 2.5 million young men over nine years before it was disbanded during World War II.
Who wrote the Connecticut CCC Camps book?
Martin "Marty" Podskoch, a Connecticut author and historian, spent eight years researching the book, gathering archival photographs and firsthand memories from surviving CCC enrollees and their families.