Chances are, if you live in the United States, or have visited here, and do any hiking, walking, running, or canoeing in local, state, or national forests, you have probably passed by or sought protection from the elements in structures similar to these.
Built during the Depression years, shelters and bridges were erected from stone and wood, perhaps made of adobe or other locally harvested and hauled materials. The structures pictured here are found in Fullersburg Woods. The stones were hauled in the ’30s from Waterfall Glen. The structures were built during the tenure of one of the most successful programs ever instituted by the government between 1933 and 1941 – the Civilian Conservation Corps. The CCC.
It is also likely that your outdoor adventures take place under the canopy of trees; trees planted by the men of the CCC. These crews were often referred to as the tree army. For the men who enlisted in the CCC, it was a meaningful, useful way to work in a time where no work was to be found. They learned a marketable skill or trade, regained a sense of pride in putting in a good day’s work – and sent much-needed money home to their families. They were fed, clothed, sheltered and paid $30, 25 dollars of which was sent home to family.
The CCC was also a massive conservation initiative. The nation’s farmland was devastated by over-cropping and unsustainable farming practices. Much of the country was a “dust bowl”, with land ravaged by soil that nature never intended for farming. Farms were devastated, as were the people on them. With no trees to hold soil in place and no trees to buffer the wind, dust storms turned the skies, then homes and lungs dark with dust, President Franklin Roosevelt led the charge to put men to work building bridges, roads and shelters – as well as planting trees.
On Tuesday morning a small group of us walked through a popular forest preserve in the area, Fullersburg Woods. While I knew that the CCC had a presence in Fullersburg during the 1930’s, I thought of it in terms of what is now the Nature Center. I did not realize, nor, if truth-be-told, even think of trees, assuming they were always part of the landscape. It was a revelation to discover that this forest had been primarily prairie. The trees were planted by the CCC, as they likely were in most of the preserves in Du Page and in Cook County.
Our guide was Chris Gingrich of the Forest Preserve District of Du Page County. He was also the speaker at our garden club meeting last week. He was as engaging and informative a guide as he was a speaker and walked us up hill and down dale through these amazing woods, showing us quite a number of shelters and sites that I had no idea existed here – or just failed to notice.
It is amazing, is it not, what we see in our lives and what we miss?
This is a sitting shelter. Salt Creek wanders behind it. It is open on all sides, with benches on two and a series of logs in between. A sturdy structure, it is well placed and made for resting during a long hike.
We walked up slight inclines, down others, one of which seems vaguely familiar to me. AHA! I think it might have been where I landed in a cup of tomato soup while trying to cross-country ski one winter. We passed a reclaimed prairie where once stood the CCC camp, where men slept and ate, read books, and played Monopoly, a popular board game of the time. Did you ever play Monopoly?
It was a brisk morning; one of the first of true fall-like weather. It warmed a bit as we walked and talked and listened and learned. As we came to the end of the trail, we finished our tour at what it now known as the Nature Center. Chris talked about the stones that were used to build the shelter, originally a boat house. It wasn’t hard to imagine the river frozen in winter with ice skaters gliding across, coming to the boat house to warm up at the massive outdoor fireplace. It is just as easy to admire the building now with windows and doors, for, it still stands and is used, a testament to a corp of civilians who built it – and thousands of other shelters, roads, fought forest fires and helped heal the land.
Thank you for sharing a very interesting hike 🙂
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You are very welcome, Carol. Thanks for visiting and for commenting.
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So interesting, Penny! We also enjoy hiking at Waterfall Glen and Fullersburg Woods. You were so fortunate to have a guided tour. It’s fascinating to read about the work of the CCC. We are all enjoying the benefits of the hard work of the ‘tree army.’ On our next walk at Fullersburg, we will notice the trees, the deer, and especially all of the shelters along our path. I remember learning to cross-country ski there, too. Those slight inclines seemed like big hills with my skis on! I might have just sat down, taken off my skis, and walked up! Oh, the memories! Warm hugs for the weekend, Penny! ♡
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I’ve walked Fullersburg so many times, Dawn, yet, so interesting to see it in a different way. I think there are about 10 or 12 structures still here, which is pretty amazing. This is the second guided tour I have taken, the other was MacDowell Woods in Naperville. So, so interesting.
Do you know how Waterfall Glen got its name? It is actually a man, Seymour Waterfall. 🙂 He was on the Forest Preserve Board early on. Sometime when you are there, look at the plaque on the chimney outside the Nature Center. Our guide, Chris, mentioned it. So interesting.
Even more interesting in our common ski memories. If you want a bit of a giggle, click on to link to the post all about my landing in soup. tee hee
Frost on the pumpkins now, Dawn. Enjoy the sunshine.
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Love all of these interesting bits of local history! Happy weekend, Penny! ♡
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Wow, who knew? I go to Fullersberg often enough and had no idea the trees were mostly planted. I’ve sat on that log bench many times. It will now be all the more special knowing how much sweat equity went into it. Thanks for the history lesson!
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Amazing, isn’t it? We just assume all the trees were there. We owe a great deal to the CCC, Jennifer. He also mentioned other spots you have frequented that were built by the CCC, in both counties, Swallowtail Cliff being one.
Check out my reply, above, to Dawn on how Waterfall Glen got its name.
That’s interesting. I’ve neve seen the bench, though usually walk along the river. Let’s take a long walk there soon.
You are very welcome.
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I always learn something when I come to your blog, Penny. I didn’t know about the CCC. What a great program. I’m sure I’ve seen the fruits of CCC labor and didn’t realize it. Thanks for the great photos.
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I’m so pleased to hear that, L. Marie. Thanks.
The CCC was a far-reaching initiative on so many levels. You have most likely seen some of the structures or bridges – some quite big. I knew of the CCC, walk this preserve often, yet didn’t realize how many remnants there were. In fact, one of our daughter had her wedding photos taken on one.
You are most welcome.
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Oh Penny , what a wonderful tribute to the CCC. So many good things were done during that time. I saw the Hoover dam and was amazed.
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Thank you, Gerlinde. It was a remarkable program and I was amazed at the far-reaching impact which we still see today.
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This is a great post Penny. I commented on face book, but also want to add my thoughts to the actual blog. They did some amazing work in the 30s didn’t they ? I hope they got satisfaction out of what they were doing, as well as work and pay to put food on the tables. It would be lovely to think some of them thought about how lucky we would be, so many years later, appreciating their work. Good old FDR.
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I’m glad you came here to the blog, Janice, so we can “talk” a bit more. I really appreciate your thoughts and perspective. FDR, and others, did indeed do amazing work. Many of the men went on to jobs they were qualified for and trained for while in the CCC, especially as the US geared up for war. There were some men who actually learned to read and write while in the CCC. It would be nice if some of them realized how we are still appreciating the work they did. This particular forest preserve is very popular and well used in the area, but, many do not realize the history of the woods. One of our daughters actually had her wedding photos taken on one of the bridges build by the CCC and the other runs there. I just feel so good sharing this place and its history.
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We have seen many walls, shelters, fences, bridges, even lodges that were built by CCC — all well-built — and a testament to a great program; a good chapter in the history book after a sad one. (I wish I could see another happy chapter on the horizon). .
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Oh, Sallie, I wish I could see one too. I’ve always thought of the CCC in a positive way, but, never really thought of the long term legacy that all of us still enjoy. I’m sure with your walks and adventures, you have seen so much of what the CCC did – across our country. It really was an amazing program.
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Were there any plaques or markers to indicate these structures were built by the CCC? I wonder how many CCC-built shelter and projects we see and have no idea of their origin! It’s fascinating to think of prairie land being planted with trees by this marvelous project. I know there were many reforestation projects during that period, but I don’t know about that effort in California. You’ve given me a thought I’d like to follow up on, Penny. I ask about the markers because I’ve recently noticed more signage attributed to WPA projects. I would like to see these efforts remembered. It’s a fascinating piece of our past, Penny. I am glad you had such a wonderfully interesting hike and how great to have a knowledgeable guide. I really enjoyed hearing about it!
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There weren’t any markers that I saw on most of these, but, there is one on the stone chimney everyone is looking at in one of the photos I’ve posted and I’m pretty sure there is a sign along one of the other trails. Our son-in-law, Tom, just took a very interesting photo at at state park in MN acknowledging the CCC. It is of a young man in work gear.
It was interesting to learn on our walk that the CCC also fought forest fires in the west during the 30’s. I’m sure California was among the areas that was implemented in, and. Debra, they planted some 3 billion trees during the duration of the CCC. I’ll be interested in what you find as I’m sure they had a presence in California.
The post office in the town we used to live in has a WPA mural. There are several in our area. It is nice that signage is starting to show up. These were remarkable efforts, weren’t they?
It takes a special person to combine history and forestry. Chris was a great guide – and he kept us moving a very brisk morning. Thanks, Debra.
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What heros the CCC are. I love the shelter – really built to last.
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These men and the program are definitely heroes, Juliet. These men gave us much of forests of today, improving the environment, and the CCC saved many of the men’s lives, giving them purpose and wages in a desperate time. Thank you. Hope all is well with you.
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My dad was so proud of his time with the CCC building roads in Colorado and sending money home to his mother and sisters! I never knew that the woods around here were planted like that nor did I know that those structures were their handiwork as well!
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Oh, Janet, I wish I had known that, for I would have invited you to come along. There were several among our group who had a CCC family member and I think this was particularly interesting for them.
Out of their $30 wages, the men were allowed to keep $5 and the rest went home to family. As you probably know, the men were fed, clothed, sheltered and afforded other amenities for their hard work. $5 in those years was a goodly amount of money, especially if you had nothing before. You dad was able to feed and clothe his family at home and I’m thinking those roads were throughout the Rockies that we all enjoy when going to CO.
I have a new appreciation for the CCC and all it did for the men of their time, so many families, for our environment – and for us. I always assumed the woods were just there as we see them.
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