From Deseret News archives:
Utahns still benefit from 1930s work corps
"Anything with water, Cub Scouts love," he said. "It's a very clean lake and well-maintained."
That lake was built about seven decades ago by a group of young men escaping poverty and hopelessness in the Civilian Conservation Corps one of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal alphabet programs.
Many of the corps projects are still serving communities especially in southern Utah, Tooele, northeast Utah County and Davis County. In Farmington, Centerville and Bountiful horizontal terraces can be seen near the tops of the Wasatch peaks that were cut by the corps and are still keeping those cities safe from mud slides.
On March 31, 1933, Congress and Roosevelt approved a huge program to employ some of the millions of jobless young men across the country recently out of high school in doing forest conservation work, an issue close to the president's heart.
For the past 75 years Utahns have benefited from the work that in many ways saved 1930s Utah and set a framework for success in the future.
Six weeks later work began on Utah's first camp in American Fork Canyon. Over the next nine years 116 camps, many seasonal, popped up in 27 of the state's 29 counties, providing jobs to locals and cash for the men to spend in town.
"They'd build camps, work on a project, then move on. Those who worked in the camps weren't necessarily from Utah, but (it) was a great way for young men to gain employment during the Depression," said Paul Reeve, historian and assistant professor at the U.
Recent comments
Lew, we like to believe FDR got us out of the depression. In reality,...
Jennifer | April 1, 2008 at 2:02 p.m.
Lew, what would really help is to minimize the government which would...
Jennifer | April 1, 2008 at 2:00 p.m.
Lew, we like to believe all the propaganda from FDR and his friends...
Jennifer | April 1, 2008 at 1:40 p.m.
- Sports on the air 1:21 a.m.
- 2009 MLS Cup recap 12:45 a.m.
- MLS Cup winners, MVPs 12:41 a.m.
- Real Salt Lake: Game at a glance 12:36 a.m.
- Paper circulation worse than it looks 12:28 a.m.
- RSL wins MLS Cup on penalty kicks 12:22 a.m.
- Editorial: Cancer screening 12:15 a.m.
- Afterthoughts 12:15 a.m.
- Treat teachers with respect, trust 12:15 a.m.
- 'Reform' helps old, hurts young 12:15 a.m.
- BYU records with win
- Glenn Beck to enter politics?
- Jazz outlast Pistons in overtime
- Cougars turn focus to dreaded rivals
- Cougars put the fun back in football
- Former BYU professor remembered
- Kirilenko heating up for the Jazz
- Police link alcohol to murder
- Wendover airfield's legacy lost?
- Florida No. 1, TCU 4 in AP Top 25
- Buttars wants to limit gay rights laws
202 - Glenn Beck to enter politics?
191 - Palin plans tour stop in Utah
178 - RSL wins MLS Cup on penalty kicks
130 - BYU records with win
129 - Palin's book shows she's unqualified
125 - Officer cleared in Cardall Taser case
103 - BYU cuts Women's Research Inst.
100 - Jazz finally win in San Antonio
98 - Utes knock off rival Aggies
93
A little after midnight Wednesday morning, about 21 hours ago as I write...
There's a lot of reason to leave your plastic home as you shop:
That game was amazing! I think this will really help the sport grow in Utah....
Congrats on a great win. Utah as a whole should be proud not just of a major...
Congrats Real Salt Lake! but, they aren't the first major sports team to...
I told ALL of you how much i liked NED Pure irony his contributions vs x...
this is to NevadaUTE @ 10:25!!! I love soccer, I love Real and it brought a...
wow!!! amazing. UTAH JAZZ DO SOMETHING!!!
So much fear and anger from Beck lovers. You all lost the last election, we...
This is the most emotion I have had watching a sporting event since my...
Nicky Rimando is my hero! I love that guy. He has had his detractors, but...
Two stars means nothing! We played as a team and it showed! I'm still in...

