A History of Service: The Civilian Conservation Corps at Petrified Forest

Summary

Part of Roosevelt’s New Deal Program, the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was established in 1934 as a work relief program for unmarried men between the ages of 18 and 25. Designed to assist families during the Great Depression, the Corp members were paid $30 per month, $25 of which was sent back to help support their families. Up until its disbandment in 1942, multiple companies of these young men were stationed at Petrified Forest National Park (PEFO). Throughout their time at PEFO these CCC groups contributed to the construction and improvement of the park’s existing infrastructure. The presence of these individuals in the park is represented today by limited historic documents, isolated artifacts, and historic sites including: sandstone quarries, park trails, culverts, trash scatters, the remnants of three CCC camps, and the park’s existing waterline. Through archaeological surveys and research at Petrified Forest, we are better able to understand the extent of the impact these groups of young men had on the National Park Service.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Archaeology along the Painted Desert: Current Research in Petrified Forest National Park   •
• Society for American Archaeology 82nd Annual Meeting, Vancouver, BC (2017)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 17169