Sunday Favorites: How the CCC Shaped Florida's Parks

In November of 1932, Franklin D. Roosevelt, or FDR, was elected president. With 13,000,000 U.S. citizens unemployed, and almost every bank closed, he dedicated his first 100 days to enact a sweeping program to bring recovery to business and agriculture, relief to the unemployed, and protection to those in danger of losing farms and homes.

On day 37, he began recruiting single men to join the Civilian Conservation Corps. It was the most rapid mobilization in the nation’s history, exceeding that of World War I. FDR was granted emergency powers to recruit 250,000 men into work crews across the country to build roads, trails, parks, and recreation areas. The program was incredibly popular, for every opening there were at least four applicants, according to the Juniper Millhouse Museum.

Between 1935 and 1936, engineers at the CCC designed and built one of my favorite campgrounds in Florida, Juniper Springs Recreational Park in Ocala National Forest, which I recently visited with my family. The project included the campground’s most unique feature, a pool-like spring, and a millhouse with a waterwheel that created an outflow from the swimming area to keep the water level consistent.

At the time, Juniper was in the middle of nowhere, with the nearest power station located in Altoona. CCC workers installed an electrical power generator that worked in conjunction with the rotation of the waterwheel and produced enough electricity for the entire park. At the time, facilities included the millhouse, a bathhouse, a workshop, a water tower, a campground comfort station, and all other services.

While the work was difficult, the CCC work crew lived a healthier lifestyle than in their previous conditions. Each enrollee gained an average of 12-30 pounds due to the hearty army food. Mostly from different parts of the country, the CCC ”boys“ stationed at Juniper lived in a nearby bunkhouse. I was invited to tour the cabin during my recent visit. It had two bedrooms with bunks separated by a common room and kitchen, but what really made it unique was access to an adjacent spring.

The young men in the CCC, including those working at Juniper, had Saturdays and Sundays off. I can only imagine how nice it must’ve been to relax and picnic in the spring in their free time. Other activities included going to church and volunteering in the community to discuss forest preservation efforts including fire safety. Sometimes they held social events like dances in the towns where they were stationed.

The CCC boys were paid $30 a month, $25 of which was required to be sent home to their families. All their basic expenses were compensated including food, board, clothing, and medical care. The CCC also set up a savings account for them where they were encouraged to deposit a portion of their income. Not only did the CCC teach enrollees new trades, but by 1934 voluntary night classes became part of the program. Ninety percent of civilians took these classes, 85,000 of whom learned to read and write for the first time, according to the museum.

During the nine years of the CCC, 3,420 fire towers were erected, 89,000 miles of telephone line was installed, 126,000 miles of road and trails were constructed, over six million erosion control dams were built and more than 2 billion trees were planted.