There were 50 CCC camps across Illinois according to the McHenry Forest Preserve District. Along with what Barbara Brotman mentioned back on Roosevelt's "Tree Army"--Part 1, they built 4,742 flood control stations in the state.
White Pine and Starved Rock were considered large CCC camps with 180-200 young men.
These men were paid $30 a month with $25 of it sent home. Average age was 18-19 and weight was 147 pounds, although most gained 11 and a half pounds in the first three months of work.
The CCC, Civilian Conservation Corps, came to being with the Emergency Conservation Work Act.
Because of CCC efforts the total acreage of Illinois state parks rose from 2,800 in 1930 to 16,500 ten years later.
McHENRY COUNTY
Records show that 126 men from the county joined the CCC. One of their projects was building the McHenry Dam on the Fox River. One source I found said this dam was built in 1907, which was before the CCC.
However, I found that that structure was a wooden dam and that the present structure was built in 1939 which would have fit the time frame.
An Interesting and Little-Known Story. --Cooter
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