Better Men, A Better Minnesota

The $25 per month sent home by CCC members kept many families off of relief as the country struggled to get back on its feet during the Depression, but there were longer-term benefits realized by the 84,000 young Minnesotans that served in the Civilian Conservation Corps.

George Cressel looked back on his time in the CCC as a learning experience. John Buskowiak gained respect for authority and himself. Alfred E. Nelson believed the self-discipline and conservation awareness were the greatest benefits. Harley Heegard credited the program with giving young men a start in their careers. Many men made lasting friendships, reinforced over the years by camp reunions. Many believe that today's youth would profit from a similar opportunity.

The participants and their families were not the only beneficiaries. By the time the CCC program ended in June 1942, the state of Minnesota had 124 million new trees planted, 3,900 miles of new roads, 3,330 miles of firebreaks in its forests, 1,635 miles of telephone lines strung, and thousands of acres of land conserved. The legacy of the CCC lives on in the scenic beauty of our state and national forests, and in the many stone and log buildings that survive in Minnesota's state parks.

Citations:

• Cressel, George; Amy K. Reiger, Interviewer, Itasca State Park Oral History Project. MHS Oral History Collection, 1993.
• Buskowiak, R. John, My Days in the C.C.C.’s. MHS Manuscripts Collection, 1993.
• Nelson, Alfred, E. (Irv); Stan Johnson, Interviewer, Oral History Interview. MHS Oral History Collection.
• Heegard, Harley; Amy K. Reiger, Interviewer, Itasca State Park Oral History Project. MHS Oral History Collection.
• Drake, Robert M., A Prideful Recollection of the Old CCC. The Minnesota Volunteer. St. Paul: Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, July-August, 1983, Vol. 46, No. 269, p. 3-9.