Franklin D. Roosevelt established the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) and Works Progress Administration (WPA) as part of his New Deal programs to provide jobs and relief during the Great Depression. The CCC established camps across Idaho, including at Pass Creek, to employ young men in conservation projects like building roads and planting trees. At its peak in the 1930s, over 200 men worked at the Pass Creek camp. The WPA also employed locals in Mackay on infrastructure projects such as developing a tourist park and building new bridges. Both programs helped stimulate the local economy and landscape during a difficult time.

1. Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal in the Big Lost River Valley Researched by Judy Malkiewicz from Mackay Miner Articles, Lost Rivers Museum Documents, and the Internet May 2009

2. Just came back from interviewing Oval Caskey. He was in the CCCs at Pass Creek where my grandfather taught black smithing. Oval came from KY and was there a year and was invited to be a road foreman, his pay increasing from $30 to $140. He stayed in Mackay eventually working for the Idaho State Highway Dept. He was also mayor of Mackay for 16 years.Oval worked with grandpa and Veron Phillips. Veron was a mechanic and grandpa not only taught blacksmithing, but did practical work too like repairing equipment and what ever needed to be done. "The CCC was designed to wean young men off street corners by getting them involved in shoring up the nation's natural environment. Through the 1930's, youthful CCC workers planted millions of trees across America; they released nearly a billion game fish into the country's rivers and lakes; they built wildlife shelters, created camping grounds, and dug thousands of miles of canals for irrigation and transportation. But the CCC had a greater function--one that did not fully reveal itself until America went to war. I served as a pre military training experience for some three million boys, many of whom would flood into the armed services after Pearl Harbor. Administered by the Army, the CCC introduced its recruits to camp life, to military discipline, to physical fitness, and to a sense of loyalty to comrades and to a cause." p. 82 Flags of our Fathers by Bradley Les said in his area of WV they were letting 15 year old enroll. They earned $30 and sent $15 home which was badly needed. I never knew they had soooo many camps in ID and didn't realize how many different things were done. I remember my grandfather saying they tried to kill off all the Larkspur so it wouldn't poison the cattle.

3. CCC Camp near Pass Creek, about 1935From Oval Caskey, age , July 9 and 11, 2001Oval was at the CCC camp at Pass Creek. He had come from KY to Mackay. It was very hard to get into the CCC unless your parents were on relief. Oval's girlfriend worked in the office where they processed the applications and she was able to get him in even after his application was first rejected. There were about 120 boys at the camp at Pass Creek. There were two or three army officers who took care of supervising the well being of the boys, their clothing, meals, etc. The forestry service was responsible for the practical part, teaching and keeping all the boys busy building truck trails, doing timber stand improvements, sawing wood for winter, etc. Most boys were there for one year. There were only a very few who were sent home. One was sent home because he was supposed to take the other boys to town in a truck with side rails-all would stand up going the 11 miles into town. This boy had already been to town that day and came back drunk. When the supervisor wouldn't let him drive as he was drunk, the boy became abusive, swearing etc. He was sent home on the train the next day. Most of the kids were good kids, glad to have a chance to learn and earn. Once in a while there was a maverick or one that was problem but it was very, very rare. Some of the buildings were moved from Clayton when that CCC camp was discontinued. The army headquarters was on the opposite side of the road from the mess hall, barracks and forestry offices. The boys were paid $30 a month, the assistant leader $35, the leader $45, the foreman $140 and the top man $216. The majority of the boys worked hard. A lot of them came from NY or KY and other places. The CCC boys had steel cots and the toilets, were the standard outside privies. Water was piped down from the upper part of Pass Creek and was untreated.

4. At that time, all the sagebrush had been cleared for the buildings. Every thing was kept in good shape. Although most of the supervisors liked to go home for the weekends, there always was at least one supervisor on duty all the time. Ed Phillips' blacksmith shop was the last building going up toward Pass Creek {grandfather}. He could take any pattern and make something at the forge. He not only taught the boys how to do things, but he made necessary parts when needed, and kept various things sharpened. {It was where Mel showed us the old ruins.} The rest of the buildings were down the Pass Creek road, a little more towards Mackay-past where the two long poles are now. {We found an old cesspool out in the middle of the sagebrush.} From Melvin Lemon, 81, on July 26, 1999The CCC camp was near the entrance coming into Pass Creek, straddling both sides of the road. A partial foundation from one building is all that exist there now. There were the barracks, dispensary, shop and even a camp theater. Many of the boys were from Ohio. There were also CCC camps at Wildhorse and Double Springs. The CCC boys at Pass Creek built the round up corral, still there for the cattle association. They also maintained the road in the winter, built roads, cut timber to get rid of the mistletoe, would snake the logs off the hill and saw them into lumber and some were used for fuel near the camp. The boys were allowed into town in relays, and they had to have signed passes. The boys were paid $30 a month: $5 they were able to keep, the other $25 went home to help the parents. The LEM could keep all their money. {LEM=local experienced men)

5. The Great Depression - the stock market crash on October 29, 1929 Black Tuesday. By late in 1930, a steady decline set in which reached bottom by March 1933 and by the end of 1933 recovery had begun From his inauguration onward, Roosevelt started the New Deal programs

6. Shortly after President Roosevelt was inaugurated in 1933, drought and erosion combined to cause the Dust Bowl, shifting hundreds of thousands of displaced persons off their farms in the midwest.

7. Three million men were employed during the CCC's nine-year life. Initially, the CCC was limited to young men age 18 to 25 whose fathers were on relief. In 1937, Congress changed the age limits to 17 to 28 years old and dropped the requirement that enrollees be on relief. They were paid $1 a day plus food, shelter, and clothing, and were given vocational training in mechanical and engineering skills. In return, they planted trees; fought forest fires; built roads, bridges, and dams; and constructed state parks and water supply systems. The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was a public work relief program for unemployed men, focused on natural resource conservation from 1933 to 1942

8. Camps in Idaho 51 33 national forests; 5 state forests; 1 private forest; 5 Soil Conservation Service; 1 state park At one time, Idaho had 96 CCC Camps Number of men from Idaho 28,074 Total expenditures in Idaho $82,145,878

9. First mention of CCC’s was in the Mackay Miner May 25, 1933 Men and Equipment came from Baltimore to work in the CCC’s Forest Service at Wildhorse J. Ray Weber, Camp Superintendent

10. All of the CCC Boys from out of state came on the Union Pacific Short Line Railroad that ran from Blackfoot to Mackay

11. This is what their arrival at the Mackay Depot looked like

12. The CCC Equipment also arrived on the train

13. Captain E.W. Piburn with Lt. Barton took charge of Wildhorse Camp E.A. Renner (local supervisor of Lemhi Forest)

14. F-85 9/11/35 Challis F-83, F25 5/25/38 Bonanza, Challis, Clayton, Mackay F-87, 89, 92, 169 Salmon Copper Basin Camp Antelope Spike Camp CCC Camp Numbers Reduced for Winter – down to 18 from 100 (Oct 5 1933)

15. Shoup – Road along Salmon River Our area kept a camp at Shoup to work on the Salmon River Highway

17. George John Gilbert on Caterpillar Building the Salmon River Road - CCC June 1936 From McCoy Collection

18. George John Gilbert & Boyd E. Asay on Salmon River 1936 when they were in the CCC to build the road From the McCoy Collection

19. Martha L. Gilbert visiting her dad, George John Gilbert as he worked on the Salmon River Road in the CCC From the McCoy Collection

20. First Camps were only tents – Copper Basin Road Camp from Wanda McCoy Muffett Collection

21. Antelope CCC Spike Camp from Wanda McCoy Muffett Collection

22. Antelope CCC Spike Camp from Wanda McCoy Muffett Collection

23. Wanda McCoy Muffett wearing Glee Club dress Mom, Effie McCoy, Dad Alfred S McCoy and Eva McCoy Grubb at CCC Antelope Spike Camp From the Wanda McCoy Muffett Collection

24. Then, the tents were replaced with wooden barracks Shoup CCC Camp From the Savaria – Krishnek Collection

25. Challis CCC Camp

26. Oct 12 1933 Wildhorse, Bonzana, and Challis Camps Moved to Pollack near Riggins

27. CCC Tree Planting

28. Dallas E. Coates Edmund E. Cearley Martin Uresti Alvin Ward BurketteSavaria George John Gilbert Jim Muffett Oval Caskey came here for the CCC ‘s and stayed April 19 1934 Locals Join the CCC’s through Mrs. Andrew Hintze, Registrar Boyd E. Asay Louis E. Cloward Lloyd Kent Win Lewis Albert L. Lewis Rolland C. Lindberg Henry McCrumb William F. Miles F. Roy Neal Haze Olsen Jess Richardson Everett Robinson Ulrich VanHutton Donald Lambson Alden S. Rice Wayne Bone

29. CCC Veron Phillips (Long Coat) From the Sharon Phillips Huff Collection

30. May 23, 1935 Mackay Miner F404 Pass Creek 250 men (both local and from California, Illinois, Indiana, Carolina, Virginia, and Ohio) First men arrive at the end of June 1935 Lt. William C Shakel, in command

31. CCC camp tents were soon replaced by barracks With Furnace or Heat Electric lights Radio and Library by Aug 1 1935

32. Pass Creek CCC Camp Oct 31 1935

33. Pass Creek Camp Purposes: To build and improve roads within and adjacent to the Lemhi National Forest and For timber stand improvement in the Pass Creek District (Holger Peterson, Ulrich VanHutton and Alex Burnett) Alder Creek Road Improvements Pass Creek Road Improvements – Al McCoy, Foreman and Oscar Wornek, Caterpillar Operator (1937). Ed Phillips , Shop Supervision New cement abutment bridge over the Burnett Ditch

34. Double Springs CCC Camp

35. Joe Marsh, Tony Naso, Unknown, Hatfield, Foreman, Alfred McCoy Antelope CCC Road Work Crew

36. CCC Road Crew Antelope L to R Gerald Miller, Barton Wiggins, Warren Ashby and Al McCoy Foreman. Photo taken by Jim Muffett– From the Wanda McCoy Muffett Collection

37. CCC - R-5 Caterpillar Dozer Stack on Antelope Cherry Creek Road Warren Ashby, Unknown, Unknown, Alvin S. McCoy, Jim Muffett, on Caterpillar, Webb Johnson From the Wanda McCoy Muffett Collection

38. CCC Boys: Hatfield, Question, Tony Naso, Joe Marsh, Foreman Alvin S. McCoy From the Wanda McCoy Muffett Collection

39. Alfred McCoy Antelope CCC Camp to Cherry Creek with YonlowKirtley Foreman USFS Copper Basin From the Wanda McCoy Muffett Collection

40. CCC Bath House Clayton, Idaho

41. A typical CCC Service Record obtained from the Internet on a non-Idaho CCC man

42. Idaho Projects Lookout houses and towers, number 236 Impounding and large diversion dams, number 91 Telephone lines, miles 3,034 Trees planted, reforestation, number 28,614,000 Fighting forest fires, man-days 484,149 Tree and plant disease and insect pest control, acres 641,464 Rodent and predatory animal control, acres 4,049,971 Bridges Roads Campgrounds Picnic areas Buildings in public areas (often built with native material) Historical sites restored Fish planted Game counts and check stations Winter playgrounds Swamps drained Mosquito control Fences built Erosion control White pine blister rust control

43. Pass Creek CCC Equipment

44. Pass Creek CCC Equipment

45. Pass Creek CCC Equipment

46. Pass Creek CCC Equipment

47. Pass Creek CCC Equipment in need of repair

48. Pass Creek CCC Band

49. Pass Creek CCC Baseball Team

50. Alvin McCoy Warren Ashby Jerry Miller CCC Camp Men on Liberty at Crater’s of the Moon From the Wanda McCoy Muffett Collection

51. Al McCoy, Hugh McCutcheon, In front of the McCoy house which was the Parson Place in Mackay with a group of CCC Men on Liberty from Pass Creek Camp Photo by Jim Muffett From the Wanda McCoy Muffett Collection

52. Bill Scott Pass Creek CCC Mackay Idaho 1939 From the Wanda McCoy Muffett Collection

53. Pass Creek CCC Boy Bill Scoot in US Air Force 1942 From the Wanda McCoy Muffett Collection

56. Ed Phillips Mechanic Instructor (sitting with tie on) Pass Creek CCC Camp From the Sharon Phillips Huff Collection

63. Local Men Honored by CCC January 23 1936 James Muffett – Camp Bonanza Donald Savaria – Camp Pass Creek

64. As many CCC Camps were being closed across the state, the Pass Creek Camp was continued in Mar 1936 And again in April 1938 – will stay open June 30, 1938 Double Springs Camp Under Construction Camp Chilly Apr 6 1939 New Replacements arriving off and on through 1939

65. 7 Year Anniversary of Pass Creek Camp Mar 28 1940 Projects Completed Copper Basin Guard Station Sawmill Canyon Guard Station Horse Barn at Antelope Guard Station Three Garages in Mackay Roads Telephone Lines Fire Protection

66. Pass Creek CCC Camp June 19 1941 – Pass Creek Camp transferred to Shoshone

67. W.P.A Works Progress Administration renamed in 1939 to Work Projects Administration

68. The Works Progress Administration began in 1935 (renamed in 1939 to the Work Projects Administration; WPA) was the largest New Deal agency, employing millions of people and affecting almost every locality in the United States, especially rural and western mountain populations. The WPA program built many public buildings, projects and roads and operated large arts, drama, media and literacy projects. It fed children and redistributed food, clothing and housing. Almost every community in America has a park, bridge or school constructed by the agency. Hourly wages were the prevailing wages in the area; the rules said workers could not work more than 30 hours a week, but many projects included months in the field, with workers eating and sleeping on worksites.

69. April 6 1933

70. WPA - 4 Main Local Projects June 8, 1939 - 1941 Tourist Park $21,000 sponsored by City of Mackay Gilbert Hocking, Supervisor and Bill Davidson – one year to finish Crew of 13 men Road to the Cossack sponsored by Lost River Highway Department $30,950 Claud Woods - Foreman Streets and Alley in the City of Mackay sponsored by City of Mackay $19,695 New River Channel on the Chilly Sinks to expedite Big Lost River water to the Mackay Dam rather than have it sink $26,436 (Sept 25, 1941) Paul Paulsen of Arco Charlie Warren of Mackay A.R. Babcock of Moore

71. Where was the old Ivie Pond? Swimming Pool (deepening the old Ivie Pond) that could be used for ice skating in the winter

72. New Bridge over Kid’s Creek to Tourist Park made from lava rock from Crater’s of the Moon

74. New Drinking Water Pump Baseball Diamond and a place for other sports

75. Develop a Golf Course

76. BBQ Oven 1938

78. Fencing the entire area Grandstand/Bandstand with Speakers and Benches for seats (timber cut on the Mine Hill)

79. Fireplace (made in 1938) (ran out of money and had to request more)

81. Joe Ausich

82. WPA Employed Women Most of the women worked in sewing projects, where they were taught to use sewing machines and made clothing, bedding and supplies for hospitals, orphanages and adoption centers. Oct 15 1936 Mackay Miner Hazel Lundberg, In Charge 20 Local Women Employed Over 2,300 articles were made : For Men: boy’s shirts, undergarments, overalls, pjs, blazers, jackets For Children: Coats, Suits, Layettes', rugs, pillowcases, tea towels

83. WPA had numerous conservative critics. A waste of federal dollars on projects that were not always needed or wanted. One criticism of the allocation of WPA projects and funding was that they were often made for political considerations. "We Poke Along", "We Piddle Along", "We Putter Around" "Whistle, Piss and Argue gang". Slow progress of projects while the TWPA's early practice of basing wages on a "security wage", ensuring workers would be paid even if the project was delayed, improperly constructed, or incomplete.

85. WPA Workers taken off jobs April 6, 1939

86. Idaho had thousands of WPA workers laboring on hundreds of projects. The West may have seen the biggest benefits from the work in infrastructure. The relatively underdeveloped area was where many projects, such as wilderness roads and structures on remote public lands, were needed. That’s because many of the men working in the CCC and WPA were from big cities in the East where jobs were especially hard to come by. Several of the young men who worked on WPA and CCC jobs in Idaho sent portions of their earnings back to families out of state.