Overview

In 1932, unemployment in Utah was about 34 percent. Nearly every state west of the Mississippi River was struggling not only with unemployment but also with drought, erosion, and overgrazing. To solve these serious difficulties, President Franklin D. Roosevelt launched what would become arguably the most popular of his New Deal programs—the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). From 1933 to 1942, the CCC employed three million young men on land-improvement projects, many of which are still used today. In this book, Kenneth Baldridge chronicles the work of the 10,000 men who served at Utah’s 116 CCC camps. With facts and anecdotes drawn from camp newspapers, government files, interviews, letters, and other sources, he situates the CCC within the political climate and details not only the projects but also the day-to-day aspects of camp life. For thirty dollars a month—of which twenty-five was sent home to their folks—these young recruits planted trees; built roads, bridges, dams, and trails; fought fires; battled pests and noxious weeds; and erected cabins, campgrounds, amphitheaters, reservoirs, and more. Today the CCC is credited with creating greater public awareness and appreciation of the outdoors. This volume documents the public good created by the CCC, provides an extensive bibliography, and is illustrated with numerous historic and modern photos.

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9781607816515

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Reviews

Nine Years of Achievement adds a dimension to the study of the CCC that one doesn't normally have the opportunity to tap. The author's research and explanation of the interface with the Department of Labor, the quota system, and the rapid movement of military companies and camps, lifts the veil of confusion that one is presented with when trying to trace CCC history. This book is a valuable educational tool and an asset to all who are interested in learning more about the CCC program and the CCC in Utah. --Joan Sharpe, president, CCC Legacy This is THE book in its field. The statistics alone make it an outstanding source book. Baldridge has an incredibly extensive knowledge of work details on jobs the CCC completed in Utah. This includes the community relations problems/progress and a myriad of other pertinent areas. --Michael Shultz is the creator of the video documentary The CCC: A Peaceful Revolution and author of The CCC in the Allegheny National Forest, From the Forest to the Battlefield Forty Civilian Conservation Corps Members Awarded the Medal of Honor During World War II. Richly detailed and carefully researched. The book helps illuminate the role played by the New Deal and specifically the CCC in breaching state and regional boundaries and promoting broader national identity and culture. --Brian Cannon, coauthor of The Awkward State of Utah: Coming of Age in the Nation, 1896-1945

This is THE book in its field. The statistics alone make it an outstanding source book. Baldridge has an incredibly extensive knowledge of work details on jobs the CCC completed in Utah. This includes the community relations problems/progress and a myriad of other pertinent areas. --Michael Shultz is the creator of the video documentary The CCC: A Peaceful Revolution and author of The CCC in the Allegheny National Forest, From the Forest to the Battlefield Forty Civilian Conservation Corps Members Awarded the Medal of Honor During World War II. Richly detailed and carefully researched. The book helps illuminate the role played by the New Deal and specifically the CCC in breaching state and regional boundaries and promoting broader national identity and culture. --Brian Cannon, coauthor of The Awkward State of Utah: Coming of Age in the Nation, 1896 - 1945

Author Information

Kenneth W. Baldridge, PhD, retired in 1993 after a career teaching history in California public schools, Church College of New Zealand, and BYU-Hawaii. He now enjoys spending time with his children and grandchildren as well as traveling, giving lectures, and delivering Meals on Wheels.

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