- **CCC-built Civilian Utility Vehicles (CUC)**
These robust and versatile vehicles were designed specifically for the rugged demands of the CCC. Built on a rugged chassis with a powerful engine, they featured a sturdy 4-wheel-drive system for navigating challenging terrain. The CUCs were equipped with a variety of specialized tools and equipment, including winches, axes, shovels, and firefighting gear, making them indispensable for a wide range of construction and maintenance tasks.
- **Heavy Construction Equipment**
The CCC deployed an impressive array of heavy construction equipment to facilitate the construction of the Virginia Kendall Reserve. This equipment included bulldozers, excavators, graders, and dump trucks, all of which were essential for shaping the landscape, constructing roads and trails, and erecting buildings and other structures. The bulldozers, with their powerful blades, were particularly crucial for clearing land and leveling ground, while the excavators, with their hydraulic arms, were indispensable for digging trenches and excavating foundations. The graders smoothed out roads and prepared surfaces for construction, while the dump trucks tirelessly hauled materials and debris.
- **Road Construction Equipment**
The CCC employed a range of specialized equipment for road construction, including concrete mixers, pavers, and rollers. The concrete mixers, mounted on robust trucks, provided a steady supply of freshly mixed concrete for pouring roads, bridges, and other structures. The pavers, with their precision leveling mechanisms, ensured a smooth and even surface for the newly laid concrete. The rollers, with their massive weight and vibrating action, compacted the concrete, solidifying it and creating a durable road surface.
- **Firefighting Equipment**
The CCC recognized the importance of fire prevention and suppression, especially in the forested areas of the Virginia Kendall Reserve. To this end, they deployed a variety of firefighting equipment, including fire trucks, water tanks, and pumps. The fire trucks, equipped with high-pressure hoses and ladders, were essential for extinguishing fires and rescuing personnel. The water tanks provided a vital supply of water for firefighting operations, while the pumps ensured a steady flow of water to the hoses. Together, this equipment enabled the CCC to effectively combat wildfires and protect the natural resources of the Reserve.
- **Communications Equipment**
Effective communication was crucial for the smooth operation of the CCC, especially in the sprawling wilderness of the Virginia Kendall Reserve. To facilitate this, the CCC utilized a variety of communications equipment, including radios, telephones, and telegraph lines. The radios, with their ability to transmit and receive messages over long distances, were essential for coordinating work crews, reporting emergencies, and maintaining contact with the outside world. The telephones, installed in key locations throughout the Reserve, provided a reliable means of communication for administrative and logistical matters. The telegraph lines, strung along poles and trees, ensured rapid transmission of written messages over long distances.
The CCC recognized the importance of providing adequate medical care for its workers, especially in remote and potentially hazardous environments. To this end, they deployed a range of medical equipment, including first-aid kits, stretchers, and ambulances. The first-aid kits, distributed throughout the Reserve, provided essential supplies for treating minor injuries and ailments. The stretchers, with their sturdy frames and comfortable cushions, facilitated the safe and efficient transport of injured workers. The ambulances, equipped with basic medical equipment and trained personnel, were essential for transporting critically injured workers to hospitals for further care.
How the Civilian Conservation Corps transformed our understanding of nature
In the spring of 1933, the United States was in the midst of the worst economic calamity it had ever experienced. Newly inaugurated president Franklin D. Roosevelt asked Congress to approve funding allowing legions of out-of-work young men to find employment reclaiming and developing the nation's natural spaces. The Civilian Conservation Corps became a reality in April 1933 and forever changed the way the American people viewed their parks, rivers, lakes, and other natural areas.
This book tells the story of the CCC's construction of the Virginia Kendall Reserve, which today is part of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, in Northeast Ohio. Four hundred and thirty acres of farmland came under the control of the Akron Metropolitan Park District and its director-secretary, Harold Wagner, who immediately applied to the federal government to establish a CCC camp there with the aim of creating a natural recreation landscape open to the public.
Author Kenneth Bindas and seven of his students from Kent State University drew upon a wide variety of government documents, oral histories, and other primary sources to place the construction of the Reserve within the larger context of modernism and the emerging 1930s movements whose goals were to protect and open up natural areas. As a case study, the construction of the Virginia Kendall Reserve provides an example of the design, manipulation, and construction used to create so many Civilian Conservation Corps environments.
The book is filled with historic photographs showing the process of construction, and contemporary photos by Marina Vladova visually detail the lush nature that families, hikers, runners, bikers, and naturalists enjoy today.
Published in cooperation with the National Park Service and Eastern National
Editor: Bindas, Kenneth J.
Publisher: The Kent State University Press
Illustration: n
Language: ENG
Title: The Civilian Conservation Corps and the Construction of the Virginia Kendall Reserve, 1933 - 1939
Pages: 00146 (Encrypted EPUB)
On Sale: 2013-10-01
SKU-13/ISBN: 9781606351550
Category: Architecture : History - Modern (Late 19th Century to 1945)
Category: Architecture : Landscape
