Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) History

The Civilian Conservation Corps was organized in March and April 1933. On March 31 1933, Congress passed the law which created what is known as the Emergency Conservation Work Program.  President Roosevelt in his message to Congress asking for this particular legislation spoke of the proposed program as the Civilian Conservation Corps and due to this fact, this name has remained with the program since that date and is more properly known as the CCC. The purpose of the Civilian Conservation Corps was to relieve wide-spread unemployment existing among the youth of the nation and at the same time to provide a program to restore the nation’s natural resources.

Early in April 1933, Mr. Robert Fechner was appointed Director of the CCC and the first enrollment was begun.

On May 11, 1933 three CCC Companies were established in the State of Indiana. These were Company 514, located in the Clark County State Forrest near Henryville Indiana and Companies 515 and 516, located in the Morgan Monroe State Forrest near Martinsville Indiana. These Companies were organized at a conditioning center at Fort Knox, Kentucky and were transferred to these sites. During the next few weeks several other camp sites were established in the state and the organization of other companies began. From this humble beginning of three companies the number rose to 57 companies in the state of Indiana at one time.

During these early days of organization and selection of camp sites the responsibility of administration of the Indiana camps was vested in Headquarters Indiana Military Area, Indianapolis Indiana. The first district organization was commanded by Lt. Col. Warner W. Carr, Infantry. On or about June 8^th 1933, the Corps Area Commander who was in charge of all CCC affairs in the Fifth Corps issued an order placed all CCC work Camps in Indiana under the command of the Post Commander Fort Benjamin Harrison, Indiana. At this time Brigadier General George H Jamerson, USA , Commanding General of Fort Benjamin Harrison assumed  command. On December 1,1933, the camp of Indiana were grouped into what was known as the Fort Benjamin Harrison District CCC, which was organized into four districts for the purpose of coordinating command. These were known as the District of Northern Indiana with Headquarters at Camp S-58, Medaryville Indiana the District of Central Indiana with Headquarters at Camp SP-4 Spencer Indiana, the District of Eastern Indiana with Headquarters at Camp SP-6 Madison Indiana and the District of Western Indiana with Headquarters at Camp E-63, Jasper Indiana.

At this time there were 31 camps already established, with several others being built and cadres being formed for new companies. In the early part of December 1933, Brigadier General William K. Naylor, USA. assumed command of Fort Benjamin Harrison Indiana and the Fort Benjamin Harrison CCC.

General Naylor was always very enthusiastic about the CCC program and under his guidance the district soon became known as one of the best in the United States. In April 1935 the title of “District” was changed to “Sector”. At this time the state was divided into five sectors namely Cromwell Sector, Spencer Sector, Madison Sector, Mitchell Sector and Fort Benjamin Harrison Sector, the name being derived from the town of its location. In the early months of 1937 when the great flood struck its blow in the heart of the Ohio-Mississippi valley the CCC Camps in Indiana and Kentucky were sent to the aid of those sections suffering most from the flood. The exemplary record made by the personnel of this district in this situation will always be outstanding in the history of these two states.