Civilian Conservation Corps at Linden
Linden, Cass County, Texas
Marker Inscription
As part of the New Deal's efforts to offer unemployed workers jobs on public projects, President Franklin D. Roosevelt and the United States Congress created the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in March 1933. Three months later, Company 1814 was organized in Fort Logan, Colorado, to serve in reforestation and other conservation efforts. After transfers to Groveton and Austin, Texas, the company was transferred to Linden on June 4, 1937. The CCC enrollees in Linden established their camp here on the nearby hillside. Working closely with the U.S. Forest Service, they built 35 miles of roads with 25 bridges, ran 147 miles of telephone line, and spent many hours fighting and suppressing forest fires in the area. While living here, the men also landscaped their campground with flowers and grass. In April 1939, they held an open house for the community during which hundreds of residents came out to learn of the accomplishments of the local CCC camp. On October 4, 1939, company 1814 was transferred to Arizona, and the camp in Linden was abandoned. Some physical evidence of their headquarters, including rock walls, cabin foundations and equipment, remains at the site. Their legacy stands as an important part of the heritage of Cass County and the East Texas forest industry. (2001)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
When the Depression threw millions out of work, Franklin Roosevelt and Congress created the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1933 to put young men to work restoring the nation's forests and lands. Company 1814, organized in Colorado, arrived at Linden in 1937 and built its camp on a nearby hillside. Working with the U.S. Forest Service, the enrollees cut 35 miles of road, strung 147 miles of telephone line, raised 25 bridges, and fought the forest fires that threatened East Texas timber.
Why it matters
The camp is a tangible reminder of how New Deal work programs both relieved a generation of unemployed young men and left lasting public infrastructure that shaped the region's forest industry.
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Related people
- · Franklin D. Roosevelt
Related events
- · Civilian Conservation Corps
Themes & tags
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