Musical Tribute to the Civilian Conservation Corps

Description

Upper Peninsula-based singer/storyteller Bill Jamerson will present a music and storytelling program about the Civilian Conservation Corps at Copper Falls State Park on Saturday, July 31, at 6:30 pm. The program is free and open to the public.

Jamerson will share stories about the CCC he has collected for 30 years, read excerpts from his novel and sing original songs with his guitar. He has performed at CCC reunions around the country and at dozens of CCC built national and state parks. His presentation is as entertaining as it is important; as honest as it is fun. It's about people both ordinary and extraordinary, with stories of strength, wit and charm. Jamerson received a national “CCC Educator of the Year Award” in 2017 from CCC Legacy based in Edinburg, VA.

The Civilian Conservation Corps was a federal works program created by President Franklin Roosevelt in the heart of The Great Depression. During its nine-year run beginning in 1933, ninety-two thousand young men worked in Wisconsin camps. There was an average of 46 camps in operation for each year. The enrollees were paid $1 a day with $25 sent home to their families each month. The money was a lifesaver for many families who very poor.

In Wisconsin, The CCC planted 265 million trees, built 483 bridges, erected over 4,000 miles of telephone lines, constructed 4,300 miles of roads and truck trails, stocked half a billion fish, fought forest fires, and built several state parks including Rib Mountain, Devil’s Lake, Pattison, Peninsula Park, Interstate and Wyalusing. At Copper Falls State Park Camp 692 opened in November of 1935. The men built the park roads, hiking trails, park shelters, furniture and much more.