Devil's Lake, Wisconsin and the Civilian Conservation Corps

by Robert J. Moore

Thousands of young men embarked on the adventure of a lifetime when they joined the Civilian Conservation Corps during the Great Depression. Service at Wisconsin's popular state park offered notoriety absent at most camp assignments. While most of the CCC work around the country was in remote forests and farmlands, at Devil's Lake tourists could view CCC project activity each day, forging that labor into an essential part of the park experience. Historian Robert J. Moore interviews veterans and mines the archives to preserve this legacy so that the gasps of wonder at nature's marvels remain mixed with respect for the men who helped bring them forth.

Genres: History

160 pages, Paperback

First published June 7, 2011

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Reviews

[Mike Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well-researched, informative, and readable

The story of the Civilian Conservation Corps at Wisconsin’s Devil’s Lake State Park is a fascinating one. One that makes a person wonder if it isn’t time to resurrect such a program. This book concisely tells the tales of the Corps as discovered in official documents as well as Corps members’ letters to home. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and look forward to my next visit to Devil’s Lake to see the remaining structures in the park built by the CCC, still standing nearly 85 years after construction.

[Amy Lutzke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Many times I have hiked up the stone steps put in place by the men of the CCC and wondered "how did they do that?" Well, now I know. This story of one CCC camp interweaves the history of the organization itself. It does repeat itself as one reader described but was a thoroughly enjoyable history of the park and the group that helped make it the awesome place it is.

[Jeff Rosendahl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting book about both the history of the CCC and the camp at Devil's Lake, WI. Well supplied with pictures and words of the men who worked there, as well as "official" statistics and views of the CCC from a national perspective. I enjoyed learning more about the projects done at Devil's Lake as well as getting a broader idea of the national program.

[Laura Peterson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having been to Devil’s lake park several times, this book fascinated me. I knew about the CCC and the works they did at parks. I didn’t know they were at Devil’s lake and had a whole camp! Can’t wait to go back this summer and look for the things mentioned in the book.

[Kate · Rating 2 out of 5]

Really interesting tales of the CCC, although sometimes it seemed to repeat itself. Still, I thought it was fun to read and see how much the WCC program I did had in common with the CCC.

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Devil's Lake and I've always been interested in the CCC so I really liked this book. It was interesting to learn more about the CCC and find out how they did the projects at the park.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice snap shot of what the CCC was about. It's a very short book with not a lot of detail. It would probably be a good read for a younger reader.

[Beth Harper · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was aware that the CCC had worked in some Wisconsin state parks, but I'd wanted to know more. This book provided lots of information about the topic, and lots of pictures!