Starved Rock State Park:: The Work of the CCC Along the I&M Canal

By Dennis H. Cremin and Charlene Giardina

Visitors to Starved Rock State Park are often struck by the grandeur of its rustic lodge. They marvel at its massive fireplace and hand-hewn logs. Yet few realize that this structure is a tangible reminder of the Civilian Conservation Corps, which in the 1930s provided work for young men left unemployed by the Great Depression. Starved Rock Lodge was one of the biggest projects of the "CCC boys" along the Illinois and Michigan Canal, but it was far from the only one. Working as a team and living in camps from Willow Springs to La Salle-Peru, they built facilities that transformed the old canal into what became the I&M Canal State Trail (1974) and the nation's first National Heritage Corridor (1984). President Franklin D. Roosevelt's nation-wide program preserved the landscape from the ravages of soil erosion, flooding, and deforestation. In the process, the young men built beautiful parks, buildings, and shelters that we use and admire today.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Arcadia Publishing
• Release date: Sep 18, 2012
• ISBN: 9781439630136

Dennis H. Cremin

The two authors work in partnership at the Gaylord Building Historic Site in Lockport, Illinois. Dennis H. Cremin, Ph.D., is Director of Research and Public Programs for the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Charlene Giardina is Historic Interpreter and Program Coordinator for the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. This work draws on images from national and regional archives, personal collections, and selected contemporary photographs by John Voss.

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INTRODUCTION

The idea for a publication on the role of the Civilian Conservation Corps grew out of an exhibit, Civilian Conservation Corps along the Illinois & Michigan Canal: A Work in Progress, at the Gaylord Building in Lockport, IL. The project originated from the educational partnership at the Gaylord Building Historic Site between the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR). It ran from August 2001 to May 2002. One of the exhibit’s goals was to gather additional research material. As new material came to light, we modified the exhibit. The Illinois Humanities Council partially funded the effort, and their Road Scholar Program supported Kay Rippelmeyer-Tippy’s public presentation at the Gaylord Building.

A map of the Illinois and Michigan Canal Parkways System 1938, provided the point of departure for research on the topic. The map depicted an astonishing complex of recreational sites connected by a highway along the canal’s old towpath. In 1933 the I & M Canal had officially closed, and waterborne commerce had moved to the Illinois Waterway. This provided an opportunity to transform the commercial waterway into a recreational resource. The authors’ goal has been to increase awareness of the role of the CCC along this scenic American landscape.

Although monumental in scale, it is easy to overlook the CCC’s contribution to transforming the landscape of this part of Illinois. For example, the men drained sections of the canal and cleaned it out, moved mature trees for conspicuous display, and built roads that connected municipal, county, and state park sites. This book commemorates these CCC efforts along the canal, which include work on some of the colossal remnants of the old canal.

At the core of the CCC story was the Great Depression. Particularly hard hit by the nationwide economic reversal were thousands of young men who could not find employment. The Civilian Conservation Corps recruited single men ranging in age from 17 to 28. The young men dressed in uniforms and lived in barracks. The program ran from 1933 to 1942. Coupled with the human misery, there was the condition of the American landscape, which had been ravaged by deforestation, soil erosion, and industrial pollution. Addressing these problems as a part of the New Deal, Franklin D. Roosevelt initiated the Emergency Conservation Work Act, the public works program popularly known as the Civilian Conservation Corps.

Roosevelt’s concern for conservation and restoration of the American landscape reflected the efforts of his distant cousin, President Theodore Roosevelt, who earlier reserved millions of acres of land, which were closed to commercial development. The story of the CCC underscores the connection between the canal landscape and political and labor history. It became the most popular of the New Deal programs. In 1935 it counted 500,000 men in its ranks.

Much of this study centers on Starved Rock State Park, which has been the most notable reminder of the work of the CCC. The three companies at Starved Rock, companies 614, 2601, and 1609, transformed the park and expanded its usage. The five camps situated along the old I & M Canal included State Park 1-Camp 612, State Park 2-Camp 631, State Park 3-Camp 630, State Park 4-Camp 613, and State Park 5-Camp 628. The men in these camps built the I & M Canal Parkway, while also accomplishing numerous other conservation projects. Like the companies at Starved Rock State Park, these five played the greatest role in changing the appearance and use of the areas along the route of the canal in the 1930s.

Since the late 1960s, many people have been aware of the grass roots efforts to create the I & M Canal State Trail (1974) and subsequently the Illinois and Michigan Canal National