An Architectural Heritage

An Architectural Heritage. . , Among the first structures greeting visitors entering the park from the west, these two stone buildings at Emigrant were built to serve as a ranger station and are a legacy of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). Created by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, the CCC was a 1930s-era government program designed to generate jobs while preserving the pride of the nation's workers during the Great Depression. Single men 17 to 28 years of age constructed new roads, trails, waterlines, campgrounds, and public facilities, making a significant contribution to many national parks, including Death Valley, which had just become a national monument in 1933. , Note the rustic details of the buildings, with their massive timbers, native stone, and the non-intrusive design that became an architectural style in buildings throughout the national park system. At Death Valley, CCC members learned masonry from European stonemasons hired to work on the Furnace Creek Inn. , Ranger and Cowboy Ballad Songwriter , Stan Jones served as a park ranger in Death Valley from 1946 to 1948. Jones and his wife Olive lived in the CCC-built stone cabin, where he wrote the song “Ghost Riders in the Sky.” Vaughn Monroe, Johnny Cash, and many other popular artists have recorded “Ghost Riders,” one of our nation's most endearing cowboy ballads. Stan Jones' songs were also used in several films, including Wagon Master and Rio Grande, both westerns directed in the 1950s by John Ford.