Hidden History

Hidden History. . , There are times when we protect a natural area and we discover a bit of our past, which further adds to an already rich story of the land., What are these big stone dams doing out here in the middle of nowhere?! , Not all projects were done on just the property where the camp was located. The "Cs" would sometimes do projects nearby to further the cause of conservation. These solid, beautiful stone dams were built to slow water and check erosion in these sandy valleys and hillsides. They were built by a CCC stone mason crew, and then went unnoticed until the park acquired the land decades later., From 1934 to 1942, Company 556 of the CCC was stationed at Pokagon State Park. These young men, members of President Roosevelt's Tree Army," built trails, parking lots, shelters, drinking fountains, the bathhouse, the gatehouse, the county road bridge, the saddle barn, group camp buildings, inn cabins, many smaller projects, and of course... planted trees. Their camp was located in the area between the present day Nature Center and Toboggan Slide., [Captions:] , Company 556 of the Civilian Conservation Corps - Summer 1938, Young men of Company 556 on the stone mason crew.