Willow Springs in Cook County, Illinois — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

"The Worker"

Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, March 6, 2025

1. "The Worker" Marker

Inscription. This statue commemorates the dedication and spirit of the young men who served in the Civilian Conservation Corps from April, 1933 to July, 1942.

Camp Chicago-Lemont, Company 612
Willow Springs, Illinois
Established June 4, 1933

"Roosevelt's Tree Army"
Dedicated June 3, 2001
Willow Springs Historical Society

Erected 2001 by Willow Springs Historical Society.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Environment • Horticulture & Forestry • Parks & Recreational Areas. In addition, it is included in the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), and the Former U.S. Presidents: #32 Franklin D. Roosevelt series lists. A significant historical date for this entry is June 4, 1933.

Location. 41° 43.878′ N, 87° 52.669′ W. Marker is in Willow Springs, Illinois, in Cook County. It is on Archer Avenue (Illinois Route 171) west of Willow Springs Road, on the right when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Willow Springs IL 60480, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Greater Chicago.

It is also in the American Midwest

and on the Great Lakes.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Viceroyalty of New France,

the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

and the Northwest Territory.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Willow Springs Civilian Conservation Corps Camp #612 (con’t…) (here, next to this marker); Willow Springs Civilian Conservation Corps Camp #612 (here, next to this marker); ...And It Came to Be

Paid Advertisement

Click or scan to see
this page online

(here, next to this marker); The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) (a few steps from this marker); Willow Springs Honor Roll (within shouting distance of this marker); Old Towpath (approx. 0.2 miles away); Original Illinois & Michigan Canal (approx. 0.2 miles away); Land of the Healing Waters (approx. ¾ mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Willow Springs.

Also see . . .
1. Chicago Tribune: Statue to honor ’30s worker army. From May 2001

Excerpt: “The park had been overgrown with bushes and trees when another member of the CCC alumni organization spotted its crumbling limestone wall and suspected it might be a remnant of the CCC’s work in the area.

“The suspicion turned out to be correct. All that remains of the camp are the cement pads where barracks were. The spot where the statue now stands had been a parking lot from which young men were dispatched to do their work.”

(Submitted on March 15, 2025, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.)

2. The story of the CCC and its legacy in Illinois.

Excerpt: "With the exception of Social Security and the Rural Electrification
Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, March 6, 2025

2. "The Worker"
Act, no program of the New Deal Era has ever had a greater influence on the country. In Illinois alone, the impact was tremendous. More than 92,000 men labored for the CCC in the state. An estimated 60 million trees were planted, 400 hundred bridges built, 1,192 miles of trail created and 4,742 flood-control structures put in place."

(Submitted on March 7, 2025, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.)

"The Worker" along Archer Avenue image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, March 6, 2025

3. "The Worker" along Archer Avenue

"The Worker" statue and four markers in honor of the Civilian Conservation Corps (2026 photo) image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, March 22, 2026

4. "The Worker" statue and four markers in honor of the Civilian Conservation Corps (2026 photo)

Four historical markers were installed behind "The Worker" in the spring of 2025.

"The Worker” image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, March 6, 2025

5. "The Worker”

CCC Company #612, Camp Palos Hills image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, March 22, 2026

6. CCC Company #612, Camp Palos Hills

A nearby historical marker, added to the site in 2025, includes this photo of the CCC company that worked in these woods southwest of Chicago.

"A young man's opportunity for work, play, study & health" image. Click for full size.

Albert M. Bender, artist; courtesy of Library of Congress, circa 1941

7. "A young man's opportunity for work, play, study & health"

This circa 1941 poster from the Works Progress Administration promotes the Illinois branch of the CCC.

CCC workers in Prince George's County, Maryland, 1935 image. Click for full size.

Farm Security Administration - Office of War Information Photograph Collection (Library of Congress), November 1935

8. CCC workers in Prince George's County, Maryland, 1935

Foot bridge over the I&M Canal near Willow Springs image. Click for full size.

CCC I&M Canal Photographs Collection, courtesy of Lewis University, circa 1935

9. Foot bridge over the I&M Canal near Willow Springs

The photo is part of a collection of photos of the I&M Canal taken by the CCC in 1934-35.

Credits. This page was last revised on April 23, 2026. It was originally submitted on March 7, 2025, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. This page has been viewed 319 times since then and 54 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on March 7, 2025, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. 4. submitted on March 24, 2026, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. 5. submitted on March 10, 2025, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. 6. submitted on March 24, 2026, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. 7, 8. submitted on March 7, 2025, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. 9. submitted on April 23, 2026, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.