Grease and Discipline

Grease and Discipline. Civilian Conservation Corp Company 1475, Camp S-67, Tracy City. No way out of a slippery situation... , Directly across the perimeter road is a rectangular trough with a drain in its center. While no specific mention of this structure has been found, there is reason to believe that it was the kitchen's grease trap, which typically had a container sitting atop the concrete, into which greasy dishwater and other kitchen effluent was drained., This theory is based primarily on recollections from CCC alumni, many of whom have vivid memories of being ordered to clean out the grease trap, particularly after having been caught violating company rules. Said one alum: "Cleaning out the grease trap was a dreaded punishment for any CCC Boy.", Said another. "Have you ever experienced a grease trap? It's like changing a diaper, only it's bigger and messier! If you had to clean out that grease trap a few times, you didn't cause any more discipline problems.", And another, "My assignments were to clean the latrine and the grease trap down from the mess hall. The latter job was the worst, as all the fats and grease from the cooking process were collected in a stinking stew-box installed for that purpose, about 50 feet down from the Mess Hall...", The universal theme is that the CCC boys hated cleaning them out, and that such duty was often assigned as punishment for misbehaving. , Every Mess Hall kitchen had a grease trap; a few were actually located beneath the kitchen area, under the dining hall. Judging from the descriptions of their notorious smell, however, it seems clear that most were placed some distance behind (and downhill from) the kitchen, which is where it is thought this camp's grease trap was located. , Photo caption (top): The Company 1475 grease trap as it appeared soon after being uncovered in 2018. , Photo caption (bottom, left): While these lads from Company 1475 were simply jesting for the camera most CCC Boys knew that fighting, or violating company rules, could result in severe punishment cleaning out the Mess Hall grease trap! , Photo caption (bottom, right): Former South Cumberland State Park Ranger Park Greer (left) works with a volunteer to take measurements of the "Puzzling Platform." , ...and other puzzling pieces around the camp , Not all the "history mysteries" at Camp S-67 lie along your path today. There are a number of other interesting, yet puzzling artifacts and features in need of an explanation., For example, there is the "Puzzling Platform," a small, tiered stone structure, well away from the center of the camp (photo below). Could this have been a stand where a bugler stood to summon the men of Company 1475 to roll-call; a convenient loading dock, where the stepping-stones made it easier to get heavy items out of the back of a truck, or the base for a water or other storage tank?, Not far away, on a gentle hillside, there is an elongated depression in the earth, flanked on one side by a low stone wall. Is it a partial foundation of a long-gone structure? A "Baffling Basement?" Or simply a retaining wall? If so, why is it here, away from the center of camp?, Or are both of these stone edifices much older than Camp S-67, perhaps part of an early settler family's homestead?, And what about a pile of bulldozed cement and rubble, which also contained shards of clay tile pipe, like the one you see here? Is this what happened to the remaining pieces of Camp S-67 after the portable buildings were disassembled and taken to Company 1475's new camp in Sewanee? Or, because this area was essentially "no man's land" for the 40+ years between the camp's closing and the creation of South Cumberland State Park, did it simply become a dumping ground for unwanted debris?, Being a "history detective" is challenging, but also rewarding. Think you'd like to try solving one of the CCC Camp mysteries? If you're between the ages of 10 and 21, and have an idea, or would like to learn how to help the Friends of South Cumberland on our next "history mystery," send us an email, or leave your contact information at the front desk of the South Cumberland State Park Visitor Center, on Highway 41 in Monteagle., What do you think? , We'd like to hear your ideas! Email us: , [email protected].