Building Dan Ryan Woods

Building Dan Ryan Woods. The Civilian Conservation Corps in the Forest Preserves. The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) of the 1930s "changed land and lives forever." The CCC completed construction projects across the country, including many of the Forest Preserves' earliest picnic shelters, bridges and flood control structures. , , Lives Made Better , The CCC was President Franklin D. Roosevelt's answer to the environmental and economic challenges facing the country after the Great Depression. , , Men flocked to enlist in the CCC, earning an average of $30 per month, of which $25 was sent home to their families. Thanks to the CCC millions of men learned to read and received vocational training. , , Visitors can still see some of these projects in Dan Ryan Woods today. , , Limestone Aqueducts , Then: The limestone aqueducts at Dan Ryan Woods were constructed by the CCC to prevent water from washing away the soil on the steep ridges. , , Now: Visitors can still walk alongside the aqueducts as they wind their way through the woods south of 87th St. , , Stairways to Nature , Then: The CCC and other relief labor built limestone stairways in the 1930s for visitors to more easily access the ridges surrounding the aqueducts-and to admire the land below. , , Now: Time, and substantial restoration work, have turned a trip up these stairs into an awe-inspiring climb through a mature woodland. Oak and hickory trees arch high overhead while redbud and ironwood trees stand tall under the canopy. Native grasses and wildflowers carpet the woodland floor. , , Winter Sports Pavilion Turned Event Space , Then: The steep slopes of Dan Ryan Woods create a natural location for sledding and skiing. By the mid-1920s, brave skiers trained and competed on a 30-foot high wooden ski jump. The CCC built a warming pavilion in the 1930s to support the winter sports boom. , , Now: A 2013 renovation transformed the old warming pavilion into a versatile Indoor event space. The pavilion accommodates up to 120 guests and features a kitchen for light food preparation. Visit: fpdcc.com/pavilions , ,

Photo caption: Historical background image from FPDCC archives, CCC 1930s completed construction.