Building From Hard Times

Building From Hard Times. . , The drought and depression of the 1930’s hit the badlands region hard. Small landowners, no longer able to eke out a living, sold their lands to the government with the hope of finding a new start elsewhere. Throughout the country, men were out of work., National relief programs, such as the Civilian Conservation Corps (C.C.C.), Emergency Relief Administration (E.R.A.), and Works Progress Administration (W.P.A.), were created to employ men and to accomplish conservation projects. Here in the badlands during the years 1934 to 1941, C.C.C. Companies 2767, 2771, and 2772 worked on projects on land now included in Theodore Roosevelt National Park and the DeMores State Historic Site at Medora. Under the supervision of the Army and with the input of the National Park Service, the C.C.C. men built roads, trails, shelters, signs, picnic areas, and campgrounds, and accomplished conservation work. The E.R.A. and W.P.A. men worked on related projects., Today, we may admire their accomplishments for the hard work and skills that they represent. More importantly, they remind us of the lessons to be learned from the Thirties: the need for wise conservation of the land and its resources.