Open Arms? The CCC Invasion of San Juan County
By Deniane Gutke
(continued)
Social life Improves for Blanding Girls
However, all of the CCC boy-girl relationships did not
center on morality. Many Blanding girls did not see the CCC boys as lovesick,
but homesick boys who just wanted a friend. They thought, "If I had a brother
in the CCC's, I would want him to be treated well," and they tried to treat
these boys accordingly. With that attitude, many girls found they had more
fun with CCC boys than some of the town boys. The CCC boys treated them
like ladies, and the girls appreciated that. You can imagine that the boys
also appreciated the interest the girls showed. They weren't just trying
to be nice; they were having fun! (Watkins 5)
For these Blanding girls, the fun came in many different
forms. Georgan Burtenshaw remembers
the nicknames the girls gave the CCC boys. Not only did they each have
a nickname, but a song as well! One CCC boy was called "Red," and you could
hear the girls singing:
| Red McKowski by CCC barracks. When Red left town, Georgean,
Marva, and Fern made up a parody of "Red Sails in the Sunset".
(Georgan Burtenshaw photo) |
 |
"Red sailed in the sunset, all day I'll be blue.
"Red sailed in the sunset, and we're missing you!"
(Burtenshaw, Georgan, and Laws, Marva, and Watkins, Fern. Interviewed
by Deniane Gutke.)
Another song about a CCC boy was derived from a date
Georgan had one night with Mike Gans, "The Gray Goon" of the CCC's. If
you can picture a guy in a gray suit that looks like a million dollars,
you can see Mike. Except, add to your picture drops of melted snow dripping
from the gray suit as you open the door. Now you will understand the song
made up about "The Gray Goon" before he'd even left Georgan's house that
night.
"When the blue goon has turned to gray again,
When the Navy takes the curse away!"
(Burtenshaw, Laws, and Watkins.)
Along with "Red" and "The
Gray Goon," other CCC boys were nicknamed: Blackie, Cookie,
Brodie, and even one who was called "Just a Peanut!" (Burtenshaw, Laws,
and Watkins.)
Though the girls enjoyed having the boys around,
there were moments when they were too close. Fern Watkins lived across
the street south of the camp, and one day some CCC boys were visiting her
father in their living room. One of them said he needed a drink and came
storming into the kitchen where Fern's sister-in-law was taking a bath.
Before Fern could react, she and her sister-in-law, who stood frozen behind
the scant protection of her bloomers, laughed from sheer relief that in
the process of getting a drink, he couldn't see her and innocently returned
to the living room.
Fine Line Between Pranks and Crimes
Like many young men between the ages of 16 and 25, the
CCC boys were often wild and reckless. When Marvin Lyman's garage was broken
into, the evidence pointed to the CCC boys. (Lyman, Karl.) Someone took
the safe down to the Public Square, removed the contents and blew up the
safe. Charlie Sipe, the town Marshall, found a pipe near the scene of the
crime. He reported, "I knew the fellow who smoked the pipe. He lost it
in the snow when he was dragging the safe down into the parking lot. I
told the mayor it belonged to this fellow, and I wanted to run a trace
on him." (Sipe) But the request was denied. As far as the law went, they
couldn't apprehend everyone suspected of stealing. The jail would have
been filled overnight with local chicken thieves and CCC pranksters.
 |
Red McKowski with Georgan Burtenshaw's blow snake around his neck.
(Georgan Burtenshaw photo) |
Some things the CCC boys did that offended the community
were only pranks from boys' point of view. Attorney Karl Lyman recalls
this response from a CCC boy whom he was counseling. "Have you ever been
in any trouble?" Lyman asked. The boy replied, "No, never have. Oh, I remember
when I was back home one time, when the soda pop truck would stop to make
a delivery, we'd steal a case of soda pop. When the train would go through
town slow we'd get on the train and throw coal off and sell it, and when
the grocery man wasn't looking, we'd steal groceries, but nothing serious!"
(Lyman, Karl.) Most of the pranks CCC boys arranged in Blanding did not
have serious consequences.
Problems between the town and the CCC boys were handled
two ways: Offenders were either handed over to the camp supervisors or
the town people attempted to solve the problems. For instance, one day
in church, about eight CCC boys stationed themselves in the foyer. The
boys were making noise and bothering the people inside, and Karl Lyman
went out to talk to them about it. He said, "Now you're welcome to come
in and sit down, but this is a church house, and we just can't have you
making this much noise." They got very belligerent and said, "Look, this
is a free country. We can do whatever we *&% *%*! please." At this
declaration, Lyman picked up a heavy iron chair. Swinging it in front of
them, he said, "Now listen you fellows, you're either going to get out
or get hurt!" They left. (Lyman, Karl.)
On another occasion, the CCC boys wouldn't stay off
the steps that led to the old dance hall. It was a cold winter night, and
no one could get in or out. After asking them about three or four times
to stand back, Charlie Sipe rounded up some members of the priest's quorum.
He told them, "Let's go up and get the fire hose and hook it up to the
fire hydrant. We'll fill the hose, get it to this dark spot, and turn on
the water." Minutes later, a group of cold, wet boys left the steps and
returned to camp. (Sipe)
There were times like those described above when
the CCC boys needed discipline, but other times when they were wrongly
blamed. Because of this, wrongdoers could throw the keys or other evidence
over the CCC camp gate and hope to have the blame transferred to the CCC
boys. (Wozniak) Once, Ernie Pierce, a CCC foreman, was arrested for breaking
the seal on a meter for Seth Shumway at Shumway's request. He wanted to
see if his meter was faulty, and because of his bad eyesight he implored
Pierce, who was renting one of his houses, to break the seal so he could
see inside. The meter was faulty, and the city should have cooperated with
Shumway and fixed it. Instead, they arrested Pierce because he broke the
seal. (Keele 15-16.)
CCC Men Get Involved in Politics
The threat of involvement in the town politics was something
else people talked about at the town meeting. The CCC camps did get involved,
to the extent that a CCC boy ran for office! He didn't make it very far.
But he ran, which was more than Blanding would have liked to see. Blanding
had their own ideas about who should and should not be elected, and the
CCC boys could swing an election if they came in masses to vote. The town
objected to their voting, especially when they found out some of them had
never registered. (Lyman, Karl)
 |
| CCC boys, as well as the town of Blanding, had to make adjustments
as they learned to get along together. (Donna Wozniak photo) |
But what about the good the camp did? There were
good men in camps, and once the town realized this, they didn't hesitate
to invite them into their homes. Blanding gave these CCC boys the chance
for a different life. When many of these boys came, they swore they could
never live this new religion. But, to their amazement and everyone else's,
many did, or at least respected it. Some left blaming the Mormons for their
problems, but most were influenced for the good. (Lyman, Karl)
Blanding was good for them. Not only in a spiritual
way, but in a temporal way. They learned how to use tools and equipment
they had never used before, and often based their careers on something
they learned in the CCC camps.
CCC Camps Improve County Resources
 |
The CCC camp provided medical service for the men as well as the community.
Dr. Black shown by first aid wagon.
(Donna Wozniak photo) |
One of the things the town probably never imagined is how
much the CCC's would improve the country and help them. Besides the many
reservoirs, roads, fences, corrals, springs, troughs, and bridges they
built, they also did reseeding, opened up new country for tourism, built
terraces on the mountain, killed prairie dogs, and thinned timber. These
many things were done for the country and individual people who couldn't
have even begun to do it themselves. The CCC doctor delivered town babies,
treated town members as his own patients, and after the CCC camp disbanded,
the barracks were used for hospitals and other buildings the county needed.
(Hurst, Mabel.)
The final question in the town meeting was: What
about the money it will bring? Economically, the CCC camp in Blanding helped
tremendously. When people earned wages and spent money, everyone was affected,
and everyone benefitted. It provided jobs for local men as well as boys
from the East.
########################
Sitting in your easy chair, you remember that day, fifty
years ago, when you and your friend sneaked to the City Hall where you
waited for the decision to be made about the CCC camp in Blanding. You
recall the adjusting it took for the sheltered community, and the sad prophesies
that were fulfilled. But you also remember the fun times. You remember
the day the CCC boys taught you the jitterbug, (Burtenshaw, Laws, and Watkins)
and the big fights Mike Gans, son of the Italian prize fighter Joe Gans,
fought against the town boys or whoever would fight him. (Burtenshaw, Laws,
and Watkins) You remember the baseball games, the basketball games, and
even a play or two, the CCC boys participated in. (Lyman, Karl) You remember
the projects, and the other good things the CCC boys did for Blanding.
Most of all, you remember how excited you were that day, and how grateful
you were to that one man who voiced your feelings. You knew it then, and
you know it now. Blanding's CCC camp was a good thing, and there were some
good boys. You should know, because you've got the best husband in the
world, brought to you by the CCC's.
Written the year Deniane was a junior at San Juan High School 1987
Sources cited
Guymon, Dave. Interview by Deniane Gutke, Blanding, Utah, 28 June 1987.
Blue Mountain Shadows oral history project.
Hurst, Phil, foreman in the CCC's, and Mable Hurst. Interview by Kim
Stewart, Blanding, Utah, 30 June 1971
Keele, Thomas, CCC member. Interviewed by Deniane Gutke, June 28, 1987
Lyman, Albert R. Entry in personal journal, 22 September 1935.
Lyman, Karl. (County Attorney 1935) Interview by Deniane Gutke, Orem,
Utah, 6 August 1987. Blue Mountain
Shadows oral history project.
Sipe, Charles, sheriff of Blanding in 1935. Interview by Louise Lyne,
Blanding, Utah, July 1, 1972
(Wozniak, Toddy, CCC member. Interview by Louise Lyne, Blanding, Utah
July 1, 1972 [Insert text and images here]
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Last Updated July 22, 1997 by Janet
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