CCC projects and contributions in the Blanding area compiled by Frank Bo Montella
1. Helped to repair the old Third Reservoir in Blanding which had washed out. They had the equipment to do the job.
2. Built fence lines for needy cattlemen and sheep men.
| CCC Crew buiding Lime Ridge Reservoir.
The core was filled with clay dirt so it would pack solid. supervisor was
Floyd Nielson.
Kathleen Kimmerle Redd photo |
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3. Built water storage tanks
4. Built wooden and rock water troughs.
5. Built reservoirs for Blanding cattlemen and sheep men: Adams, Redds, Perkins, Nielsens, Bayles, Jones, and Palmer.
6. Built experimental plots to see what kind of grass grew best.
7. Built roads in Brown's canyon and a bridge.
8. Developed water springs in mountain areas for livestock.
9. Built spring in Westwater, which was used by Blanding during droughts.
10. Built a large water storage tank on the north end of camp, so when Blanding was short of water, it could be pumped from the Westwater and stored in the tank for community use.
11. Built corrals.
12. Killed millions of prairie dogs form Blanding to Bluff.
13. Built large water tank in Horse Canyon, for stockmen.
3rd stage (Horse Canyon) .
14. Cut cedar post for fence lines on the Mountain, Bluff Bench, Deckers
and Brown's Canyon.
15. Built first bridge at Recapture.
16. Helped fight forest fires on the mountain, as well as fires at homes, school and store.
17. Built road to Grand Gulch where they had a spy camp. Now the BLM has the area for a tourist attraction.
18. Cut Aspen poles for corrals built in Monticello for rodeo grounds and race track.
19. The camp was the first to have a cable tool to drill water wells in Blanding.
20.Built road in Black Mesa.
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Winter spike camp at Johnson Creek. Phil Hurst foreman.
Hurst family photo. |
21. Built roads at Deckers.
22. Took clothes and uniforms to townspeople to do washing and pressing. This provided jobs during the Depression.
23. The CCC camp had a doctor 24 hrs. a day. Many times he helped deliver babies for free. The infirmary also helped city people who were sick.
24. Gave food to needy people during the Depression.
25. Invited people of Blanding to Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners--the whole town.
26. Spent their whole $5 wages in Blanding, going to shows in the LDS church, barber shop, Parley Redds, Galbraith Store, Paul Black's restaurant, Pearl Bayles's restaurant. (We paid 15 cents a piece for her great banana cream pies. Many times Pearl would say, "Boy, if it wasn't for you CCC boys, I would be out of business.)
27. Several CCC men married town girls and stayed and made their home in Blanding.
28. Over 1600 CCC men came to Blanding during the nine years the camp ran. As their descendants return to visit, they continue to bring money into the community. As of this day October 1995, 80-91 former CCC's and their families have come to Blanding to visit and spend their money.
29. The CCC's supported all dances that the school and church put on. They were "great dancers."
30. They even took the burden off some people, by taking "care of their chickens." (Boy, were they good.)
When asking the City of Blanding to support the building of the monument, Mr. Montella stated, "It is not like the City is putting out money for this historic CCC monument, with nothing coming back to the city. As far as I'm concerned this monument is an investment that will bring money into the City of Blanding, to motels, restaurants, gas stations, pharmacy, doctors, grocery stores, garages, museums, and boost the city's economy."
The story of the marker will also be published in the CCC paper which
is distributed to 2 1/2 million people
.
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