CCC camp photo taken in 1935. Entire picture shows over 100 people; however, the camp at times had as many as 250 men and boys. (The picture is framed and in possession of San Juan County Historical Commission)

    Misinformation about the West did not deter young men from enrolling in the CCC, and many found themselves in Utah. One Utah enrollee recalled, "I'll never forget the ride up the mountains in this battered old truck. We had an old grizzled army sergeant in charge. When we got to the area, it was just thick woods. 'Where's the camp?' I asked. The sarge waved his hands around the trees, 'This is it. Break out the axes and chop like hell if you don't want to sleep on the ground.' We chopped and built cabins and even a mess hall. For the next three years I grew up, physically and mentally and spiritually, in that beautiful country." (Horan)
 
    This scene was recreated time and time again as new recruits came to Utah, and on to San Juan County. People involved in the CCC who were stationed in San Juan County were interviewed by the author of this article: LaVell Palmer and Dave Guymon, two enrollees stationed on the La Sal mountains; Lynn Lyman, a mechanic for the Blanding camp, and Frank Wright, a CCC barber, were already residing in San Juan County. Phil Hurst, a foreman at the Mexican Hat spike camp, was also a resident of San Juan County. He was also interviewed for the Southern Utah Project (by Cal State Fullerton students under the direction of Dr. Gary Shumway).

    Karl Lyman, then a county attorney was also a prominent figure during San Juan's CCC era. Three of the San Juan enrollees interviewed came to the country from back East. Frank Montella came from New York, and Thomas Wozniak came from New Jersey; both married San Juan girls and stayed in Blanding. Another back East enrollee was Walter (Prock) May who came from Ohio and is now residing in West Valley City.

    There were several sites for camps in and around San Juan County, one in Dry Valley, on in Dalton Wells, one on the La Sal mountains, and one in Blanding. There were also several smaller side camps, called spike or fly camps, in Mexican Hat and other areas.
 

Entrance to CCC   Camp   G-157, Dry Valley.  (Donna Wozniak photo)

 
    A day in the life of a CCC enrollee in San Juan County began around six o'clock, when he heard the bugle call. Stumbling blindly from the confines of his army cot, he put on his old overalls and lined up in a single file to march to the mess hall for breakfast. Guymon described the cots as "pretty near worse than sleepin' on the floor." Once in the mess hall, everyone stood on their benches until the mess sergeant brought them to order and told them to be seated.
 

A typical tent at a CCC spike camp in San Juan County.   Regular barracks were of wood.  Temporary camps in the outlying areas used canvas over wooden frames. (Donna Wozniak photo)

 
 

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