CCC Stories and Letters

....at Gilbert Lake State Park in New York State

Do you have a story about your CCC experience that you'd like to share?
E-mail nyscccmuseum@stny.rr.com so we can add your story to the site!

July 10, 2001

RE: CCC Veteran? Frederick (Fred) Eugene Masker (b:25, Dec,1903)
Parents: Abram & Phoebe (DeGroat) Masker. Family lived on Hill in Town
of Oneonta above Resovoir where Oneonta Airport is now located. Fred was
one of 17 Children - Never married, & lived on farm with parents when I first
remember ( early 40's) - He always had a type of bugle hanging over his bed.
As children, I ( and cousins) would plead for the bugle & "Uncle" Fred always
told us that it was "Special" because he played it in the "Big Camp" as a young
man.... He did not communicate well with children - and we never asked what
the "Camp" was. Recently, an older cousin visited me and as we talked about
family members long gone, he told me that Uncle Fred was with the CCC as a
young man, thereby helping parents financially with the younger siblings.
All of Fred's generation are gone now, with any family records lost or
destroyed. I have been recording information on my local families, including
Maskers, for some time now - this is first I've heard about this phase of Fred's
life - and would like to know more. He was a fasinating person during my
growing up years, and had a great influence on my life.
I grew up in Laurens, and now live close - spent many days at Gilbert
Lake State Park as a child, but have not been there in many, many years.
Since I have now located the information re: The CCC Museum on the ground, I will make an effort to get there soon. Many thanks for any help I may get from this message.
I especially appreciate the time & effort someone took to answer my original
message. thank you so much. Felicia June (Sullivan) Swisher

Request for letters of support for CCC/Military Museum in, Missoula, Mt.

April 13, 2001

Dear Friends:

I am the Executive Director of the Rocky Mountain Museum of Military History at Fort Missoula, Montana. I know of you through the CCC links on your websites. I am writing to request from you a letter of support in preserving the Museum and Fort Missoula's heritage from a very real threat.

Some background: The Museum is located in buildings Civilian Conservation Corps Buildings T-310 and T-316 at Fort Missoula. We have spent the last year restoring these building and we intend to reopen them in part this summer. We can be reached from South Ave. via CCC Road, an access arrangement we find eminently satisfactory.

However, the City of Missoula Parks and Recreation Department, which purchased the land that CCC Road crosses, is preparing a proposal that would remove CCC Road and replace it with a small accessway located at the far edge of the Fort. We and the neighboring Historical Museum at Fort Missoula see this as highly detrimental to historic Fort Missoula for the following reasons:

1. The Fort's history will be in part physically destroyed. CCC Road was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps ca. 1936, and is a physical reminder of the Great Depression and the New Deal. It offers a magnificent entryway to the historic fort, and passes right by the Fort Missoula Post Cemetary. The visitor is allowed to access the Fort by the same means its garrisons and visitors have since the 1930's.

2. Museums in Montana face formidible hurdles in financial development, and the tourist season is very important to us in bringing in enough money to remain a viable nonprofit organization. We have been active in our public education efforts in directing visitors to us via CCC Road, as the Historical Museum at Fort Missoula has done since 1975. Since we are some miles from the nearest Interstate, the challenge is already substantial. We are certain that the limited access proposed by the City will serve to discourage a fair number of visitors, being harder to get to and utilize. We simply see no compelling reason to change our recognized access.

I know all of you have professional and/or recreational interest in military topics and historical subjects. In that context all I am asking you for is an e-mail of support for us and in opposition to any closure of CCC road. One or two paragraphs would suffice; address it to the Missoula County Commissioners and the Missoula City Council, and if you are not a Montana resident please mention if you have visited or plan to visit here. If you would be compfortable doing so, please use your active or retired rank and branch of service, or other title.

Send it to us by e-mail at militarymuseu45@hotmail.com, and we will print it out and forward it to the proper authorities., Or mail us at RMMMH, P.O. Box 7263, Missoula, Mt. 59807. Should you have more questions, I would be happy to talk to you about this issue at (4060 549-5346. Should you want to forward this request to friends, we would welcome the addtional support.

I thank you all for your ad in assisting our continued operation, and hope to welcome you at Fort Missoula this summer. With your help, we won't let this hurdle stand in our way for long.

Sincerely,

Tate Jones, Executive Director, RMMMH

RE: New York area men sent to Battle Mountain, Nevada CCC Camp in 1936/37
My dad, Frank Clancy (now deceased), was from Long Island City in 1936 when he enrolled in the CCC and was one of the many New York/New Jersey boys sent out from Camp Dix to CCC Camp Mill Creek out in Battle Mountain, Nevada. I have been actively researching this CCC camp. In the summer of 1999, I went out there with my husband and camped at the site of the old camp, which is now a public picnic and tent camping area today under the auspices of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). None of Camp Mill Creek's buildings remain, and other than three stone pillars at the entrance to the park which I was verbally told are from the CCC camp days, there are no established memorials or plaques honoring this CCC camp or its enrollees.
Some of today's local people I spoke with are not even aware that the park once was the site of a CCC camp. I would like to see that changed and see the blood, sweat, and tears of Camp Mill Creek's enrollees and officers recognized and honored. But, to do so, I need HELPI need to have personal information about the men, boys, camp life, etc.and especially details about the work projects from Camp Mill Creek.
My Dad was on the Windmill Crew, and I have a picture of some of the CCC boys climbing the standing windmill. If you were stationed at Camp Mill Creek, or know of anyone who was and have any information, photos or stories about Camp Mill Creek, I would GREATLY APPRECIATE it if you would please share them with me. Together we can help see that CCC Camp Mill Creek's contributions to the surrounding communities and its people are preserved, given historical recognition, and given an honored place in the history of not only the CCC, but also within Battle Mountain and the State of Nevada. I list below the names of men I have learned were stationed at Camp Mill Creek. If your name appears here or you know any of these people please contact me at pck228@yahoo.com Thank you!

Names of men known to have been in the CCC at Camp Mill Creek, Battle Mountain, Nevada:
ALESSI, Adolf; AMODEO, Pasquale; ANDERSON, George, Capt.; ARMONE, Joseph; BAKER, John B., 2nd Lieut.; BANHAM, Zeke; BARONE, Samuel; BARTELL, James, 1st Lieut.; BAR__?___, Lester' BARTHAMOMEO, Joseph; BEERS, John; BLACK, William R.; BLACKBURN, James; BONHAM, Greeley; BROSS, S.I., surgeon; BROYLES, Charles; BURTIS, Kenneth, 1st Lieut.; BUTTI, ?; CALLISON, Burke; CALVIN, Thomas; CANTOR, Edward, 2nd Lieut.; CAPONO, Michael; CARBON, ?; CARRODO, Carmen; CARTAGLIA, F.C. 1st Lieut.; CLANCY, Frank, CLIFFORD, T.; COHEN, Harry, Lieut.; COOK, George; COSTELLO, Edward, COSTELLO, Nicholas; DE AGULAR, Bill; DE JONG, John, Capt.; DELONGCHAMPS, Phillip; DE RUBBO, Dan; DE VINCENT, E.; DODO, Jimmy; DUNN, William; ECKLUND, Joe; EGAN, Robert; EPSTEIN, Murray; EWELL, John; FALZONE, Pat; FEELY, ?; FIDGEON, Thomas P. 1st Lieut.; FERRIS, Jack; FINBERG, Irving, Lieut.; FIORE or FLORE, Tom; FODGON, T.P., Lieut.; FONTANA, Paul J.; GADAMOWITZ, Dominick; GARCIA, Joseph; GELLER, Charles; GELLER, James/Jerry; GIFFORD, Tom; Golio, ?; GRAFF, Arthur; G?ainer, Henry; GRAY, William, GRAY, Harland, Lieut.; GRESSMAN, Robert; HALL, Bob; HANSON, Harry; HARBIN, Lee; HARRIS, ?; HELMER, Albert; HORN, A.H.; HUNT, Paul, Lieut.; JONES, Arthur; KELLY, Jimmy; KENNEDY, Willard; KIES; Lieut.; KIRK, Philip, Searg.; KOZIOL, ?; LANIGAN, Ed; LARSON, R.V. 1st Lieut.; LILENFIELD, Edmund; LYNN, George; MADDEN, William; MAITILASSO; Joseph, MANZO, ?; MARKSBERRY, Leonard, Capt.; MARTINEZ, ?; MASON, Charles; MAY, W.H.; McLain, ?; McLean, ?; Molnar, Ernest, 2nd Lieut.; MUELLER, William; MULLIS, Charles; MURPHY, Ambrose M., Superintendent; MUSSON, Malcolm; NAZZARI, Jordano; NELSON, Norman; NITTI, Leonard, NORCZEK, Paul; O'BRIEN, William; OLIVER, ?; PETELER, Charles; PETERS, Joseph; PORITSKY or PURITSKY, Jack; POWERS, James A.; PROSE, Lee; PURRO, ?; RAINE, William S.; RAYMOND, Steve; REICHERT, Richard; ROBBINS, Theodore; ROCCO, Anthony; ROSS,
Anthony; ROTSCHILD, F.; SADLER, Frank; SCHNEIDER, Ralph; SCHULMAN, Benjamin; SALISBURY, Paul; SHEAR, Joel; SMITH, George S.; STOLLAR, M.; TOENNIES, Frank; TRAINER, Elmer, Dr.; VANDRUFF, Keeley, VAUGHN, Robert; WILLIAMS, A.; WILLIAMS, C.W.; WILLIAMS, Dan L.; WILSON, Hollis.