The CCC Legacy Annual Gathering was held in Tucson the last weekend in October 2013. I gave a presentation at this event, but it was truncated because of time constraints, and I wasn’t able to show all the photos and tell all the stories I’d like. So, I'm going to post some of my info and photos on this blog instead.
I’m also going to rework the presentation a bit and eventually post it to SlideShare.com. I’ll post a notice when I do that.
As always, if you want more information or have information to share, please contact me!
A heartfelt thanks to Bill Gillespie of the Coronado National Forest who added to the information and photos I have collected on this topic.
Some background on the Coronado: The Coronado is huge—an area of about 1.78 million acres in five non-contiguous ranger districts in southern Arizona and New Mexico. The current composition of the Coronado results from the addition of formerly separate forests. The Coronado National Forest website has a good history of the evolution and development of the forest.
Map is from the USFS booklet, The Civilian Conservation Corps: Coronado National Forest, 1933-1942.
What Did the CCC Do in the Coronado?
The work projects of the CCC in the Coronado revolved around recreation, forests, rangeland, and water.
Recreational Areas: The CCC constructed recreational facilities throughout the Coronado. There’s a good chance that the picnic table you’ve eaten on, the road you’ve driven on, and the trail you’ve hiked in the Coronado was built or improved by the CCC.
They built and improved campgrounds, cabins, picnic areas, ranger stations, trails, roads, and bridges. They also strung telephone lines and stocked fish.
Forests: The CCC worked to improve the health of the forests. They thinned the timber stand, built roads for firefighting, constructed fire trails, and built guard stations and fire lookouts.
Rangeland: The CCC worked to improve the rangeland by building cattle guards and fences, revegetating the land, erecting stock tanks, building roads and truck trails, and eradicating poisonous plants.
Water: Water is a precious commodity, particularly in the desert of Arizona. The CCC worked to control and harness the water we get. They built dams, battled soil erosion, boxed in springs, and installed pipelines.
The Santa Catalina Ranger District is near the city of Tucson and includes the Santa Catalina (including Sabino Canyon) and Rincon Mountains. This area was host to Camp F-42, Tanque Verde.
The Safford Ranger District is situated near the city of Safford. It includes five mountain ranges: Pinaleño (including Mount Graham), Galiuro, Santa Teresa, Winchester, and Greasewood Mountains. The area was host to Camps F-14, Treasure Park; F-15, Tripp Canyon; F-41, Noon Creek; F-46, Stockton Pass; and F-74, Columbine.
Picnic table built by Camp F-41, Noon Creek. Courtesy National Archives.
The Douglas Ranger District consists of 3 mountain ranges north and east of Douglas, AZ: Chiricahua (Chiricahua National Monument), Dragoon, and Peloncillo (which extend into New Mexico) Mountains. This area was host to Camps F-10, Cave Crerek; F-12, Rucker Canyon, F-47, Turkey Creek, and NM-2, Bonita Canyon.
Camp F-12, Rucker Canyon, working in the forests. Courtesy National Archives.
The Sierra Vista Ranger District includes three mountain ranges west of Sierra Vista, AZ: Huachuca, Patagonia, and Whetstone Mountains. This area was host to Camps F-13, Sunnyside; F-53, Ash Canyon; and F-63, Flux Canyon.
Camp F-13, Sunnyside, worked on the Canelo Ranger Station. Courtesy National Archives.
The Nogales Ranger District includes four mountain ranges north and west of Nogales, AZ: Santa Rita, Pajarito, Tumacacori, and San Luis Mountains. This area was host to Camps F-11, Box Canyon; F-30, Madera Canyon, and F-64, Peña Blanca.
Camp F-64, Peña Blanca, fence crew. Courtesy Merle Timblin (CCC enrollee and a friend!).
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