New York State Conservation Department Civilian Conservation Corps Camp and Personnel Files
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Overview of the Records
Repository:
New York State Archives
New York State Education Department
Cultural Education Center
Albany, NY 12230
Summary:
Following passage of the Emergency Conservation Work Act in 1933, the federal government recruited and trained unemployed
men ages seventeen to twenty-eight to develop forest lands and parks. In New York, the program commonly and later officially
known as the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) focused on recreation, fishery, forestry, and pest control projects. The series
consists of correspondence, reports, work plans, general orders, work applications, and personnel files related to New York's
CCC camps.
Creator:
Title:
Civilian Conservation Corps camp and personnel files
Quantity:
2.5 cubic feet
approximately 700 cards
Inclusive Dates:
1933-1942
Series Number:
A3268
Arrangement
Paper files in this series are arranged by alpha-numerical camp code and chronologically therein. Central administrative files
are arranged by document type and chronologically therein. The camp history card file is arranged by camp code and the personnel
card file is arranged in two separate alphabetical sequences.
Administrative History
President Franklin Roosevelt's Emergency Conservation Work Act, designed to put unemployed men ages seventeen to twenty-eight
to work developing forest lands and parks, was passed in March of 1933. Initially named Emergency Conservation Work (ECW),
the program was commonly and later (1937) officially known as the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). The program was administered
by the U.S. Army, the National Park Service, and the Federal Security Agency. Participants were trained at army camps and
then transferred to work camps, which provided shelter, food, medical, religious, and educational services as well as employment.
The CCC camps nationwide worked on projects in the areas of structural improvement; transportation; erosion control; flood
control; forest culture; forest protection; landscape and recreation; and range, wildlife, and other projects.
The CCC camps operated from 1933 until July 1942, by which time mobilization for war had significantly reduced unemployment.
At one point New York had 102 of the camps: 39 state forest work camps; 9 private land tent camps; 8 soil conservation service
camps; 28 state park camps; 13 Corps of Engineers camps; and 5 military camps. The aggregate number of New York men employed
in these camps was 220,752.
In New York, the major CCC projects focused on recreation, fishery, forestry, and pest control. The recreation projects included
constructing foot, horse, and ski trails; camping, picnicking and caretaking facilities; and dams and bridges. Fishery projects
included developing the Randolph Hatchery, building small dams and rock pools, and planting willows and shrubs along river
embankments. Forestry projects aimed at constructing truck trails and lookout towers, and fighting fires. The pest control
units treated white pine blister rust, Dutch Elm disease, and infestations of gypsy and brown moths.
Scope and Content Note
The series consists of correspondence, reports, work plans, general orders, work applications, and personnel files related
to New York's Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) camps. Card files, consisting of approximately 700 cards, include information
on the history of the New York camps, as well as personal and job related data on applicants and camp workers. Also present
are status and efficiency ratings forms on employees. The records were compiled by the State Conservation Department in its
capacity as the agency responsible for state forests, water, and wildlife and thus for administering the CCC camps.
The first part of the series is composed of correspondence, reports, and project work plan sheets related to the CCC state
forest camps located at Lake Clear Junction, Paul Smith's, Tupper Lake, Lake Placid, Benson Mines, and Plattsburg. The correspondence
files contain information on camp projects, work plans, equipment orders, and personnel at the individual camps. The report
files consist of monthly work summaries, monthly operating summaries, and progress reports. The project work plan sheets include
project work plan forms and related correspondence. Detailed information on the work plan forms includes: date; camp number;
number and name of project; number and name of work plan; location; description of project; and estimated budget.
A second section of the series consists of "Albany General Correspondence," general orders, and other administrative records.
The general correspondence is with the Conservation Department in Albany regarding personnel and employment issues, financial
matters, and camp project proposals. The general order files contain memoranda, orders, and regulations from the U.S. War
Department and the Headquarters Second Corps Area in Governor's Island, New York, concerning the general administration of
the CCC camps. Additional administrative records in this section document general camp operations and include records of equipment
and materials purchases (1935); applications for work (1936); data and policy statements on construction of truck trails to
fight fires, including location, mileage, trail barriers, and inspection assignments (1936-1937); and personnel handbook sheets
(1935-1941).
One set of card files in the series records the history of ninety-three CCC camps in New York. Arranged by alpha-numeric camp
code, the 3" x 5" cards include: camp code number and location; date established; names of property lessor and lessee; renewal
data; termination or abandonment date; deposition (for example razed or salvaged); and conditions of lease.
An alphabetical personnel card file entitled "Men who worked or applied for work with CCC" includes about 600 4" x 6" cards.
A notation makes a filing distinction between applicants and employees. "Applicants cards" list the name and address of the
applicant; the camp's name; the position title and rate of pay; and sometimes a date of appointment. Typically some elements
of information are missing in these cards and there are several cards at the end of the group that were apparently not processed.
"Employees cards" list employee's name; camp name; date of appointment; position title; employee's address, education, age,
marital status, and number of children; rate of pay; projects assigned; quality of work; conduct; promotion status; and number
of relatives employed in federal service.
The final section of the series contains 5" x 8" "Status Record" and "Efficiency Rating Record" forms. There are two alphabetical
sets of these forms, but the distinction between them is not known. The first set is incomplete; employees are listed only
under letters D, F, G, H, K, L, M, P, R, S, and Z. The second set is clearly labeled "out of service." Forms in the two sets
are identical, as is the typical final status information recorded (generally dismissed, resigned, transferred, or deceased).
The status record forms provide each employee's title, grade, and salary as well as the forest or office, ranger district,
and headquarters where the employee worked. The efficiency rating record forms include a proportionally weighted evaluation
of the employee's grasp of instructions; neatness; industry; knowledge of work; judgment; personality; cooperativeness; and
initiative. Disciplinary actions, if any, are noted on the forms as are post service records (which include date and cause
of death) if available.
Alternate Formats Available
Microform is available for use at the New York State Archives or through interlibrary loan.
Access Restrictions
There are no restrictions regarding access to or use of this material.
Access Terms
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Detailed Description
| Dates |
Contents |
Box |
Folder |
Roll |
Accretion: A3268-88 |
| 1935 |
Camp S-56 (Lake Clear Junction) Correspondence |
1 |
|
1 |
| 1935 |
Camp S-63 (Tupper Lake) Reports |
1 |
|
1 |
| 1935 |
Camp S-60 (Paul Smith's) Correspondence |
1 |
|
1 |
| 1936 |
Camp S-60 (Paul Smith's) Correspondence |
1 |
|
1 |
| 1939-1940 |
Camp S-60 (Paul Smith's) Correspondence |
1 |
|
1 |
| 1941 |
Camp S-60 (Paul Smith's) Correspondence |
1 |
|
1 |
| 1935 |
Camp S-60 (Paul Smith's) Reports |
1 |
|
1 |
| 1936 |
Camp S-60 (Paul Smith's) Reports |
1 |
|
1 |
| 1937 February-1938 June |
Camp S-60 (Paul Smith's) Project Work Plan Sheets |
1 |
|
1 |
| 1937 July-1938 June |
Camp S-60 (Paul Smith's) Project Work Plan Sheets |
1 |
|
1 |
| 1938-1940 |
Camp S-60 (Paul Smith's) Project Work Plan Sheets |
1 |
|
1 |
| 1939-1940 |
Camp S-60 (Paul Smith's) Project Work Plan Sheets |
1 |
|
2 |
| 1941 |
Camp S-60 (Paul Smith's) Comprehensive Fire Control Plan Project Sheets |
1 |
|
2 |
| 1935 |
Camp S-63 (Tupper Lake) Correspondence |
1 |
|
2 |
| 1936 |
Camp S-63 (Tupper Lake) Correspondence |
1 |
|
2 |
| 1937 |
Camp S-63 (Tupper Lake) Correspondence |
1 |
|
2 |
| 1935 |
Camp S-63 (Tupper Lake) Reports |
1 |
|
2 |
| 1935 |
Camp S-71 (Lake Placid) Correspondence |
1 |
|
2 |
| 1936 |
Camp S-71 (Lake Placid) Correspondence |
1 |
|
2 |
| 1937 |
Camp S-71 (Lake Placid) Correspondence |
1 |
|
3 |
| 1935-1936 |
Camp S-71 (Lake Placid) Equipment Reports and Work Plans |
1 |
|
3 |
| 1936 |
Camp S-71 (Lake Placid) Reports |
1 |
|
3 |
| 1937 July-1938 June |
Camp S-71 (Lake Placid) Project Work Plan Sheets |
1 |
|
3 |
| 1936 |
Camp S-84 (Benson Mines) Correspondence |
1 |
|
3 |
| 1936 |
Camp S-102 (Plattsburg) Correspondence |
1 |
|
3 |
| 1937 |
Camp S-102 (Plattsburg) Correspondence |
1 |
|
3 |
| 1940 |
Camp S-102 (Plattsburg) Correspondence |
1 |
|
3 |
| 1940 November-1941 October |
Camp P-102 (Plattsburg) Project Work Plan Sheets |
1 |
|
3 |
| 1941 March-May |
Camp P-102 (Plattsburg) Project Work Plan Sheets |
1 |
|
3 |
| 1940 |
Camp S-138 (Lake Placid) Correspondence |
1 |
|
3 |
| 1941 |
Camp S-138 (Lake Placid) Correspondence |
1 |
|
3 |
| 1940 |
Camp S-138 (Lake Placid) Project Work Plan Sheets |
1 |
|
3 |
| 1933-1936 |
Albany General Correspondence |
1 |
|
3 |
| 1934 December-1935 December |
Albany General Correspondence |
1 |
|
4 |
| 1937 |
Albany General Correspondence |
1 |
|
4 |
| 1939-1940 |
Albany General Correspondence |
1 |
|
4 |
| 1939 December-1941 November |
Albany General Correspondence |
1 |
|
4 |
| 1941 December-1942 March |
Albany General Correspondence |
1 |
|
4 |
| 1935 August-December |
General Orders |
1 |
|
4 |
| 1935 June-August |
General Orders |
1 |
|
4 |
| 1935 January-May |
General Orders |
1 |
|
5 |
| 1936 June-December |
General Orders |
2 |
|
5 |
| 1936 January-June |
General Orders |
2 |
|
5 |
| 1936 January-1937 December |
General Orders |
2 |
|
5 |
| 1940 January-November |
General Orders |
2 |
|
5 |
| 1941 January-December |
General Orders |
2 |
|
6 |
| 1941 December-1942 April |
General Orders |
2 |
|
6 |
| 1935 |
Equipment and Material Turned Over to Camps |
2 |
|
6 |
| 1936 |
Applications for Work |
2 |
|
6 |
| 1936-1937 |
State Forest Preserve Truck Trails Data |
2 |
|
6 |
| 1935-1941 |
Amended Handbook Sheets [1 of 2] |
2 |
|
6 |
| 1935-1941 |
Amended Handbook Sheets [2 of 2] |
2 |
|
6 |
| 1941 |
Amended Handbook Sheets |
2 |
|
6 |
|
Camp History Card File |
2 |
|
6 |
|
Employees Card File |
2 |
|
6-7 |
|
Employee Status and Efficiency Ratings Records, D-Z and A-M |
3 |
|
7-8 |
|
Employee Status and Efficiency Ratings Records, N-Z |
4 |
|
8 |
