by Alex Gugel , all rights reserved
Grand CanyonCivilian Conservation Corps Walking Tour |
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The
Civilian Conservation Corps
2. Bright Angel Trailhead
Ascend the stairway and walk to the right (west),
following the rim a few hundred feet to the stoneand-pipe mule corral.
A Legacy Preserved at Grand Canyon Village
1933
Severe economic depression
challenged the confidence of the
people of the United States. One in four people was
unemployed. Many were homeless. Serious drought
gripped large areas of the West and Midwest.
The nation’s leaders felt that the economic and
social problems demanded immediate action.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt was sworn into the
presidency on March 4. He called Congress
into emergency session on March 9, introduced
legislation for the Civilian Conservation Corps
(ccc) on March 27, and he signed the bill on
March 31. On April 7 the first enrollee took the
ccc oath! By the end of 1935 the ccc employed
more than 500,000 men at over 2,650 camps in
every state. The creation of the ccc was a model
of speediness. It became the most popular of
Roosevelt’s New Deal programs.
Unemployed young men (women were not
eligible) signed up for a six-month “hitch.” The
government provided enrollees with barracksstyle sleeping space, meals, basic health care,
and $30 per month, of which $25 went home to
assist their families. The ccc assigned enrollees
to companies of about 200 men, supervised
by regular and reserve military officers. The
enrollees completed conservation work on lands
across the United States.
Grand Canyon National Park’s first ccc contingent arrived on May 29, 1933. Ccc crews worked
on the South Rim, North Rim, and in the inner
canyon until 1942. Companies 818, 819, 847,
2543, 2833, 3318, and 4814 served not only at
Grand Canyon, but a few companies also undertook projects near Tucson and Phoenix, Arizona
during the winter months.
The original purpose of the ccc was to put
young men to work on worthwhile conservation
projects that would benefit the country. Early
in its existence, however, the program added
emphasis to teach “the boys” skills and trades.
At Grand Canyon some men learned typing and
bookkeeping, while others acquired carpentry,
truck driving, plumbing, masonry, drafting,
welding, and blacksmithing skills. In addition,
the ccc educational advisor taught classes
in mathematics, reading, history, grammar,
photography, and “Laying Out and Planning a
Job” after the days work. Over nine years more
than 40,000 previously illiterate men nationwide learned to read, while 400,000 completed
high school requirements and others worked
on college credits.
Area Information
Restrooms : Restrooms are surprisingly rare in
Grand Canyon Village, a reminder of the scarcity
of water and proximity of the bedrock. Public
restrooms are available at the train depot (when
the train is at the station), El Tovar Hotel, Bright
Angel Lodge, and the Backcountry Information
Center in Parking Lot E.
Accessibility: People with mobility restrictions
may find the Grand Canyon Village area difficult
to explore. The walk between Kolb Studio and
stop 2 (Bright Angel Trailhead) rises steeply and
is not wheelchair accessible. The route between
stops 5 (North Rim View) and 6 (Navajo Street)
contains multiple flights of stairs. Consider
reaching stops 1 through 5 from the accessible
parking spaces near Hopi House. Accessible
restrooms are available in Bright Angel Lodge, El
Tovar Hotel, and the Community Building (Stop
9, weekdays only). Reach the Bright Angel Lodge
restrooms from the rim side of the building and
only after obtaining a key from the front desk.
American Indians used the route followed by the
Bright Angel Trail long before the first pioneers
arrived in the 1880s. Walk 800 feet (250 m) down
the trail to just past the first tunnel and look high
up on the cliff to see pictographs dating from
centuries ago.
The CCC Walking Tour
The walking tour travels a circular route of
approximately 1.5 miles (2.4 km), although you can
begin at any point and walk as much of the loop
as you wish. Directions to each stop are in italics.
Features are identified by name or description as
there are no numbers.
The full tour takes approximately one to two
hours. Carry water with you during the summer.
The National Park Service recommends sun protection, a hat and sunscreen, during the warmer
months. Do not stand on exposed areas of the
rim during thunderstorms. After winter storms,
walkways may be slippery.
The text starts at the stairway near Kolb Studio.
You can reach Kolb Studio by walking along the
rim from El Tovar Hotel or Bright Angel Lodge.
Or ride the free shuttle bus to the Bright Angel
Lodge stop and walk out to the rim. Or begin the
tour at any convenient stop.
1. Stairway
From Kolb Studio walk the short distance to the
stairs going up.
In 1891 local entrepreneur Ralph Cameron and
his partners improved the trail and charged a
toll of $1 per horse; hikers traveled for free. The
trail was transferred to the National Park Service
(nps) in 1928. The following year the nps began a
major reconstruction of the trail. With help from
the ccc, the nps completed the work in 1939.
The early trail was only two to three feet (less
than one meter) wide in spots. With pick, shovel,
drill, and dynamite contractors and the ccc boys
rerouted and reconstructed the trail to its present
four to six foot (1.2 – 2 m) width.
Crew members from the Civilian Conservation
Corps completed the stairs leading up from Kolb
Studio in 1936. Compare the historic photograph
to the stairway as it looks today. How many differences can you find? Can you locate the tree in
the photo? Notice how much it has grown.
During the same period, the ccc completed rustic
rock and timber shelters at 1.5-mile, 3-mile, Indian
Garden, and Pipe Creek near the Colorado River.
These pleasing shelters are still protecting tens
of thousands of trail users from inclement weather
each year. All of these resthouses have emergency
telephones connected to the Transcanyon
Telephone Line and most have water, although the
water is turned off in the colder months.
3. Transcanyon Telephone Line
Reverse your direction and walk east back along the
rim. Descend the ccc steps and continue past Kolb
Studio, Lookout Studio, and Bright Angel Lodge.
Look for the bronze plaque on the stone wall.
Because communication between the North
and South Rims was frequently difficult and
unreliable, the ccc began construction of a
telephone line across the canyon in November
1934. A group started from each side of the
canyon, stringing telephone line on metal poles
down steep cliffs and
over narrow gullies.
Not only was the terrain
rugged, but also inner
canyon temperatures in
the summer frequently
exceeded 100°F (40°C)!
When completed in
September 1935, the
line stretched from the
North Rim along the
North Kaibab Trail to
Cottonwood Camp and
Phantom Ranch. From
Phantom Ranch the line
crossed the Colorado
River to a spur line on
the South Kaibab Trail
at the Tipoff. The main
line continued along
the Bright Angel Trail
connecting Phantom
Ranch to Indian Garden, the resthouses, and
the South Rim developed area. The line was
used so extensively for administrative purposes
and rescues that another circuit was added in
1938-39. The Transcanyon Telephone Line has
been used frequently to aid hikers, mule riders,
and river rafters. When completed, the line was
25 miles (40 km) long, later reduced to 18 (29
km), with a total of 592 metal poles. Although
microwave transmissions, satellite phones, and
radios have replaced line transmissions (cell
phones do not work within the canyon), small
portions of the original line are still used today.
4. A Rock Wall with Heart
Walk east along the rim to between Kachina Lodge
and El Tovar Hotel. Look for the heart-shaped
stone in the guard wall.
Civilian Conservation Corps crews completely
rebuilt the rock wall along the rim from
Verkamps Curios to Lookout
Studio in 1934–35, replacing
a deteriorated, poorly
constructed
dry-laid
wall and a section of
wooden fence. Project
planners standardized
dimensions at 27
inches (69 cm) high
and 18 inches (46 cm)
wide. Although the crews
built the walls for safety,
they present a very pleasing
appearance. Can you find the spot
where the men in the picture below were working?
Hint: look on the rim by Hopi House.
Look between Kachina Lodge and El Tovar
Hotel to see Colter Hall, a two-story rock
building. Colter Hall has served as housing for
single women concession employees since it was
built in the 1930s. Did a ccc boy carve the stone
heart and place it in the wall as a symbol to his
beloved in Colter Hall? Or is this just an interesting natural rock? No one knows.
While the ccc crews were
refurbishing the rock wall,
they also constructed
new log benches. Watch
for the log benches
as you walk along the
rim. Pause to enjoy
the view. Are these
the original benches?
Again, no one is certain
as documentation is
lacking.
During the summer of 1935, the ccc
resurfaced the path along the rim in this area
and improved the trail to the east as far as Yavapai Observation Station.
8. Culvert
5. North Rim View
North Rim and Inner Canyon Projects
Walk east along the rim to the wooden bench
between Hopi House and Verkamp’s Curios.
Follow the sidewalk a few hundred feet farther
west. The culvert is slightly below the paved path
on the right.
Nearly nine miles (14 km) away on the North
Rim of Grand Canyon sits the Grand Canyon
Lodge, barely visible from here. Company 818
worked on the higher and cooler North Rim
during the summer months. Projects completed
included buildings, fences, and roads. The crews
also helped fight forest fires when necessary.
Civilian Conservation Corps crews installed this
culvert and made many roadside improvements
in the area from 1933 to 1937. This culvert has
required little maintenance over the last 65 years.
The men moved
to inner canyon
areas such as
Phantom Ranch
during the winter
months. Today’s
Bright Angel
Campground
at Phantom
Ranch sits on
the footprint of
the Company
818 camp. More
challenging
projects included
a number of inner
canyon trails. The
Ribbon Falls Trail,
a half-mile (0.8
km) spur off the North Kaibab Trail, still leads
hikers to a beautiful waterfall. Even more ambitious was the nine-mile (14 km) Clear Creek Trail
(1933-36) on the cover panel of this brochure.
The Colorado River Trail (also 1933-36),
connecting the Bright Angel Trail and the South
Kaibab Trail along the south side of the Colorado
River, is only two miles (3 km) long, but has
the reputation of being the most difficult and
hazardous trail construction ever attempted in
the canyon. Crew members blasted the trail bed
into the schist and granite cliffs directly above the
river. Note the “safety” rope on the one worker
in the above photo.
9. Community Building
Stop 5 is the last stop along the rim. If you would
like to continue on the full tour, walk away from
the rim and follow the sidewalk past the El Tovar
Hotel front porch. Descend the stairway toward
the Railroad Depot. Follow the sidewalk along the
road east to the multilevel rock building at the foot
of the hill, the first National Park Service administration building. Use the crosswalk to go around
the railroad tracks and past the General Offices of
the park concessioner. The next stop is by the rock
pillars at the entrance to Navajo Street.
6. Navajo Street Rock Wall
The ccc constructed these rock pillars and walls
in 1934 as a visual barrier between the public
area and the residential area up Navajo Street.
Historians believe that this is ccc work, although
documentation is lacking. The recessed cement
between the stones was a common ccc technique. Civilian Conservation Corps rock work
has proven to be durable. Notice the extensive
growth of lichens on the stone—a clue to the age
of these structures.
Civilian Conservation Corps workers accomplished many of the improvements in this vicinity
in 1935—curbing, landscaping, culverts, and
headwalls. Civil Works Administration crews,
however, completed this path in 1934. The shortlived Civil Works Administration became part of
the Works Progress Administration in 1935.
7. Wooden Bridge
Walk west on the sidewalk along Village Loop Road
a few hundred feet, passing the former hospital that
now serves as headquarters for the Grand Canyon
Association. Cross the road in the crosswalk and
look for the wooden bridge on the right.
The ccc built two bridges across this normally
dry drainage leading to the railroad tracks. The
remaining bridge dates to 1937. A close look
reveals that some of the timbers have been
replaced recently, including adding metal beams
underneath. The National Park Service mission
includes the preservation or stabilization of
historic structures. When the original structure
became unsafe, the nps reconstructed it with the
aid of historical photographs.
Continue west along Village Loop Road passing
the mule barn and corral, home of the mules that
carry visitors into the canyon. The two-story
wooden building just to the west of the corral is the
Community Building.
The Public Works Administration funded the
construction of the Community Building, while
the ccc and the National Park Service provided
the labor. Begun in 1934 and completed in 1935,
it replaced a structure in another location that
had burned the year before. Over the years
the Community Building has housed a public
library, hosted plays and community meetings,
and offered movies. A carbon-arc projector still
resides in the upstairs loft, but it is not available
for inspection. The second floor was the lodge
meeting room, but also served as a day care
center and classrooms.
In 1996 the building underwent a substantial
rehabilitation. The Community Building
currently is used for community cultural,
educational, and informational events, as well
as housing offices. Although the Community
Building is open to the public, please be considerate of those working and learning and limit any
inside visits to the first floor.
This is the last stop on the tour. To return to Kolb
Studio, follow the service road north to the railroad tracks. Carefully cross the tracks and use the
stairs by Bright Angel Lodge to arrive back on the
rim. Or ride the free shuttle bus from the Center
Road stop east of the Community Building.
Building a Legacy
The Civilian Conservation Corps remains the
most successful and best remembered of President
Franklin Roosevelt’s Depression era programs.
Was it because it involved willing and enthusiastic young men working in an outdoor
setting constructing essential and longlasting projects?
The Civilian Conservation Corps exhibited a model of cooperation, with several
federal agencies working together for a
common goal. The Department of Labor, in
conjunction with local relief agencies, selected
the enrollees. Personnel from the Departments
of Interior and Agriculture provided training for
the enrollees, as well as planned and supervised the
work. The Department of War, along with other
military agencies, provided medical examinations
and transported the men from induction centers
to work camps. Military personnel supervised the
men while in camp, coordinated the work projects,
provided medical care, fed, clothed, and paid the
enrollees. The Director of the ccc, guided by an
advisory council, reported directly to the President.
When the Civilian Conservation Corps
program began, some people objected to
any military influence in the organization. In
Europe unscrupulous leaders used similar
National Park Service
U.S. Department of the Interior
youth programs for questionable political
ends. By the late 1930s, the threat of war
convinced ccc leaders to allow some military
components, such as marching and radio
communication, in the training for the
program. Ccc enrollees, experienced
in a military-like regimen, were
some of the first to serve in World
War II.
•
•
•
•
•
•
The legacy of the Civilian Conservation Corps rests on the tremendous
number of projects completed
throughout the United States:
more than 28,000 miles (45,000 km) of new trails
constructed and 114,000 miles (184,000 km) of
existing trails rebuilt,
3,000,000,000 trees planted,
89,000 miles (143,000 km) of telephone line strung,
800 new state parks developed,
40,000,000 acres (16,000,000 ha) of farm lands
benefited through erosion control, and
in excess of 63,000 buildings constructed—
picnic shelters, trail shelters, restrooms, cabins,
lookout towers, and museums.
A greater legacy resides in the men who
participated in the program. These young men
exhibited bravery in the face of unseen difficulties. As soon as the government
announced the program,
young men enrolled. Some
traveled long distances from
home to work among others of
different backgrounds. Some
lived in environments they had
never experienced before. Yet
they persevered. While the
legacy of the ccc includes the
lasting improvements to this
park, the determination of
both the boys and their leaders
is a model for us all. As Martin
Luther King, Jr. was to say
more than a generation later,
“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he
stands in moments of comfort and convenience,
but where he stands at times of challenge and
controversy.”
In your travels to other parks, both state and
federal, look for projects accomplished by the
Civilian Conservation Corps boys. A lowly culvert,
picturesque footbridge, much used picnic shelter,
or imposing museum serve as reminders of the
many accomplishments of these young men.
Perhaps your grandfather or great uncle served on
a ccc or other Depression era agency crew. Have
you heard his stories? Many can tell of experiencing a journey from despair to hopefulness.
Grand Canyon National Park
Arizona
Civilian
Conservation
Corps
at Grand Canyon Village
Additional Information
The Civilian Conservation Corps in northern
Arizona:
Purvis, Louis, The Ace in the Hole; A Brief History
of Company 818 of the Civilian Conservation
Corps. Turner Publishing, 1989.
This history of one of the ccc companies at
Grand Canyon is available at all Grand Canyon
Association outlets.
Moore, Robert J., The Civilian Conservation
Corps in Arizona’s Rim Country: Working in the
Woods. University of Nevada Press, 2006.
The following titles appear to be out of print and
difficult to find, but perhaps you can locate them
in your library or through interlibrary loan:
Nolte, M. Chester, ed., The Civilian Conservation
Corps, The Way We Remember It, 1933-1942;
Personal Stories of Life in the Ccc. Brentwood
Christian Press, 1990.
Salmond, John A., The Civilian Conservation
Corps, 1933-1942: A New Deal Case Study. Duke
University Press, 1967.
Civilian Conservation Corps Legacy (ccc
alumni) Website: www.cccalumni.org
A Walking Tour