CCC Built Many Forest Roads And Bridges

The 1920s were generally a time of prosperity throughout the United States.  The Dow Jones Industrial Average peaked at 381.17 on September 3, 1929 but during September and October stock prices began to slip.  Then on just two days, October 28 and 29, the Dow dropped nearly 70 points.  October 29, 1929 is known as Black Tuesday and often associated with the beginning of the Great Depression.  During the early 1930s unemployment reached 25%.  Those who did have jobs saw their wages severely reduced. 

When Franklin Roosevelt became President in January 1933 he instituted numerous projects and programs, known as the New Deal, to aid in stabilizing the economy and provide jobs.  The leading program under Roosevelt’s New Deal was the Civilian Conservation Corps, popularly known as the CCC.  The work relief program provided thousands of manual labor jobs for unemployed, unmarried men from 17-28 years of age. 

John's Rock Camp

An April 20, 1933 Transylvania Times article states that a CCC camp will be built at John’s Rock on the Davidson River for over 200 men.  The men enlisted for six months initially.  They were paid $1 a day and provided subsistence.  The camp officially opened on May 20, 1933.

Balsam Grove Camp

    On June 22, 1933 a second Transylvania County CCC camp opened in Balsam Grove.  It was located on Shoal Creek Road, just above the Gloucester Bridge.  After the John’s Rock Camp closed in January 1938 the Balsam Grove Camp relocated to John’s Rock in June 1938.

The John’s Rock and Balsam Grove camps were both U.S. Forest Service camps.  There were a total of nine CCC camps located in the Pisgah National Forest, plus additional camps in the Nantahala National Forest and Great Smoky Mountains Park. 

The work included planting thousands of trees where lumbering had left bare mountainsides.  Hundreds of miles of roads, along with bridges and culverts, were built throughout the forest.   Trails and fire lookout towers were also constructed.   

The first group of men selected from Transylvania County to join the CCC was assigned to a camp near Barnardsville.  Older men from Transylvania County were employed to serve as foremen and supervisors at the John’s Rock and Balsam Grove camps.

Toxaway Mountain Cabin and Lookout Tower

On July 9, 1935 Camp Sledge from the North Wilkesboro area was relocated to Transylvania County.  The camp was located on the north side of Brevard, near the present day Blue Ridge Community College.  This was a private lands camp.  They worked on projects in Henderson, Jackson, Polk and Transylvania counties, including work on the Horse Pasture Watershed and construction of a fire lookout tower and cabin on Toxaway Mountain.

Photographs and information for this column are provided by the Rowell Bosse North Carolina Room, Transylvania County Library.  Visit the NC Room during regular library hours (Monday-Friday) to learn more about our history and see additional photographs.  For more information, comments or suggestions contact Marcy at marcy.thompson@transylvaniacounty.org or 828-884-3151 X242.