Georgia Magazine - February 2011 - (Page 19)

Exploring selected CCC sites From Georgia’s mountains to its coast, these sites preserve the enduring legacy of Roosevelt’s Tree Army. State parks 1. Vogel State Park: The men built Lake Trahlyta and constructed cabins and lodge buildings in this Northeast Georgia mountains park. Vogel is home to the John Derden CCC Museum and hosts an annual reunion each May. They also built the nearby Blood Mountain shelter and the Walasi-Yi building (now Mountain Crossings) at Neel’s Gap. 2. Fort Mountain State Park: The men erected the summit observation tower (look for the heart-shaped stone carved by a CCC foreman for his fiancée), picnic pavilions and cabins. 3. Hard Labor Creek State Park: Reclaimed from worn-out farmland, CCC features include picnic pavilions, group camp buildings, Lake Rutledge and exhibits in the trading post and old blacksmith shop. Original CCC barracks buildings may be seen near the boat ramp. 4. A.H. Stephens State Park: Surrounding Alexander Stephens’ (congressman, Confederate vice president and Georgia governor) plantation home, the park features CCC-era structures. These include the visitor center by Lake Liberty (modeled after FDR’s Little White House) and a rare wood-sided fire tower. Interestingly, the first movie ever shown in Crawfordville, was a viewing of “King Kong” projected on the side of a CCC barracks building. 5. Indian Springs State Park: At Georgia’s oldest park, CCC men erected a fieldstone pavilion (originally a dance hall), springhouse, museum and cottages. 6. Little Ocmulgee State Park and Lodge: Located near McRae, the park features a 265acre lake, pavilion, cabins and picnic shelters, all constructed by the CCC. 7. F.D. Roosevelt State Park: A short distance from Roosevelt’s cottage, CCC Boys developed the park with help from the WPA. FDR often visited the men and may have contributed to the design of the visitor center, amphitheater and the unusual Liberty Bellshaped swimming pool. For more on state parks, call (800) 864-7275, or visit www.gastateparks.org. REN DAVIS The CCC-built art deco-style visitor center at the Ocmulgee National Monument contains two rooms of artifacts found during excavations on site. NATIONAL PARK SERVICE CCC men work on the drainage canal at Fort Pulaski. nesaw Mountain, Ocmulgee National Monument, Andersonville and Fort Pulaski. While projects in the newly established Chattahoochee National Forest emphasized replanting trees and controlling erosion, CCC enrollees also developed recreation areas to provide access for woodlands recreation. Today, CCC-built campgrounds, picnic areas and trails at Lake Conasauga, near the summit of Grassy Mountain; the Pocket, northwest of Rome; and Lake Winfield Scott, south of Blairsville, remain for all to enjoy. Atlanta writer Ren Davis and his wife, Helen, are authors of “Atlanta Walks” (4th edition spring 2011) and “Georgia Walks.” Their new book, “Our Mark On This Land: Discovering the Civilian Conservation Corps Legacy in America’s Parks,” will be released in 2011. February 2011 National parks 8. Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park: The men laid out park roads and trails, planted trees and stabilized Civil War fortifications. Traces of the CCC camp remain within the park. 9. Ocmulgee National Monument: The men built the Art Moderne-style visitor center, blazed trails and assisted archeologists in restoring the ancient earth lodge. 10. Fort Pulaski National Monument: Originally constructed in the 1830s under the eye of a young Robert E. Lee, the fort was partially restored by the CCC. Enrollees also reclaimed the moat and constructed a bridge to the mainland. For more information on national parks, visit www.nps.gov. Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest 11. Lake Conasauga: Nestled in the Cohutta Mountains, the recreation area was developed by the CCC. Men built a dam impounding Georgia’s highest lake (3,150 feet above sea level), laid out the campground, built picnic shelters and erected the original Grassy Mountain fire tower. 12. The Pocket: CCC Boys blazed trails and erected picnic shelters surrounding a mountain meadow. 13. Lake Winfield Scott: One of the Corps’ final projects, the men built the lake, erected the group pavilion and laid out the campground. For more information on national forests, visit www.fs.fed.us/conf. More online at www.georgiamagazine.org 19 http://www.gastateparks.org http://www.nps.gov http://www.fs.fed.us/conf http://www.georgiamagazine.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Georgia Magazine - February 2011

Georgia Magazine - February 2011
Contents
Viewpoint
Mailbox
Picture This?
Georgia News
Calendar
Currents
Georgia's Engergy Outlook
Tree Army's Legacy
Bringing the Future into Focus
My Georgia
Gardens
Georgia Cooks
Snapshot

Georgia Magazine - February 2011