In the Shadow of the Mountain: The Spirit of the CCC

by Edwin G. Hill, Craig Holstine (Foreword)

On March 21, 1933, with the nation in darkest despair because of the Great Depression, President Franklin D. Roosevelt asked Congress to create a civilian conservation corps to be used in forestry, the prevention of soil erosion, flood control, and similar projects. Thus, just seventeen days after taking office, Roosevelt's New Deal had launched the mobilization of the largest peacetime labor army in American history--helping to save not only the nation's long-neglected natural resources, but also its vastly underemployed youth. In the Shadow of the Mountain recounts the story of Edwin G. Hill, a typical recruit who spent "the most enjoyable and rewarding years" of his life in the Civilian Conservation Corps--the "We can take it" boys. Hill was enrolled for a year at Camp Hard Labor Creek in Georgia and for two years in Washington state in the great "shadow" of Mount Adams and Mount St. Helens. He recounts how recruits gained hope where there was none before, learned skills for lifelong occupations, received education, laughed and roughhoused, met and married local girls, and answered their nation's call during World War II, when nearly 3,000,000 CCC men, accustomed to barracks life and toughened by outdoor work, made a substantial contribution to America's ultimate victory.

208 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 1990

Reviews

[Deb W]

I read most of this, but did skip over some of the camps only because it was becoming redundant. It's obviously a labor of love on the part of the author, and I am convinced that the CCC concept adapted to present day could be a solution to many of today's economic and social problems.

I recommend it.

[Leila Kern]

I found the subject of this book fascinating. The Civilian Conservation Corp was instituted by Franklin Delano Roosevelt during the Depression era to aid families. Wonderful idea and helped so many young men. Humans today benefit from this time period.

[Vera]

Went to a lecture at our local library and this was one of the recommended books. Very simple story that shares one retired CCC's experience in the first half of the book. The rest of the book are shorter stories of other CCCs in the Washington camps. What a great idea the CCC was.

[Mimi]

My dad was in the CCC I the thirties in Oregon, so I was interested in these stories mostly set in Washington state. 3,7

[Marie]

Loved learning more about the CCC. I had no idea of the depth of their impact on our nation.