The CCC in New Mexico

Over lunch today, headed next door (me) and down from Museum Hill (Monica) to the Fray Angélico Chávez History Library for their "Brainpower & Brownbags" series. David, Monica's creative director and a historian, gave a talk on "The New Deal Legacy: The Civilian Conservation Corps in New Mexico."



It was a short presentation, so he could only give a brief overview of the CCC, but he showed some of the projects they undertook in New Mexico, including Bandelier and Hyde Park. He also showed some of what camp life was like and how the CCC was run, including some of its principles and the controversies surrounding it. The presentation concluded with a combination/condensation of a couple recruiting-type movies.

Pretty amazing to consider what was accomplished in those years, how the construction continues to have such an impact on our access to and enjoyment of the outdoors. On a long weekend in Shenandoah National Park a few years back, we got a great introduction to the CCC and how they shaped the land there and the affect they hand on the community.

And because we were out in the audience, David also made reference to the CCC camp that was located in what became Casa Solana — the one that was converted to a Japanese internment camp.

The building used to house the main library, and it's a small, but nice and open, space. Still got a card catalog — and a great tile display behind the counter, as well as the librarian's Homies collection (click for larger).