MORE READING OF INTEREST
The Pennsylvania CCC—a WONDERFUL description of CCC camp history in Pennsylvania.
Read more about what the CCC is and what the CCC does, by Hon. R Fechner
THE GETTYSBURG TIMES, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 1935.
NO MORE C.C.C. CAMPS IN ADAMS
Franklin and York Counties Included in List; 139 In State.
Washington, June 12.—Civilian Conservation corps officials said Tuesday that under the expanded program recently approved by President Roosevelt, Pennsylvania would have 139 CCC camps, including nine assigned to the soil erosion service. Of the total, officials said, forty one are new camps The remainder were established under the old program. Under the new plan, Pennsylvania, would be entitled to place 48,700 men in CCC camps, approximately 20,000 of the enrollers being assigned to work projects in other states.
Locations of the new camps, most of which are already under construction, follow Endeavor, Warren county, Marienville, Forest county; Ridgway. Elk county, Kinzua, McKean county; Kane, Elk county; Sheffield, Warren county; Corydon, McKean county; Mt Union, Huntingdon county; Kato, Centre county; Sinnamahonning, Cameron county, Karthaus, Clearfield county; two at Emporium. Cameron county; Montoursville, Lycommg county; Austin, Potter county; Laurelton, Union county; Moosic and Maple lake, Lacicawanna county; two in Raccoon Creek State park; two in Laurel Hill State park; Pymatuning Dam State park; Port Necessity State park, Juniata county; Bloomsburg, Columbia county; Carbon county, Ramsburg, Bedford county; Ansoma, Tioga county; Indiana, Indiana county; Punxsutawney, Jefferson county, Westmoreland and Franklin counties; Sligo, Clarion county; Shelocta, Indiana county; York and Lancaster counties; Trexler-Lehigh Game preserve, Lehigh county, French Creek State park; Carlisle barracks and Camp Tobyhanna. Robert L Johnson, state relief director, announced Tuesday 29, 254 Pennsylvania (youths from 18 and 28 will be enrolled in CCC camps between June 15 and August 31. The enrollment will be in addition to 14,986 already in camp Only those on relief or whose families are on relief are eligible. Johnson said the new quota of 44,240 young men will receive more than $1,200000 a month, of which $1,000,000 will be paid to dependents.
July 13, 1935 Indiana Evening Gazette (haven't downloaded yet)
...in Clarion County at Sligo, Pa. We wish to extend our heartiest congratulations to these.
Indiana Evening Gazette, Indiana PA 16 Oct 1935
SOIL CONSERVATION DEMONSTRATION IN CLARION COUNTY
Under the supervision of a representative of the Du Point De Nemours Company, a propagation ditching demonstration was given recently in the presence of 300 interested persons on the Messrs. Amos and Clyde Myers' farms near Sligo, Clarion county. The Myers', who are cooperators with the Soil Conservation Service operating in Clarion county, furnished the explosives used in the demonstration.
The Soil Conservation Services, after obtaining the landowner's consent, felt justified in constructing this ditch for the purpose of controlling erosion and eliminate damage caused by mine sulfur water flowing unhindered over the land.
The method of procedure employed by engineers of the Soil Conservation Service in constructing the ditch line had been staked out, enrollees (CCC) labor drilled the holes for the dynamite. These holes were spaced eighteen inches apart and drilled to a depth of two feet. One stick of explosive was placed in each hole and an electric primer placed in one of the sticks. At a given signal the shot was fired. Simultaneously with the firing of the shot, a wall of earth, one hundred feet high and three and one half feet in depth - large enough to carry sulphur water, even during periods of exceptionally high water. In this particular instance, the danger of flooding has been eliminated and erosion controlled.
Since the demonstration of reclaiming mine-damaged fields for agricultural purposes on the Myers' farm a total of 1693 feet of ditch has been constructed in this same manner and for this same purpose in the Clarion county area. Fifty-one acres of land, previously badly eroded and unsuitable for cultivation, have been protected and benefited.
Hitherto, in many instances in Clarion county, small, inadequate ditches were cut through valuable fields to serve as mine drains. Heavy rains, invariably overtaxed the carrying capacity of the drains. As a result, sulpher water flooded the fields, killing all vegetation in its path - consequently the land was left bare and thus subject to erosion.
Agriculture, having long since outgrown mining in the Clarion county area, farmers are beginning to realize the folly of flooding their fields with acid sulphur water so that their mining operations might be carried on more economically.
1/13/1937 Indiana Progress — Soil Conservation Covers More than 78,000 Acres
Strip Cropping Started on 22,776 Acres of Crop Land - Thousands of Seedlings Planted
The first demonstration area of the Soil Conservation Service in Pennsylvania was established at Indiana in the fall of 1934. Since then other projects have been started at Vandergrift, Lancaster, and Waynesboro. In addition, similar work is being done around six CCC camps at Sprankles Mills, Sligo, Lancaster, Glen Rock, Todd and Waynesboro.
Since the beginning of the work, Pennsylvania farmers to the number of 724 have written co-operative agreements for soil conservation demonstrations on their farms, covering 78,132 acres of land. They have fenced out grazing from 4,547 acres of woodland and the government has supplied seedlings and planted them on 2,400 acres of rough or steeply sloped land. In order to prevent excessive water from running down steep slopes over cultivated fields, 200,528 feet of diversion ditches have been constructed. On 22,776 acres of cropland, farmers have begun strip cropping on the contour so that alternate strips of grass, small grain and cultivated crops are arranged around the slopes, running all crop rows on the level instead of up and down hill.
Many farmers have visited these demonstration projects and camp areas to see how these and other measures can be used on their farms to save their soils from washing down the slopes into the stream below.
March 18, 1939 Indiana Evening Gazette (haven't downloaded yet)
...This baseball league will include CCC camps at Punxsutawney Slickville Sligo and Shelocta Pa
Indiana Evening Gazette, Nov. 24, 1941
...2323 SCS5 Sligo
Oil City Blizzard, March 9, 1942
Washington, March 9.- Enrollees at the civilian conservation corps camp near Sligo, Clarion county, Pa., are being transferred to camp SCS-12, near Homer City, Pa., the CCC announced today. The transfer will bring the Homer City camp up to its full strength of 190.
Indiana Evening Gazette, Saturday, March 28, 1942
Increases: On March 16 this company received 50 enrollees by transfer from Co. 2327, Pavia, Pa., which had been disbanded as of the same date. On March 6, we received 39 enrollees from Sligo camp also abandoned. On March 13 we received seven new members by enrollment in Indiana while on March 16 and 17 we received four more new men from the Butler area and one from Altoona. This gives us a large company although some 22 are scheduled to leave at the end of March and 39 have volunteered to go to the Ninth Corps.
The camp was in operation until December of 1942.
ADDITIONAL MEMBERS OF THE CCC, not listed in the 1936 Annual.
Chepetz, John D. (a/k/a/ Cheppic, John D.) - biography and description of being stationed in Sligo's CCC during 1937.
John D. Chepetz reports having to break up with his first girlfriend in Sligo because of her father's objection to ccc men. "Biography of John D. Chepetz”. Source: At Work in Penn's Woods by Joseph M. Speakerman
DeCenzo, Joe — Joe DeCenzo was born March 18, 1918, and grew up in Indiana, PA. He enrolled in CCC Camp Sligo (SCS-5-PA) in April 1937, and was Company 2323's Clerk from then until June 26, 1941. He clearly remembers filling out CCC form 7 EVERY month detailing work accomplished. Joe was quite athletic, and soon after enrolling became the player/manager of the camp's baseball and basketball teams. He recalls that "the company commander had a keen interest in sports too, and on game day would assign the whole team to the same work detail and have them return to camp around 2:00, a couple of hours early. During basketball season, the CCC team would play the 'Third Game' after the JV and Varsity high school games. They would play semi-pro teams and pack the gym, which was a boost to the communities economy and morale. During baseball season, a church would usually sponsor a game as a fund raiser. The team would play a game at 11 am, the church would provide lunch, followed by the second game of the double header." After the CCC's, Joe joined the military to do his year of service, but stayed until World War II was over. In 1948, he started work with the Soil Conservation Service. Joe worked as an accountant with Hugh Hammond Bennett for about 10 years. Similar to his days with the CCC, after work, he would take classes at Southeastern University in DC where he earned his degree in Accounting. He recalls that Mr. Bennett had a farm in Northern Virginia and would give several SCSers the OPPORTUNITY to weed his garden and pick berries on the weekends. Source
Joseph De Cenzo, also of Camp SCS-5, reports that young women invited to dances at SCS-5 usually were chaperoned, three girls to a parent. Interview by author, June 26, 2004. Source: At Work in Penn's Woods by Joseph M. Speakerman
Joseph Decenzo, 88, of Clinton, Md., was a camp clerk, became a leader at the Sligo, Pa. camp at a whopping $45 a month, and was a star on camp baseball, softball and basketball teams. Keith Paugh, 81, of Middle River, Md., was a truck driver at the New Germany, Md. camp, and made $36 a month as an assistant leader.
"I didn't spend all the money, either, did you?" Mr. Paugh asked Mr. Decenzo.
"No, I didn't either," Mr. Decenzo said.
A movie cost 15 cents, a pack of cigarettes a nickel. Source
McKinsey, Henry R., Sgt. (Kane, Pa.) - Served one year with civilian conservation corps at Sligo, before enlisting in the U.S. Army and killed in action in Italy. (source: obituary of Henry R. McKinsey).
Oliver, James T. -- James T. Oliver, 84, of North Eberhart Road in Butler died Monday, March 29, 2004, at his residence. Born February 5, 1920 in Butler, he was a son of the late James T. and Bertha Rigby Oliver. He was the husband of Helen A. Chelesky Oliver. They were married October 26, 1946. He was the retired partner of Skillman Furniture and Moving in Princeton New Jersey. He operated his business from 1965 until his retirement in 1981. He had formerly worked at the Pullman-Standard Car Company in Butler, and also at C.A. Snyder Pontiac in Butler. As a young man, he worked in the Civilian Conservation Corps. (C.C.C Camps) in New Mexico and in Sligo, Pa. He was a World War II. veteran of the United States Navy. He was a member of St. Peter Roman Catholic Church in Butler. His wife, Helen Oliver, survives him. Also surviving are 2 brothers: Richard M. Oliver of Hanover, Pa.; Earl C. Oliver of Butler. Also numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by 1 brother. Oliver - Friends of James T. Oliver, who died March 29, 2004, will be received at the Geibel Funeral Home 201 East Cunningham Street in Butler from 2-4 and 7-9 p.m. Wednesday. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11:00 a.m. Thursday, April 1, 2004, from St. Peter Roman Catholic Church in Butler with Fr. Jack Nanz, pastor, officiating. Entombment will follow at the Calvary Cemetery Mausoleum. The Womens Council of St. Peter Parish will meet at 10:40 a.m. Thursday at the Church to recite the Rosary. Source: Geibel Funeral Home obituary notice.
RANDOLPH, ROGER P. — Retired custodian at W&J was veteran of WW II — Roger P. Randolph, 78, of Canton Township, died unexpectedly at 2:43 p.m. Monday, April 27, 1998, in Washington Hospital. He was born October 27, 1919, in Washington, a son of Charles "Cracker" and Flora Patterson Randolph. Mr. Randolph worked for Washington and Jefferson College as a custodian for 25 years prior to his retirement in 1994. He had previously worked at Hazel Atlas-Continental Can Glass plant for 24 years. As a young man, he worked with the Civilian Conservation Corps at Camp Sligo. He then enlisted in the U.S. Army, serving in the Western Pacific and was awarded the Philippine Liberation Ribbon, the Bronze Arrowhead Asiatic Pacific Theater Ribbon with two bronze service stars and the Good Conduct Medal. Surviving are a son, Kenneth E. Randolph of Washington; a sister, Cleo Randolph of Claysville; a half sister, LaVera Harris of Florida; eight half brothers, Shannon Randolph of Washington, Fred Randolph of North Carolina, Howard Randolph of Indiana, and John, Paul and Sam Randolph, all of Florida, Donnie Randolph and Ralph Randolph, both of Washington; a foster brother, Virgil C. Patterson of Washington; and two grandchildren, Brandon and Rachel Randolph. Deceased are a son, Roger P. Randolph Jr., who died in infancy; two brothers, Walter Randolph, his twin, and Charles Randolph; and two sisters, Martha Gzikowski and Lucille Durilla.
RUMMELL, KENNETH — Kenneth Rummel, who is in the CCC camp at Sligo, Pa., spent the Christmas vacation with his mother, Mrs. Elizabeth Rummel. 1/1/1936 Indiana Progress, Indiana, PA
YALSHEVEC, FRANK W. -- Born March 5, 1922 in Carbon Center, he was a son of the late Victor and Anna Senko Yalshevec. He was the husband of the late Genevieve Plucinski Yalshevec. They were married Januany 6, 1951, and she died January 21, 1972. As a young man in 1938, he worked in Civilian Conservation Corps. (C.C.C.) in Sligo, Pa. He was a World War II. veteran of the United States Army, where he was a ParaTrooper in the 517th. Combat team of the 17th Airborne Division. He saw action in the Battle of the Bulge, and earned the Purple Heart. He worked in Detroit in inventory and sales routing for the Uniroyal Tire Company. He worked for Uniroyal from 1952 until his retirement in 1980, when he returned to the Butler area. Source
