Michigan’s First Civilian Conservation Corps Camp

A Legacy of Conservation and Hard Work

In the depths of the Great Depression, with unemployment at staggering levels, President Franklin D. Roosevelt launched the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) as part of his New Deal efforts to put young men to work while preserving the country’s natural resources. On May 2, 1933, two hundred young men from Detroit and Hamtramck arrived in Chippewa County. They came to establish Camp Raco, Michigan’s very first CCC facility. This marked the beginning of a program that would leave a lasting impact on Michigan’s forests, parks, and conservation efforts.

Building More Than Just Camps

Camp Raco, designated as Company 667, was the first of what would eventually become 41 camps across northern Michigan by the end of 1933. The men, aged 18-25, were first sent to Camp Custer in Battle Creek. There they were outfitted, vaccinated, and given a brief orientation before heading north. Once in the Upper Peninsula, they set up tents and got to work planting trees, building firebreaks, fighting forest fires, and constructing roads and trails.

Michigan was uniquely positioned to mobilize quickly, thanks to resources from forestry schools at Michigan State College and the University of Michigan. A pre-existing survey by the Michigan Department of Conservation identifying potential projects also aided in determining locations. Within the first two years, Michigan CCC crews had built over 3,000 miles of truck trails. They constructed eight fire lookout towers, and reduced fire hazards on 40,000 acres of forest.

More Than Just Tree Planting

The CCC wasn’t just about reforestation. Michigan’s enrollees also built two major bridges—one spanning the Muskegon River and another over the Manistique River. They improved game-fish streams, and even played a role in developing the state’s ski industry at Caberfae. The men of Company 3626 established the Seney National Wildlife Refuge. They transformed 95,000 acres of marshland into a sanctuary for migratory birds. Others conducted moose and deer research at Camp Cusino near Shingleton.

Life in the CCC camps wasn’t all work, though. The men played sports, published camp newspapers, and formed musical groups. Camp Steuben’s newspaper, The Mockingbird, was even named the best CCC camp newspaper in the country in 1935.

Meanwhile the men at Camp Lunden in Lewiston in Michigan’s Northeast Lower Peninsula were busy creating Little Michigan on top of all their other duties.

A Lasting Legacy

Over its nine-year run, more than 102,000 young men served in Michigan’s CCC camps, making it one of the most active programs in the country. These hardworking enrollees planted an astonishing 484 million trees—more than twice as many as any other state—constructed 7,000 miles of roads, and revitalized Michigan’s state park system. Their work not only provided much-needed financial relief to their families (they were required to send $22 of their $30 monthly wage home) but also laid the foundation for the forests and parks we enjoy today.

While the CCC disbanded in 1942 as the U.S. entered World War II, its impact on Michigan remains visible in its vast reforested lands, state parks, and wildlife conservation efforts. Next time you hike a wooded trail, fish in a well-stocked stream, or visit a historic park building, there’s a good chance you’re seeing the legacy of the CCC firsthand.

Marisa Fancy along with her husband and four children dreamt of moving “Up North”. They had vacationed for years in northern Michigan and in 1995 they finally made the move.

The family was always out exploring, but with 4 kids there was some limitations on what they could do. Marisa discovered the amazing network of trails in Northern Michigan after Steve died and she would walk for miles. The trails provided her with peace, comfort and solitude at a difficult time in her life. Later, after meeting Guy who would become her second husband, she learned to golf and found another passion she could enjoy in beautiful Northern Michigan.

Marisa has been the family historian, writer, and poet for as long as she can remember. She has always loved to write and has now found a creative outlet for it other than family. You can read her articles in Adventures in Northern Michigan, Northern Michigan History and Golf Up North.