Rabideau CCC Camp
Encyclopedia
The Rabideau CCC Camp was a Civilian Conservation Corps
camp in the Chippewa National Forest
in northern Minnesota
. The camp was established in 1935 as a project of Franklin D. Roosevelt
's New Deal
program. The camp, one of 2650 nationwide, was home to about 300 men aged 17–21. Like most CCC camps, the Rabideau camp was established to provide work to those unemployed as a result of the Great Depression
. Enrolees at the camp came mostly from Northern Minnesota and worked on projects within the Chippewa National Forest, such as building roads and other facilities, surveying, wildlife protection, and other forestry activities.
Like most other CCC projects, the Rabideau camp was built for temporary occupation. Most CCC camps were abandoned when the United States entered World War II
, and most of them fell into disuse. The Rabideau camp survived because the University of Illinois
used the buildings for its engineering and forestry schools between 1946 and 1972. Unfortunately, the buildings, being mostly prefabricated and having insubstantial foundations, continued to deteriorate. Rolf Anderson and the Preservation Alliance of Minnesota became involved with the site in 1991. He visited the camp and said, "I knew it was a significant and rare place. It's a remarkable survivor from the New Deal and it has national, not just local, significance. It is a picturesque setting and the visual image is something that most people haven't experienced. The CCC was one of the greatest conservation programs in the history of the United States. It left a lasting legacy that we still benefit from and this is a great opportunity to preserve the site. The vast majority of these camps were either torn down or burnt to the ground. Those that had a pre-fab style were disassembled and removed from their sites after the depression. This camp is so rare, it speaks volumes about this country's history. It should be saved." Thirteen of the original 25 buildings remain, including the mess hall, five barracks, three officers' quarters, the recreation hall, the hospital, the laundry building, and the education building.
In 1999, the United States Forest Service
began a three-year effort to stabilize and restore the Education Building. A contractor placed a foundation under the building, replaced the roof, and repaired some floors and siding. Throughout the next two years, a staff of 26 volunteers from the Forest Service's Passport in Time program spent nearly 1000 hours with general interior repairs.
The camp was designated a National Historic Landmark
on February 17, 2006, as one of the best surviving examples of a CCC camp focusing on forest management and conservation.
It is located off Beltrami County Highway 39, in Taylor Township
.
The camp was recently repurposed as the Rabideau Conservation Academy and Learning Center, a year-round learning center for children and young adults from Cass County
and Beltrami County
. The project was sponsored by the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe
to provide learning opportunities, bolster self-confidence, and provide a path to jobs and higher education.
Civilian Conservation Corps
The Civilian Conservation Corps was a public work relief program that operated from 1933 to 1942 in the United States for unemployed, unmarried men from relief families, ages 18–25. A part of the New Deal of President Franklin D...
camp in the Chippewa National Forest
Chippewa National Forest
Chippewa National Forest is a National Forest located in northcentral Minnesota, United States, in the counties of Itasca, Cass, and Beltrami. Forest headquarters are located in Cass Lake, Minnesota. There are local ranger district offices in Blackduck, Deer River, and Walker.-History and...
in northern Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
. The camp was established in 1935 as a project of Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
's New Deal
New Deal
The New Deal was a series of economic programs implemented in the United States between 1933 and 1936. They were passed by the U.S. Congress during the first term of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The programs were Roosevelt's responses to the Great Depression, and focused on what historians call...
program. The camp, one of 2650 nationwide, was home to about 300 men aged 17–21. Like most CCC camps, the Rabideau camp was established to provide work to those unemployed as a result of the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
. Enrolees at the camp came mostly from Northern Minnesota and worked on projects within the Chippewa National Forest, such as building roads and other facilities, surveying, wildlife protection, and other forestry activities.
Like most other CCC projects, the Rabideau camp was built for temporary occupation. Most CCC camps were abandoned when the United States entered World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, and most of them fell into disuse. The Rabideau camp survived because the University of Illinois
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign is a large public research-intensive university in the state of Illinois, United States. It is the flagship campus of the University of Illinois system...
used the buildings for its engineering and forestry schools between 1946 and 1972. Unfortunately, the buildings, being mostly prefabricated and having insubstantial foundations, continued to deteriorate. Rolf Anderson and the Preservation Alliance of Minnesota became involved with the site in 1991. He visited the camp and said, "I knew it was a significant and rare place. It's a remarkable survivor from the New Deal and it has national, not just local, significance. It is a picturesque setting and the visual image is something that most people haven't experienced. The CCC was one of the greatest conservation programs in the history of the United States. It left a lasting legacy that we still benefit from and this is a great opportunity to preserve the site. The vast majority of these camps were either torn down or burnt to the ground. Those that had a pre-fab style were disassembled and removed from their sites after the depression. This camp is so rare, it speaks volumes about this country's history. It should be saved." Thirteen of the original 25 buildings remain, including the mess hall, five barracks, three officers' quarters, the recreation hall, the hospital, the laundry building, and the education building.
In 1999, the United States Forest Service
United States Forest Service
The United States Forest Service is an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture that administers the nation's 155 national forests and 20 national grasslands, which encompass...
began a three-year effort to stabilize and restore the Education Building. A contractor placed a foundation under the building, replaced the roof, and repaired some floors and siding. Throughout the next two years, a staff of 26 volunteers from the Forest Service's Passport in Time program spent nearly 1000 hours with general interior repairs.
The camp was designated a National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
on February 17, 2006, as one of the best surviving examples of a CCC camp focusing on forest management and conservation.
It is located off Beltrami County Highway 39, in Taylor Township
Taylor Township, Beltrami County, Minnesota
Taylor Township is a township in Beltrami County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 108 as of the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 34.2 square miles , of which 32.2 square miles is land and 2.1 square...
.
The camp was recently repurposed as the Rabideau Conservation Academy and Learning Center, a year-round learning center for children and young adults from Cass County
Cass County, Minnesota
Cass County is a county located in the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of 2010, the population was 28,567. Its county seat is Walker. A portion of the Leech Lake Indian Reservation is in the county.-Geography:...
and Beltrami County
Beltrami County, Minnesota
Beltrami County is a county located in the northern part of the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of 2010, the population was 44,442. Its county seat is Bemidji. Portions of the Leech Lake and Red Lake Indian reservations are in the county. The northernmost portion of the Mississippi River flows...
. The project was sponsored by the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe
Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe
The Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, also known as the Leech Lake Band of Chippewa Indians or the Leech Lake Band of Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, and as Gaa-zagaskwaajimekaag Ojibweg in the Ojibwe language, is an Ojibwa tribe located in Minnesota. The tribe boasts 8,861 tribal members as of July, 2007...
to provide learning opportunities, bolster self-confidence, and provide a path to jobs and higher education.
External links
- Rabideau CCC Camp: 12 photos, at Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS)
- Army Officer's Quarters, Rabideau CCC Camp: 5 photos, at HABS.
- Barracks photo set 1, Rabideau CCC Camp: 4 photos, at HABS.
- Barracks photo set 2, Rabideau CCC Camp: 4 photos, at HABS.
- Barracks photo set 3, Rabideau CCC Camp: 4 photos, at HABS.
- Barracks photo set 4, Rabideau CCC Camp: 4 photos, at HABS.
- Barracks photo set 5, Rabideau CCC Camp: 5 photos, at HABS.
- Education building, Rabideau CCC Camp: 5 photos, at HABS.
- Fire Tool Equipment Shop, Rabideau CCC Camp: 4 photos, at HABS.
- Flagpole, Rabideau CCC Camp: 1 photo, at HABS.
- Hospital, Rabideau CCC Camp: 6 photos, at HABS.
- Mess Hall, Rabideau CCC Camp: 5 photos, at HABS.
- Oil House, Rabideau CCC Camp: 4 photos, at HABS.
- Picnic Shelter, Rabideau CCC Camp: 1 photo, at HABS.
- Recreation Hall, Rabideau CCC Camp: 4 photos, at HABS.
- Tool House, Rabideau CCC Camp: 4 photos, at HABS.
- Wash House, Rabideau CCC Camp: 1 photo, at HABS.
- Water Tower, Rabideau CCC Camp: 1 photo, at HABS.