“Civilian Conservation Corps Camp – Stockade Lake”

camps sp-2 & f-23 (doran): Below Stockade Lake Dam.

SP-2 Companies: 1975 - - 6/17/33-10/21/35; 2766 - - 1/16/36-4/8/37

F-23 Companies: 757 - - 7/1937 to 6/1938; 762 – 6/4/38 – 4/6/39.

The Civilian Conservation Corps was a federal work-relief program during the Great Depression. From 1933-1942, the CCC provided work for 31,097 jobless men in South Dakota - - about 1700 war veterans, 4554 American Indians, and 2834 supervisors. The U.S. Army provided 200-man camps, food, clothing, medical care, and pay, and educational, recreational, and religious

programs. The Office of Indian Affairs provided similar services for units on Indian reservations.

Work of SP-2, supervised by Custer State Park and the National Park Service, included the construction of Stockade Lake dam along with a 1,500 foot beach, campground and picnic area. They also constructed Bismarck dam, auto and foot bridges, foot and horse trails, and several other camp and picnic areas. They removed flammable debris from hundreds of acres of forest land.

The US Forest Service supervised the enrollees of F-23 who built the Harney Peak stone look- out. Horse-drawn carts and men hauled material up the three-mile trail (this included 7,000 stones, 15,000 tiles, 200 tons of sand and 16 tons of cement, as well as bricks, poles, railroad track and other items).

Erected in 1990 by the CCC Alumni, the South Dakota State Historical Society, the South Dakota Department of Transportation, Custer State Park and Black Hills National Forest.”

Custer County, Below Stockade Lake Dam