The Civilian Conservation Corps in Missouri

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A Legacy Written On The Land

About the Book

The Civilian Conservation Corps in Missouri reveals how 100,000 young men helped rescue a state, and themselves, during the Great Depression. They planted trees to replenish forests depleted by decades of heavy logging, constructed roads and fire towers in remote terrain, built park buildings, and fought fires that threatened the fragile forest landscape. Their labor helped create the foundation of Missouri’s new state park system and left a physical legacy that endures nearly a century later.

The financial calamity of the Great Depression put millions of people out of work. Unemployment peaked at 25% in 1933. The stock market collapsed and thousands of banks failed. Created in 1932, the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was a New Deal program that put unemployed young men to work in rural areas across the nation. The book draws upon visits to dozens of former camps and project sites, and uncovers the lasting legacy of the CCC and the human stories behind the work still visible across Missouri today.

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Topics Covered

  • Economic Collapse: The Great Depression and the Dust Bowl

  • FDR and the New Deal: the federal government’s actions of directly creating jobs.

  • The CCC in Missouri: a compilation of sites around the state, including state parks and forestry camps.

    • Parks: Big Spring Park, Alley Spring Park, Roaring River State Park, Bennett Spring State Park, Sam. A Baker State Park, Montauk State Park, Babler State Park, Lewis and Clark State Park, Mark Twain State Park, Cuivre River State Park, Washington State Park, Meramec State Park, Indian Trail Conservation Area, and Deer Run State Forest.

    • Forestry Camps: Boss, Berryman, Bunker, Centerville, Camp Willow, Hammond Mill Camp, New Liberty, Bardley, Ava/Thornfield, Bradleyville, Blooming Rose, George O. White State Forest Nursery, and Lynchburg.

    • Dickerson Park Zoo, Shaw Gardenway Project

Publication Details

ISBN: 979-8-9943871-0-8

Publisher: Glenstrae LLC

Publication Date: February 9, 2026

Page Count: 103

Trim Size: 6” x 9”

Reviews

“I hadn’t realized there was such a lack of historical documentation on the subject, and with this dearth comes a deeper context as to why McGee’s book matters so much.” - Abby Hess, West Plains Daily Quill

Why I Wrote This Book

My understanding of the significance of the Civilian Conservation Corps work in Missouri originated from writing The Mills And Springs Of The Ozarks. Both Alley Mill and Montauk Mill were restored by the CCC in the 1930s. It is possible that neither of these mills would be standing today had it not been for the work of the CCC.

As I began to study the work of the Civilian Conservation Corps, I learned that my great uncle, Raymond Goodin, served in the CCC in Springfield, Missouri. From there, he transferred to the military and served in World War II.

This book is intended for readers interested in Missouri history, the Civilian Conservation Corps, the New Deal, state parks, conservation, and historic architecture.