The Civilian Conservation Corps, better known as the CCC, made a monumental contribution to the conservation of America’s natural resources from 1933 to 1942. Established as an economic relief program as part of Roosevelt’s “New Deal”, it was successful in employing and educating millions of young men while improving our nation’s lands. “Roosevelt’s Tree Army” consisted of thousands of military-style base camps, thirty of which were located on the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest.
The Wolf River CCC Camp, Company 3642, was established in 1935 and was in operation until the CCC was disbanded in 1942. The Army ran the camp and kept strict discipline. The Forest Service was responsible for assigning work duties and supervising the men. The men were paid $30 per month, plus food, clothing, and shelter. All but $5 was sent directly to their families. The men of Company 3642 completed thousands of acres of reforestation, fought wildfires, and worked on disease and rodent control and the creation of fish and game preserves.
The listed coordinates will take you to the remnants of the camp that are still visible today. The camp can be reached via the Boulder Lake Trail that can be accessed by campers from several points in the Boulder Lake campground. Alternatively, the following coordinates (N 45 08.296 W 088 38.721) take you to the turn off for FR 2948, where you can drive the approximately ¼ mile to the parking area.
There is a short interpretive trail that winds throughout the camp. The trail includes 13 stations with informational signs at several of the building foundations, describing the CCC and daily life at Camp Wolf River. Use the number of the respective station or other information on the signage (E) to obtain the coordinates for the cache.
Final is at: N 45 0A.BCD W 088 3E.FGH where:
A = Barracks
B = Watertower/Pumphouse
C = Latrine
D = (Barracks Inspection)-(Recreation Room)-(Bathouse)
E = # of “Seats No Waiting!”
F = Cooks Barracks/Food Storage
G = Library/Reading Room
H = Kitchen/Mess