The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was a prominent initiative in the United States during the 1930s, implemented as part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal programs. Established to provide employment opportunities to young men during the Great Depression, the CCC focused on conservation and natural resource management projects across the nation. Through their labor, CCC enrollees constructed trails, planted trees, developed parks, and undertook various environmental conservation efforts, leaving a lasting legacy of infrastructure and environmental stewardship. The CCC of Ward Pound Ridge was based out of Camp Merkel off of Michigan Road. The CCC workers in Ward Pound Ridge primarily planted pine groves and built the current trails, shelters and roads in the park.
At the posted coordinates, you will be able to see where the camp was once located, and you'll also find a kiosk with more information on CCC Camp Merkel.
The final is located at: N 41 14.ABC W 073 35.DEF.
From the sign:
- A: Locate the photo of the Local Road Signs at Route 137. A is the number of miles to Bedford.
- B: The last digit in the year that the camp closed down for 6 months due to unknown reasons.
- C: Locate the photo showing Workers Outside Their Barracks. C is the second digit in the company number.
- D: Using the Legend on the map, the Storehouse is?
- E: Using the Legend on the map, the Mess Hall is?
- F: Locate the photo showing A Group of Workers Posing on the Outskirts of Camp. F is the number of workers in the photo minus 1.
This cache was placed with permission from Ward Pound Ridge Reservation.