75th Anniversary CCC Letterbox Trail LbNA #39627
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Add Location| Owner: | Adoptable |
|---|---|
| Plant date: | May 8, 2008 |
| Location: | |
| City: | Wendell |
| County: | Franklin |
| State: | Massachusetts |
| Boxes: | 6 |
| Planted by: | Curious Crow  |
|---|---|
| Found by: | FelixPezGirl (5) |
| Last found: | Sep 19, 2017 |
| Status: | FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF |
| Last edited: | Dec 13, 2015 |
CCC 75th Anniversary Letterbox Trail
Wendell State Forest
ALL BOXES PRESENT SPRING 2010
INTRODUCTION TO THE CCC
During the Great Depression, from 1933-1942, one of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s first New Deal initiatives was the creation of Emergency Conservation Work (ECW), popularly known as the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). This federal program provided critical resources for conservation and recreation on public lands and employment opportunities for young men and WWI veterans.
The CCC program in Massachusetts had about 68 camps and enrolled 100,000 men, working on camp construction, road building, forestry, fire hazard reduction, pest control, wildlife habitat enhancement, and recreation area development, mostly on state forest land. The program not only touched the lives of enrollees, but also left a lasting legacy of forest improvements and recreational resources. Seventy five years later, many of the facilities built by the CCC throughout the state are still in use. Camp number S-62 was based at Wendell State Forest from 1933 to 1937, and signs of the CCC work can be found throughout the forest.
2008 marks the 75th anniversary of this remarkable public program. This letterbox trail celebrates the legacy of the CCC, which served as a catalyst of modern conservation and helped develop national pride in our natural resources.
LETTERBOX TRAIL ORIENTATION and CLUES
Ruggles Pond is a place of scenic beauty and habitat for wildlife. The CCC improved the dam from a former mill pond. Clues start from the parking lot at Ruggles Pond, located across the road from the beach. A compass and a park map will be helpful for location of letterboxes. Most should be fairly accessible for most people but some may require assistance to obtain. Bring your own stamp pad. Only 1 box has a logbook.
The first 4 boxes are relatively close together and might all be found within an hour. The last 2 letterboxes are short hikes down regular hiking trails without significant obstacles or elevation changes. The 5th box is 1/10th of a mile from the Ruggles Pond parking lot. The 6th box is on a different trail perhaps a ¼ mile from the Ruggles Pond parking lot.
1. CCC Patch – “We Can Take It!” was the unofficial motto of the CCC. Enrollment was for at least 6 months, with the opportunity to re-enlist. Certain proof of membership was an official patch worn on the work shirt. To find this letterbox stamp of a sample CCC patch, start at the back left corner of the Ruggles Pond parking lot. Enter the grassy area and turn left going down hill. Walk alongside the parking lot southward and turn right just before a large spruce tree (cones all over the ground). You’ll be entering a lower picnic area. Notice a concrete pad on the ground. This was the site of the CCC camp’s shower and laundry. Follow the old road turning right from the old laundry site towards the brook. When you see the wooden bridge and a CCC concrete grill/fireplace in front of you, look for a tree stump on the right alongside the trail. There you’ll find your patch.
2. CCC Logo – The primary emblem of the CCC can be located near the brass plaque and bench at the entrance to the Ruggles Pond parking lot. (The camp spread to the north from the brook across the field with the playground in back and through the now forested area where the outhouses are situated.) To find the CCC Logo letterbox, look under the “Ranger Station”, a small dark brown building. You’ll find it midway along the west side of the building, facing the brook. This is the box with the logbook.
3. Rock Worker – The average CCC enrollee was 18-19 years old, weighed 147 pounds and was 5’8” tall. As land was cleared to build construction camps, boulders and rocks were moved by hand to build stone walls, foundations, and even buildings. The CCC relied on young, energetic men to get the job done. To find a rock worker, turn right out of the Ruggles Pond parking lot and proceed up the paved road towards the main entrance of the forest. Not far past the dam notice a sign that points to 3 things on the left in a little yard defined by a rock wall and a staircase. Walk along the roadside past the sign to where the rock wall comes closest to the road. Notice a tree stump just above the stone wall close to the road. Stop at the stump and gently lift pine needles and other forest floor debris from the ground in front of the stump. Please camouflage well when you re-hide -thanks!
4. Early Logo – This early CCC logo was copied from a graphic on a license plate used on CCC trucks that said “THIS DRIVER IS REQUIRED TO DRIVE CAREFULLY”. You’ll find it at the CCC well. To get there proceed from the Rock Work up the road towards the entrance a short distance and take your first left onto a dirt road. You’ll pass through another picnic area as you walk up and then downhill. Notice two concrete squares on the ground to the left side with a metal handle. This is the CCC well. A pipe from here ran under the dam providing water to the laundry and shower building. Down below the well towards the pond is another smaller square stone structure with a round metal top piece. Next to it you’ll find the Emergency Conservation Work logo inside a green circle. The year that the CCC officially began is part of the logo and is a reminder that this is the 75th anniversary. Perhaps this would be a good spot for a drink from your water bottle and a cheer for the CCCs.
5. CCC Company Number – CCC men were organized into companies and overseen by the Army even though they were a civilian operation. To find out the number of a company that worked in Wendell State Forest, return to the CCC plaque and bench at the Ruggles Pond parking lot. Walk up the park road past the outhouses. Just beyond the outhouses locate a hiking trail on the left side. A barely visible sign reads "Hiking Trail to Lookout." Take this trail a short distance - it has recently been re-routed so use the newer trail. It will wind toward a lone rock in the woods which some people may know as a "glacial erratic" since it was deposited by the last glacier. Notice an impressive outcropping of rock not far off on the right. As the trail approaches the glacial erratic, turn off and cut down to the large outcropping where you’ll find 2 good sized oak trees at the base (and perhaps notice that the old trail passes closest to the outcropping here). Behind the second tree in a cleft in the rock about waist height on a standing adult person you’ll find the letterbox. It is hidden behind a different looking rock. The big letters and numbers on this stamp image were taken from a pin worn on the uniform of a CCC enrollee who later donated it back to Wendell State Forest. You may find the actual pin on display at the HQ building.
6. Woodsman – The CCC was also known as the “Roosevelt’s Tree Army” because of extensive forestry work accomplished from each camp of 200 men. Trees were cleared from some areas and planted in others. Tree removal was done by hand with simple tools and hard labor. To find this woodsman still at work, go to the beach and take a good look at the view. The shoreline to the left is filled with white pines. On the first point is where the woodsman still cheerily swings his axe. Take the Loop trail (marked by a sign) to the left and follow it as it travels in the woods with the water on your right side. Stay on the main trail. When you round the point and turn from south to east, notice the beaver lodge on the pond through the trees. Pass a large pine tree on your left alongside the trail. Go to the next pine tree on the right side of the trail. Stop and turn right. You may see the beaver lodge again through the trees. You’ll notice a weathered tree stump in line with the beaver lodge, just to the right of the pine. The woodsman is inside on the right side. Tread carefully to the stump and gently pull aside the loose piece of wood leaning on the right side. Take the letterbox back to the trail to stamp in. Please try to leave this spot as undisturbed as possible. Continue on the trail for more pleasant views around the pond (trail becomes more rugged for this mile+ round trip) or return back the way you came.
Wendell State Forest
ALL BOXES PRESENT SPRING 2010
INTRODUCTION TO THE CCC
During the Great Depression, from 1933-1942, one of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s first New Deal initiatives was the creation of Emergency Conservation Work (ECW), popularly known as the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). This federal program provided critical resources for conservation and recreation on public lands and employment opportunities for young men and WWI veterans.
The CCC program in Massachusetts had about 68 camps and enrolled 100,000 men, working on camp construction, road building, forestry, fire hazard reduction, pest control, wildlife habitat enhancement, and recreation area development, mostly on state forest land. The program not only touched the lives of enrollees, but also left a lasting legacy of forest improvements and recreational resources. Seventy five years later, many of the facilities built by the CCC throughout the state are still in use. Camp number S-62 was based at Wendell State Forest from 1933 to 1937, and signs of the CCC work can be found throughout the forest.
2008 marks the 75th anniversary of this remarkable public program. This letterbox trail celebrates the legacy of the CCC, which served as a catalyst of modern conservation and helped develop national pride in our natural resources.
LETTERBOX TRAIL ORIENTATION and CLUES
Ruggles Pond is a place of scenic beauty and habitat for wildlife. The CCC improved the dam from a former mill pond. Clues start from the parking lot at Ruggles Pond, located across the road from the beach. A compass and a park map will be helpful for location of letterboxes. Most should be fairly accessible for most people but some may require assistance to obtain. Bring your own stamp pad. Only 1 box has a logbook.
The first 4 boxes are relatively close together and might all be found within an hour. The last 2 letterboxes are short hikes down regular hiking trails without significant obstacles or elevation changes. The 5th box is 1/10th of a mile from the Ruggles Pond parking lot. The 6th box is on a different trail perhaps a ¼ mile from the Ruggles Pond parking lot.
1. CCC Patch – “We Can Take It!” was the unofficial motto of the CCC. Enrollment was for at least 6 months, with the opportunity to re-enlist. Certain proof of membership was an official patch worn on the work shirt. To find this letterbox stamp of a sample CCC patch, start at the back left corner of the Ruggles Pond parking lot. Enter the grassy area and turn left going down hill. Walk alongside the parking lot southward and turn right just before a large spruce tree (cones all over the ground). You’ll be entering a lower picnic area. Notice a concrete pad on the ground. This was the site of the CCC camp’s shower and laundry. Follow the old road turning right from the old laundry site towards the brook. When you see the wooden bridge and a CCC concrete grill/fireplace in front of you, look for a tree stump on the right alongside the trail. There you’ll find your patch.
2. CCC Logo – The primary emblem of the CCC can be located near the brass plaque and bench at the entrance to the Ruggles Pond parking lot. (The camp spread to the north from the brook across the field with the playground in back and through the now forested area where the outhouses are situated.) To find the CCC Logo letterbox, look under the “Ranger Station”, a small dark brown building. You’ll find it midway along the west side of the building, facing the brook. This is the box with the logbook.
3. Rock Worker – The average CCC enrollee was 18-19 years old, weighed 147 pounds and was 5’8” tall. As land was cleared to build construction camps, boulders and rocks were moved by hand to build stone walls, foundations, and even buildings. The CCC relied on young, energetic men to get the job done. To find a rock worker, turn right out of the Ruggles Pond parking lot and proceed up the paved road towards the main entrance of the forest. Not far past the dam notice a sign that points to 3 things on the left in a little yard defined by a rock wall and a staircase. Walk along the roadside past the sign to where the rock wall comes closest to the road. Notice a tree stump just above the stone wall close to the road. Stop at the stump and gently lift pine needles and other forest floor debris from the ground in front of the stump. Please camouflage well when you re-hide -thanks!
4. Early Logo – This early CCC logo was copied from a graphic on a license plate used on CCC trucks that said “THIS DRIVER IS REQUIRED TO DRIVE CAREFULLY”. You’ll find it at the CCC well. To get there proceed from the Rock Work up the road towards the entrance a short distance and take your first left onto a dirt road. You’ll pass through another picnic area as you walk up and then downhill. Notice two concrete squares on the ground to the left side with a metal handle. This is the CCC well. A pipe from here ran under the dam providing water to the laundry and shower building. Down below the well towards the pond is another smaller square stone structure with a round metal top piece. Next to it you’ll find the Emergency Conservation Work logo inside a green circle. The year that the CCC officially began is part of the logo and is a reminder that this is the 75th anniversary. Perhaps this would be a good spot for a drink from your water bottle and a cheer for the CCCs.
5. CCC Company Number – CCC men were organized into companies and overseen by the Army even though they were a civilian operation. To find out the number of a company that worked in Wendell State Forest, return to the CCC plaque and bench at the Ruggles Pond parking lot. Walk up the park road past the outhouses. Just beyond the outhouses locate a hiking trail on the left side. A barely visible sign reads "Hiking Trail to Lookout." Take this trail a short distance - it has recently been re-routed so use the newer trail. It will wind toward a lone rock in the woods which some people may know as a "glacial erratic" since it was deposited by the last glacier. Notice an impressive outcropping of rock not far off on the right. As the trail approaches the glacial erratic, turn off and cut down to the large outcropping where you’ll find 2 good sized oak trees at the base (and perhaps notice that the old trail passes closest to the outcropping here). Behind the second tree in a cleft in the rock about waist height on a standing adult person you’ll find the letterbox. It is hidden behind a different looking rock. The big letters and numbers on this stamp image were taken from a pin worn on the uniform of a CCC enrollee who later donated it back to Wendell State Forest. You may find the actual pin on display at the HQ building.
6. Woodsman – The CCC was also known as the “Roosevelt’s Tree Army” because of extensive forestry work accomplished from each camp of 200 men. Trees were cleared from some areas and planted in others. Tree removal was done by hand with simple tools and hard labor. To find this woodsman still at work, go to the beach and take a good look at the view. The shoreline to the left is filled with white pines. On the first point is where the woodsman still cheerily swings his axe. Take the Loop trail (marked by a sign) to the left and follow it as it travels in the woods with the water on your right side. Stay on the main trail. When you round the point and turn from south to east, notice the beaver lodge on the pond through the trees. Pass a large pine tree on your left alongside the trail. Go to the next pine tree on the right side of the trail. Stop and turn right. You may see the beaver lodge again through the trees. You’ll notice a weathered tree stump in line with the beaver lodge, just to the right of the pine. The woodsman is inside on the right side. Tread carefully to the stump and gently pull aside the loose piece of wood leaning on the right side. Take the letterbox back to the trail to stamp in. Please try to leave this spot as undisturbed as possible. Continue on the trail for more pleasant views around the pond (trail becomes more rugged for this mile+ round trip) or return back the way you came.