The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in NM: A proud legacy that changed our state

Photo of CCC Kiwanis Cabin - Sandia Crest NM
Kiwanis Cabin on Sandia Crest was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) around 1930. The cabin was planned by a local Kiwanis group.

On Sunday, August 21, 2016 at 2:00 pm, NM historian and author Dr. Richard Melzer will present how Civilian Conservation Corp (CCC) projects impacted New Mexico and in particular Albuquerque during the 1930’s and 40’s.

The Civilian Conservation Corps was an early New Deal program begun by FDR in 1933 and continuing through 1942. During the depth of the Depression, It employed young men in projects to plant trees and build and improve state and national parks. Soil conservation and environmental conservation were part of the result. Albuquerque, the adjacent Sandia Mountains, and the entire state of New Mexico gained facilities that continue to be used today – some 80 years later!

The program will be held at the Albuquerque Museum in Old Town. Parking is free in the lot south of the Museum. Admission to the Museum and the AHS program is also free.

Photo of Richard MelzerProfessor of History, UNM-Valencia Campus, Ph.D., UNM, since 1979; Dr. Melzer has published and lectured on a wide variety of topics in 20th Century New Mexico History, including his most recent books “Breakdown: How the Secret of the Atomic Bomb was Stolen During World War II” (2000), “Coming of Age in the Great Depression: The Civilian Conservation Corps Experience in New Mexico, 1933-42” (2000) and “Buried Treasures: Famous and Unusual Gravesites in New Mexico History” (2007). His publications have appeared in New Mexico Magazine, New Mexico Historical Review, Western Historical Quarterly, El Palacio, and Journal of the West. He has been UNM’s outstanding Teacher of the Year and is a Past-President of the Historical Society of New Mexico.

Picture of Sandia Park CCC Camp
Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) Sandia Park Camp.
Photo courtesy of Dirk Van Hart