CHARLESTON, W.Va. – West Virginia Archives and History and the West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History is pleased to announce a new exhibit on the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in West Virginia. The exhibit is currently on display in the Archives and History Library, located inside the Culture Center, State Capitol Complex, in Charleston. In honor of the 90th anniversary of the establishment of the CCC, the exhibit features many documents and photographs relating to CCC camps in West Virginia. The exhibit is free and open to the public.
The Civilian Conservation Corps was established on April 5, 1933, as part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s First 100 Days. Single men, ages 18-25, from all over the nation enrolled in the CCC. Paid $30 per month, these young men mostly participated in work projects on state and federal lands and laid the foundation for hundreds of state parks around the country. The CCC had 65 camps in West Virginia between 1933 and 1942, the majority in the eastern portion of the state. The new library exhibit features photographs and documents from the Calvin White Collection, the Tillman Diamond Collection, the Civilian Conservation Corps Museum Collection, and several additional collections.
The exhibit will remain until March 20, 2024. Library hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday. For additional information, please contact Archives Director Aaron Parsons at (304) 558-0230.