Cincinnati Museum Center Archives Reveal Segregated CCC's 1935-1937 Mt. Airy Forest Transformation
The Cincinnati Museum Center holds a photographic collection documenting the Civilian Conservation Corps's work at Mt. Airy Forest from 1935 to 1937. Group 1505-C, a segregated unit of over 200 Black men, undertook extensive projects including building shelters, comfort stations, concession stands, rock walls, dams, and trails. They contributed 51,414 hours of labor over 24 months. The CCC was established in 1933 as part of Franklin Delano Roosevelt's New Deal to employ men aged 18-25 for conservation work. Although Illinois Congressman Oscar DePriest inserted a non-discrimination clause, racial segregation was practiced. The collection, SC#141 – Mt. Airy Forest and McFarlan Woods Collection, contains approximately 500 negatives and prints. These workers also assisted with 1937 flood recovery alongside the Works Progress Administration. Their structures remain visible today.
Key facts
- The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) worked in Cincinnati's Mt. Airy Forest from 1935 to 1937.
- Group 1505-C was a segregated unit of over 200 Black men.
- They completed 51,414 hours of labor building shelters, stations, walls, dams, and trails.
- The CCC was created in 1933 under President Franklin Delano Roosevelt's New Deal.
- Illinois Congressman Oscar DePriest wrote a non-discrimination clause into the Act.
- The program was nonetheless segregated due to racial tensions.
- The Cincinnati Museum Center's SC#141 collection holds about 500 related photographs.
- The workers also helped with 1937 flood cleanup alongside the WPA.
Entities
Artists
- Arabeth Balasko
- Franklin Delano Roosevelt
- Frances Perkins
- Oscar DePriest
- Joseph M. Speakman
Institutions
- Cincinnati Museum Center
- Civilian Conservation Corps
- Works Progress Administration
- Living New Deal
- Roosevelt House
- National Archives
- Library of Congress
- Cincinnati Parks
Locations
- Cincinnati
- United States
- Ohio
- Mt. Airy Forest
- McFarlan Woods
- Illinois