REGION – Historian Martin Podskoch’s book “Vermont Civilian Conservation Corps Camps: History, Memories & Legacy of the CCC” was released in August 2026. The book describes the history of the 36 Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) camps and supply depots where young men aged 18-25 years and World War I veterans built dams, state parks, and state forests from 1933-1942.
For the past four years, Podskoch has visited and explored the 36 Vermont CCC camps and gathered the camps’ histories and photographs from historical societies, museums, libraries, personal interviews, and state and college archives. Families of CCC young men and veterans who worked in Vermont state parks and forest shared their relatives’ memories and photos of camp life and work projects.
The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) began on March 31, 1933, under President Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal to relieve the poverty and unemployment of the Great Depression. CCC camps were set up in many Vermont towns, state parks, and forests. Workers built trails, roads, campsites, and dams; stocked fish; and built and maintained fire towers, observer’s cabins, and telephone lines. They also fought fires and planted millions of trees. The CCC disbanded in 1942 due to the need for men in World War II.
Brian Lindner, native Vermonter and historian, stated, “At a time when the Great Depression was crushing the dreams of Americans, President Roosevelt created the Civilian Conservation Corps. Vermont State Forester Perry Merrill saw its potential and successfully lobbied Washington with a long list of ‘shovel-ready’ projects that created the state park system, hiking trails, forest fire protections, streambed improvements, and reforestation projects. These helped make Vermont a leader in the sport of skiing and outdoor recreation. For the first time, the full story of the CCC in Vermont is told in Podskoch’s book.”
The history of the following 36 Vermont towns with CCC camps and supply depots is told in Podskoch’s book: Barre Supply Depot, Bellows Falls, Bethel, Brunswick, Colchester Supply Depot, Colchester/Army, Cuttingsville/Shrewsbury, Danby/Mount Tabor, East Barre, East Burke, East Wallingford/Weston, Elmore, Jericho/Firing Range, Ludlow, Marshfield/Groton, Mendon, Middlesex, Milton, Montpelier/Middlesex/Wrightsville, Montpelier/McKee, Moscow, Northfield, North Thetford, Peru, Plymouth, Poultney, Ricker Mills, Rochester, Saint Albans, Sharon, Underhill Center/Firing Range, Waterbury/Village, Waterbury/Dam, West Burke/Sutton, Wilmington, and Windsor.
“Marty Podskoch has been researching Vermont’s CCC camps for many years, and this book provides a comprehensive history of them,” said Lyman Orton, proprietor of The Vermont Country Store. “Many of the trails at Bromley ski area were built by the CCC. The dirt road from Landgrove to Mount Tabor on Route 7 was worked on by CCC crews, and my father pointed out the excellent job they did, as evidenced by the good condition the road was in compared with some town roads that did not hold up as well. My father told me, ‘Those boys knew how to put down a good base,’ and it still rings in my ears.”
Podskoch is a retired teacher from Delhi, N.Y., in the Catskill Mountains, and the author of 12 books. He also writes a weekly column called “Adirondack Stories” in five Adirondack newspapers. Podskoch and his wife, Lynn, live in Easton, Conn. For more information, Podskoch can be contacted at 860-267-2442 or podskoch@comcast.net. The book is available from the author, and at book stores, The Vermont Country Store, and Amazon.