Civilian Conservation Corps

The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was one of the New Deal programs established by President Franklin Roosevelt in 1933. Known as FDR's "tree army," these men did public improvements and conservation work across the country until 1942. Company 335-C (colored) of the CCC consisted of over 100 men and was stationed at Camp Green Ridge near Flintstone in Allegany County, Maryland. The camp featured a reading room, baseball team, basketball team, dispensary, education building, vocational shop, retreat, canteen, and camp quartet. Educational activities, much of which was undertaken in nearby Cumberland, included classes in woodworking, photography, motion picture projection, soldering, and more.

By 1935 and 1936 the number of CCC camps in the "Northern District", including Co. 335-C, were reduced or abandoned or transferred. On June 8, 1936, almost 200 men enrolled in CCC Camp Company 1359, S-58-Md., Paw Paw, West Virginia. The camp was actually located in Green Ridge State Forest in Maryland near the intersection of Oldtown Road and Martens Avenue, but was referred to as the Paw Paw CCC as that was the closest town with a post office. There were seventeen educational subjects offered at the camp, which included four elementary, three high school, and ten vocational. Over 90% of the enrollees participated in the educational activities. Nearby Paw Paw High School permitted enrollees to use the gymnasium and the local ball park provided free use of its facilities. Cumberland's WTBO Radio Station even provided a regular program each Saturday on the public work improvements undertaken by the camp.

According to a 1936 roster, some of the enrollees from the Cumberland area included: G.D. Baker of Westernport who served as a Camp Leader, G. Ashby and P. Edmonson of Cumberland who served as Assistant Camp Leaders, C. Bailey of Frostburg, H.E. Bullett and K. Bullett of Cumberland, C. Morgan of Westernport, W. Washington of Cumberland, and J. Carrigan of Cumberland.