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The most interesting part of my summer was doing further research regarding a Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) Camp that was established in my home county for black veterans of World War I. I agreed to do a presentation for our country historical society in late August. It was part of an initiative by the John Honey Jones Afro-American Awareness Committee. I'm part of this committee and it oversees a bequest that the county received about four years ago for study and research into local black history. I had done some research on the camp back in the late 1980's for our county's bicentennial history that took place in 1991, but learned a great deal more by examining more of our local newspapers. The camp was established in a place called Straits Corners and was active from 1935 to 1938. It was known as camp SCS - 7, Company 2225 VC. SCS meant that it was camp that was run through the Soil Conservation Service; VC referred to "colored veterans". It was one of the first camps established in New York State that worked exclusively on private lands and established a very fine record for itself. In the process I was able to meet a fellow historian from Long Island, Tom Patton. He is a retired school teacher who has had several articles published concerning the CCC camps. He and his family were camping in Ithaca. We visited the site of the Straits Corners camp along with the site of a camp that had been established for black youth in Preston, NY, not far from Binghamton. Tom and I would both like to learn more about the experience of blacks in the CCC. There has been a book written about this aspect of the CCC in California, but there doesn't appear to be too much else that has been done. I would especially like to find copies of the camp newspaper from Straits Corners which was called The Tioga County Sachem. I t may be in one of the archives in the University of Illinois, but I haven't had time to pursue that angle. Ed Nizalowski, SMS Newark Valley High School Newark Valley, NY enizalowski@nvcs.stier.org "Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out that going to the mountains is going home; that wilderness is a necessity; and that mountain parks and reservations are useful not only as fountains of timber and irrigating rivers, but as fountains of life." John Muir -------------------------------------------------------------------- Please note: All LM_NET postings are protected by copyright law. You can prevent most e-mail filters from deleting LM_NET postings by adding LM_NET@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU to your e-mail address book. To change your LM_NET status, e-mail to: listserv@listserv.syr.edu In the message write EITHER: 1) SIGNOFF LM_NET 2) SET LM_NET NOMAIL 3) SET LM_NET MAIL 4) SET LM_NET DIGEST * Allow for confirmation. * LM_NET Help & Information: http://www.eduref.org/lm_net/ * LM_NET Archive: http://www.eduref.org/lm_net/archive/ * EL-Announce with LM_NET Select: http://lm-net.info/ * LM_NET Supporters: http://www.eduref.org/lm_net/ven.html * LM_NET Wiki: http://lmnet.wikispaces.com/ --------------------------------------------------------------------