Civilian Conservation Corps Camp – Pine Creek

Camp SP-1 Pine Creek: Located across the lake on shoreline Company: 1793 - - 06/12/33-04/24/36 The Civilian Conservation Corps was a federal relief program during 1933-1942 that gave jobless men work renovating abused lands. The Army built 48 200-man camps in South Dakota and provided food, clothing, medical care, pay and programs of education, recreation and religion for 23,709 enrollees (single men aged 17-25 who sent $25 of their $30 wage to their families) and war veterans.

Camps and work projects were supervised by another 2834 men. The Office of Indian Affairs ran smaller units for 4554 American Indians. Camp Pine Creek was part of the national CCC program to build recreational areas. Supervised by Custer State Park and National Park Service, enrollees developed the northern areas of Custer State Park.

They built a dam on Pine Creek that created the 17.9 acre Horsethief lake with two picnic areas and started construction of Grizzly Bear Campground which they finished after moving to Camp Lodge. CCs built the roads, including a 480-rod guardrail and the mile long foot trail around the lake. They erected three vehicle bridges including the double spiral bridge near Rushmore.

CCs helped develop the first tourist facilities and lengthened the road at Mount Rushmore. From sidecamps at Galena and Lodge, they erected the park museum and landscaped the grounds. Erected in 1991 by CCC Alumni, the South Dakota State Historical Society, the South Dakota Department of Transportation and Custer State Park.