Civilian Conservation Corps Camp – Presho

Camp: SCS-2 (DPE-222 in 1934): in city park at SW corner of Presho. Companies: 2756 - - 8/1/1934-10/20/1934; 758 - - 5/29/1935-10/25/1935; 2737 - - 4/30/1936-10/15/1936; 4726 - - 5/15/1938-10/15/1938; 2770 detachment form Huron - - late 1935 and early 1936 The Civilian Conservation Corps was a federal work-relief program during the Great Depression.

From 1933-1942, the CCC provided work for 31,097 jobless men in South Dakota - - about 1700 war veterans, 4554 American Indians, and 2834 supervisors. The U.S. Army provided 200-man camps, food, clothing, medical care, and pay, and educational, recreational, and religious programs. The Office of Indian Affairs provided similar services for units on Indian reservations.

Camp Presho was a tent camp, but headquarters, infirmary, mess, and latrine, were in five wooden buildings. Byre dam three miles north of Kennebec, Fate dam three miles north of Presho, and Brakke dam five miles east of Presho were constructed under the supervision of the US Forest service (1934) and Soil Conservation Service.

Workers created the city water supply and two recreational lakes using a wide variety of construction equipment. Erected in 1990 by CCC Alumni, the South Dakota State Historical Society, the South Dakota Department of Transportation and the Soil Conservation Service.