Civilian Conservation Corps Camp – Mystic

Camp F-1 Mystic: Located at this spot Companies: 760 - - 6/29/33-10/20/34 2763 - - 10/30/35-1/20/36 2753 - - 10/20/34-10/30/35 1790 - - 1/20/36-1/6/38 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 F-1 was part of a national CCC program to renovate forests and build more recreation areas. Work projects, supervised by the USDA Forest Service, included tree thinning, pruning and planting, fire prevention and suppression; rodent, disease and insect control; grazing land improvement and recreational area development.

Enrollees removed dead, diseased, suppressed and excess trees (used for posts, poles and firewood) from hundreds of acres of pine leaving enough trees to produce quality lumber. They removed flammable debris from forests and nearby areas and quelled forest fires. CCs set up a sawmill in cooperation with Camp F-5 and produced lumber to build both camps.

They surveyed forest boundaries; built firebreaks, firetrails, road and telephone lines (also used by local residents.) Erected in 1991 by CCC Alumni, the South Dakota State Historical Society and the Black Hills National Forest.