CCC Work Commemorated at Palo Duro Canyon

“During that last week, I helped tear down the last latrine at the CCC camp and thought, Well, that’s the end of the CCC and all we done out here.  Sure didn’t expect then at 17 years of age that I would be back here in my 90’s doing this today!” It makes me feel reeeaaaaalll good.” 

These words from a CCC “boy,” Ed Davis, were spoken at the unveiling of a Texas Historical Marker Dedication on Sat., May 15, 2010 in Palo Duro Canyon just outside the El Coronado Lodge built by the CCC.  Many gathered despite overcast skies to participate in the event and pay their respects to those who built so much in this canyon in the 1930’s which are still being used today. Harold Root, Chairman of the Randall County Historical Commission, was the Master of Ceremonies and the Golden Spread Chorus, a barbershop choral group from Amarillo, performed with some well blended patriotic songs.  Lisa Jackson, Curatorial Assistant at the Panhandle-Plains Museum in Canyon, shared her vast knowledge about the work of the CCC companies that served in this canyon.  One item of note is that this site was worked on by CCC companies made up of World War I CCC Bonus March veterans, African-American CCC boys and finally “juvenile” CCC boys during 1933-37. This was not typical to have all three types at one site—it was usually one or the other.  She also pointed out that the first day (July 11, 1933) that the first group of 600 arrived by train and had to be brought down into the canyon by local volunteers, there was a terrible storm that leveled the erected tents that would house the men but by supper time some were back up again and the meal was served on time.

Kathryn Flynn, Exec.Director of the National New Deal Preservation Assoc., also spoke and gave commemorative coins to Mr. Davis and Parley Myers, who actually had lived in the park one summer while his dad, a CCC’er, was working there and Parley was a young boy who had to be up early and stand in attention for reveille alongside his dad every morning.  Mrs. Carol Crow was also given a coin to honor her memory of her grandfather, E.A.Kingsley, who had developed/engineered the plans for the road down into the canyon that the CCC boys dug out with limited tools. Flynn also gave a coin to Mike Pixler who came from Ft. Worth with his family and another member as representatives of the CCC Legacy Chapter 123. This is currently the only active CCC Legacy alumni chapter in Texas today. Janelle Taylor of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department in Austin came to meet and honor the CCC’ers and to kick off her current project to find CCC boys, interview and record their memories of those early days in their lives. Anyone aware of such people should contact her at Janelle.taylor@tpwd.sate.tx.us or call 512-389-4665.