Combination Shelter also known as CCC Shelter
N 41° 42.602 W 085° 02.073
16T E 663514 N 4619448
Two-story shelter near the beach
Waymark Code: WM1N32
Location: Indiana, United States
Date Posted: 06/05/2007
Views: 40
This shelter, officially known as "Civilian Conservation Corps Combination Shelter" was built in 1936 by Civilian Conservation Corps Company 556. It is one of only two items in Pokagon State Park that are on the National Historic Registry. This shelter was built entirely by hand, including all the stonework. The stonemasons would put the shaped stones in place by hand until they got too high, then they would employ a "stone stretcher" - using wood and canvas braced against the previously placed stones and pushing the new stone up the wood ramp. They did this for two stories of shelter! It is simply amazing how well that work has held up through the ravages of weather and time.
The life of the CCC "boys" was of course not "all work and no play". They would get leave to go into Angola for recreation. They were all issued dress hats to wear on leave.
Each CCC worker was paid $30 per month, $5 of which he kept and $25 of which was sent home to his family. The families were very grateful for this - many times it was the only source of income for the whole family!
One story related by a CCC graduate was that there were some complaints by the local Angola merchants that the CCC "boys" were creating disturbances. In response to the complaints, the CCC Commanding Officer started paying the "boys" in silver dollars. Soon, the merchants started noticing they couldn't get their cash drawers closed - because they were overflowing with silver dollars! His point had been made - those CCC dollars were very beneficial to the community, and the complaints stopped.
Today, the CCC Shelter is a popular destination for parties, family reunions, and other events. It is also the home for special events at Pokagon such as their annual Halloween Spooky Storytime. It also is the destination for skiiers in the park - it's the rental station for cross-country skis. Whatever the season, the CCC Shelter offers fun, rest, recreation and a link to Pokagon's past.
To log this waymark, please post a picture of you at the shelter or the plaque monument with your GPSr. Include a little bit about your visit, thoughts and experience here. Thanks!
This listing was created with extensive help from Fred Wooley, Interpretive Naturalist for Pokagon State Park, and columnist for the Herald-Republican newspaper. We thank him for his assistance and copies of his articles, without which we would not have been able to provide these listings.
County / Borough / Parish: Steuben County, Indiana
Year listed: 1992
Historic (Areas of) Significance: Architecture/Engineering, Event
Periods of significance: 1925-1949
Historic function: Recreation And Culture
Current function: Recreation And Culture
Privately owned?: no
Primary Web Site: [Web Link]
Street address: Not listed
Season start / Season finish: Not listed
Hours of operation: Not listed
Secondary Website 1: Not listed
Secondary Website 2: Not listed
National Historic Landmark Link: Not listed
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Visit Instructions:
Please give the date and brief account of your visit. Include any additional observations or information that you may have, particularly about the current condition of the site. Additional photos are highly encouraged, but not mandatory.