Ep. 005 – Chinsegut Civilian Conservation Corps
FDR quickly implemented the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) as part of his New Deal program and Chinsegut became a CCC Camp in 1937. While employing a couple hundred young men on the property in the way millions of others would work on other CCC camps across the country, the CCC camp at Chinsegut also had some singular qualities.
Related links & resources
View the museum website Florida CCC Museum
View The Brownie Website Palmer House Brownie
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Franklin Delano Roosevelt is generally near the top or the bottom of an individual American’s ranked President’s list - rarely in the middle. There is no doubt he transformed many aspects of the US Government; the debate is whether it was a positive or negative change.
One of his less controversial programs was the Civilian Conservation Corps, which he launched almost immediately upon taking office in 1933. Almost 3.5 million young men would serve in the CCC during its nine year existence, supporting at least 8.5 million dependents. Five government agencies cooperated with the program, the Departments of Labor, Veterans’ Administration, War, Agriculture, and Interior and many men trained in the program would go on into careers in the fields they learned in the CCC.
By the time FDR came into office, Chinsegut belonged to the US government. Raymond and Margaret had deeded it to the US with the provision they could live in the manor house and work some of the lands until they both died. This is where it got a little complicated. Although Raymond and Margaret had campaigned for Hoover in the 1932 election, Margaret’s sister Mary was close to the Roosevelts, so there didn’t appear to be any breakdown in the Chinsegut plan once Hoover lost the election. In fact, Margaret had been involved in encouraging Roosevelt to appoint Frances Perkins as his Secretary of Labor. So fairly quickly, Chinsegut has appropriated funding from Washington for various projects, and in 1937 a full CCC camp came to Brooksville.
- Natalie
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References to Elizabeth Robins work printed/quoted with kind permission of Independent Age (Registered Charity No. 210729). Visit www.independentage.org to learn more.
Producer & Editor Lief Thomason, Odd Life Studios
Recorded at Profound Revelation Studios
Graphic Designer Barry Meindl, DaBarr Design
Web Designer and Social Media Manager Allisa Babor, Roots Creative Co
“Time is Whispering” Writer and Recording Artist Randi Olsen, Live Oak Theatre
Grant funding assistance by Florida Humanities
Rights to Elizabeth Robins materials owned by Independent Age
Host Natalie Kahler Natalie Kahler | Facebook
