On Friday, Sept. 28, the national Civilian Conservation Corps Legacy organization will visit the Oregon Department of Forestry’s Forest History Center museum during their annual gathering. The event begins at 1 p.m. with a wreath ceremony honoring the Civilian Conservation Corps. The Center, as well as the historic State Forester’s Office, will be open to the public for tours from 1 to 4 p.m. Both buildings are located at 2600 State Street, Salem. The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) emerged under President Roosevelt in the midst of the Great Depression. It was designed to put the nation’s youth to work in conservation activities across the country and existed from 1933-1942. ODF’s Forest History Center building was constructed in 1936 by the CCC. The State Forester’s Building, which was a WPA project, was finished in 1938. In 2002, during a campus construction project, the History Center was moved from its original location on the east side of Mill Creek to its present site adjacent to the State Forester’s building. In 2008 it was formally dedicated as the Forest History Center. The Center serves as a place to preserve and interpret the history of forestry in Oregon. The wreath ceremony, which is open to the public, will be held at the CCC worker statue located on the grounds next to the Forest History Center. Following afternoon tours of the History Center and State Forester’s Building, the Legacy organization event will continue with a business meeting and awards banquet. These events are by invitation and will be held in the Tillamook Room on ODF’s campus.
