Tribute to Civilian Conservation Corps At 3 State Parks

Michigan-based author and songwriter Bill Jamerson will present the “Dollar a Day Boys” program, a music and storytelling program about the Civilian Conservation Corps, at Itasca, Buffalo River and Lake Bemidji state parks over Memorial Day weekend.

Jamerson has presented at CCC reunions around the country and at dozens of state and national parks. The presentation includes storytelling, reading excerpts from his novel and performing original songs with his guitar. 

“The program is as entertaining as it is important; as honest as it is fun,” said Jamerson. “It is about people both ordinary and extraordinary, with stories of strength, wit and charm.”

Program schedule:

• Itasca State Park (Park Rapids) - Friday, May 26, 7 to 8 p.m., at the Forest Inn.
• Buffalo River State Park (Glyndon) – Saturday, May 27, 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., at park picnic shelter.
• Lake Bemidji State Park (Bemidji) – Sunday, May 28, 1:30 to 2:30 p.m., at the amphitheater.

A question-and-answer period and book signing will follow the presentations. People are encouraged to bring CCC photo albums and memorabilia if they have any.

Jamerson will also present a 45-minute children’s lumberjack show at Lake Bemidji State Park on Sunday, May 28, at 10 a.m. at the park Dining Hall. With guitar in hand and dressed in costume, Jamerson will tell stories about the lumberjack experience in Minnesota and sing traditional songs about working in the woods, living in a bunkhouse, work ethics, hardships of river drives and the importance of camp food.

The Civilian Conservation Corps was a federal works program created by President Franklin Roosevelt in the heart of The Great Depression. During its nine-year run from 1933-1942, 2.6 million men enrolled across the country including 86,000 in Minnesota. An average of 51 camps operated in Minnesota each year with a total financial obligation of $85 million.

Itasca State Park was a site for one of the many CCC camps. The “C”s planted more than 180 million trees in Minnesota, fought hundreds of forest fires, released several billion fish in rivers and lakes, built hundreds of dams and bridges and constructed thousands of miles of roads.

Other state parks constructed by the "C"s include St. Croix, Lac qui Parle, Gooseberry Falls, Whitewater, Interstate and Flandrau. Camp Rabideau in Blackduck, north of Bemidji, is still standing and contains many original CCC buildings. It is one of the finest camp restorations in the nation.

Aside from his songs, Jamerson has written a book and several articles on the CCC, as well as produced 11 PBS films.

For more information visit mndnr.gov/state_parks, or visit Jamerson’s website at billjamerson.com.

Bicycle Trail at Itasca State Park Closed For Reconstruction

The six-mile paved bicycle trail that goes from Douglas Lodge to the Mississippi headwaters area at Itasca State Park in Park Rapids is about to undergo major reconstruction, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR).

All of the existing asphalt will be removed this fall. The trail will be regraded and, in the spring, it will be given a new coat of blacktop. The work is scheduled to be completed by mid-June.

“Once this project is done, the trail will be smoother and safer for bicyclists,” said Jeff Karels, assistant park manager.

The majority of the $1.5 million project will be paid for with state bonding dollars. The rest will come from a federal recreational trail program grant and from the parks and trails fund, created after Minnesota voters approved the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment in November 2008.

While the bicycle trail is closed, Wilderness Drive will remain open for bicyclists who don’t mind sharing the road with motor vehicles. The 10-mile, one-way scenic drive heads west from the headwaters and ends near Douglas Lodge. There are many spectacular sights along the way, including a couple of Minnesota’s tallest pine trees.

For a map and other information about the park, including details about renting bicycles, visit www.mndnr.gov (www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/itasca) or contact the DNR Information Center at 651-296-6157, toll-free 888-646-6367, between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday or at info.dnr@state.mn.us.