Hard Work and a Good Deal: The Civilian Conservation Corps in Minnesota

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Writing and publishing a book is both an individual and a collaborative process. Many people have tirelessly supported and assisted in this book’s development, answering questions, providing information, tracking down photographs, and helping with all the tasks that are part of the process. Edward P . Nelson has been involved from concept through publication. His depth of knowledge was helpful at every turn, and his guidance and insight and support are gratefully acknowledged.Thank you to Harvey Richart and the members of Chapter 119 of the National Association of ccc Alumni for support of the project from inception through publication. The Minnesota Historical Society’s grants program provided funding to collect some of the interviews. Members of the Minnesota Historical Society staff always were ready to answer questions and help locate information. A special thanks is due to Robert “Skip” Drake. Also to Ruth Bauer Anderson, Deborah Miller,James E.Fogerty,Susan Roth,andAnn Regan and to Shannon Pennefeather, whose editorial skills are greatly appreciated. Thanks also to Steve Harsin and Scott Kuzma at the Iron Range Research Center,who helped track down information and photographs from the ccc collections.Vic Ruhland , formerly of the Natural Resources Conservation Service,provided information about the history of soil conservation in the state.Patricia Maus of the Northeast Regional Research Center in Duluth was an excellent resource, as was University of Minnesota archivist Lois Hendrickson. Thanks to Keith Matson of Chippewa National Forest for his very helpful review of the camps list and to Walter Okstad of Superior National Forest for being available to answer questions regardless of when I called. Mary Nordeen at Chippewa National Forest searched for photographs,as did Deborah Rose of the Department of Natural Resources. Bromley Griffin, formerly of St. Croix State Park, provided information about the park’s ccc history. Mary Halbert and the members of Chapter 33 of the National Association of ccc Alumni were very helpful and are owed many thanks.Thanks also to the NationalAssociation of ccc Alumni (naccca) and the Minnesota Conservation Corps (mcc). Others who lent their assistance include Arnold Alanen, Carol Ahlgren, Donald Wilson, William Marshall, George Poch, Richard Cameron, Kathy Kainz, Elizabeth Bright, W. H. Raff, and Douglas Seefeldt. An outstanding thank you to Gwenyth Swain, whose editorial and writing skills helped find and develop this publication’s voice—of extraordinary importance when working with oral histories. And thank you to my family for their support: Anna and Nathan Sommer Lux, Erik Sommer, and Karin Sommer.The final and very heartfelt thanks is for my husband, Lawrence J. Sommer, without whose support this work would not have been done. vii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The publication of this book was supported, in part, by the Minnesota’s Greatest Generation Project of the Minnesota Historical Society. viii HARD WORK AND A GOOD DEAL 1 2 ...