Photo Album of State Parks,  1934-1940  

CALL NUMBER:        S 162035

CREATOR:    State Commission of Forestry. Civilian Conservation Corps.

TITLE: Photo album of state parks 

DATE: 1934-1940

VOLUME: 1.00 volume

MEDIUM: photographs

ARRANGEMENT: Series arranged by state park.

RESTRICTIONS ON ACCESS: As of March 2, 2000, this volume is receiving conservation work and will be not be available for research use until this work is complete.

BIOGRAPHICAL/HISTORICAL NOTE: South Carolina had no system of state parks until the federal government created the Emergency Conservation Work program (later the Civilian Conservation Corps or CCC) with the authority to use CCC workers on state, county, and municipal lands to encourage and assist the development of state and county park systems throughout the nation.  

South Carolina's state park system was created in response to this legislation. The parks system was placed under the authority of the State Forestry Commission which in 1935 was authorized to "acquire property for state forests and state parks." In 1937 the Division of State Parks officially became a separate unit of the Forestry Commission. An assistant state forester was hired to supervise the development, planning, and operations of all state parks and a landscape architect was hired to assist the assistant state forester in "designing recreational developments and plantings."  

Between 1934 and 1941, the CCC, in cooperation with the National Park Service and the United States Forest Service, constructed sixteen state parks in South Carolina. Additionally the federal government developed two recreation demonstration areas with the cooperation of the State Forest Service and with the help of the CCC, Works Progress Administration (WPA), and the Emergency Relief Administration (ERA). These areas were similar to the state parks except that their main purpose was to provide camps for organized groups like the Boy and Girl Scouts. These areas were adjacent to the Cheraw State Park and the Kings Mountain National Military Park. The former area eventually became a part of the Cheraw State Park and the latter eventually became the Kings Mountain State Park.  

The National Park Service, in cooperation with the State Forest Service, also supervised the development of wayside parks--recreational areas adjacent to major roadways. Upon completion, these were turned over to the state for maintenance and operation. The Division of State Parks was also responsible for the administration and maintenance of state historical sites which had been acquired by the state.  

SUMMARY SCOPE NOTE: This scrapbook documents construction on South Carolina state parks by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). The black and white photographs show the construction and completion of construction (in some instances) of trail and road projects, utility systems, lakes and spillways, landscaping, and park facilities such as cabins, picnic areas, and restrooms. CCC workers are sometimes included in the photographs. Parks represented are the presently-named Cheraw State Park, Givhan's Ferry State Park, Poinsett State Park, Myrtle Beach State Park, Kings Mountain State Park, Edisto Beach State Park, Table Rock State Park, and Chester State Park.

LINKING NOTE: A separate record, entitled Agency history record, has been written for the State Commission of Forestry describing the functions and history of the agency.

HIERARCHICAL NOTE: Forms part of the records of the Civilian Conservation Corps Division of the State Forestry Commission.