Original article
This chimney was the last reminder of the recreation hall from the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) Camp V2775 located at the former fairgrounds (now baseball and softball complex) in southwest Mandan. This unique camp was staffed with World War I veterans; hence the “V” designation. Only 3 camps of the 250+ CCC camps in the nation were reserved for veterans. Typically, about 250 men aged seventeen to twenty-three made up a company. With the addition of another 45 men in October 1937 consolidated with the camp in Fargo, the Mandan location was the largest CCC camp in North Dakota. Click to Enlarge
During their off hours, CCCers played cards, billiards and table tennis or bought snacks at the canteen in the building. Just outside was a baseball field, right where one of Mandan’s softball diamonds are today. On July 15, 1989 at the annual reunion of the National Association of CCC Alumni, the group placed a plaque in the chimney, made by member Merlin Dahl, to assure its significance would be suitably marked.
The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was created in April 1933 and was active through June 1942. Its purpose was to relieve the widespread unemployment and distress during the Great Depression. This federal government program focused on the restoration of natural resources and construction of useful public works such as parks and municipal utilities. Fort Abraham Lincoln, located 6 miles south of present day Mandan, was established in 1872 to protect area settlers and the construction of the Northern Pacific Railroad. After fulfilling its mission, it was abandoned in 1891. In 1907, President Theodore Roosevelt deeded the grounds of the former fort to the State of North Dakota.
Park development started on July 4, 1934 under the direction by the National Park Service in connection with the State Historical Society of North Dakota. Its primary aim was to preserve the history connected with the area including the Mandan Slant Indian Village and the ruins of the Fort Abraham Lincoln Infantry and Cavalry Posts.
Click to Enlarge The main projects for preservation was the rebuilding of the block houses and the palisades at the infantry post, the marking of the foundations and labeling of building sites for both the infantry and cavalry posts, the re-building of five Mandan earth lodges on the Slant Village Site, and the construction of a museum building of native stone to house historical displays. The rebuilt fort and state park buildings were dedicated July 17, 1938.
Once the work at the state park was complete, crews were redeployed to make improvements at the City of Mandan's fairgrounds near their camp. Some 33,000 North Dakota men served in the CCC. The Depression Era program provided jobs to 3 million unemployed young men around the country. In those nine years, the program built, installed or restored 46,845 bridges, 800 state parks, 4622 fish-rearing ponds, 5,000 miles of water supply lines, 3,462 beaches. They are also credited with the relocation of 45 million trees and shrubs as well as 3 billion newly planted trees. The chimney was demolished in 2024 by the Mandan Park District as part of the baseball/softball complex expansion project.
The Society would like to thank Arley Olson for sharing his research and other information for this article.
Copy-edited article
This chimney was the last reminder of the recreation hall at Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) Camp V2775, located at the former fairgrounds—now a baseball and softball complex—in southwest Mandan. The camp was staffed by World War I veterans, hence the “V” designation. Only three of the more than 250 CCC camps in the nation were reserved for veterans. A typical CCC company consisted of about 250 men ages 17 to 23. After another 45 men joined the Mandan camp through an October 1937 consolidation with the Fargo camp, the Mandan location became the largest CCC camp in North Dakota.
During their off-hours, CCC workers played cards, billiards, and table tennis or bought snacks at the recreation hall's canteen. A baseball field stood just outside, where one of Mandan's softball diamonds is today. At the National Association of CCC Alumni's annual reunion on July 15, 1989, the group placed a plaque made by member Merlin Dahl in the chimney to commemorate its significance.
The Civilian Conservation Corps operated from April 1933 through June 1942. The federal program sought to relieve widespread unemployment and hardship during the Great Depression by restoring natural resources and building public works such as parks and municipal utilities.
Fort Abraham Lincoln, six miles south of present-day Mandan, was established in 1872 to protect area settlers and construction of the Northern Pacific Railroad. It was abandoned in 1891 after fulfilling its mission. In 1907, President Theodore Roosevelt deeded the former fort's grounds to the State of North Dakota.
Park development began July 4, 1934, under the direction of the National Park Service in cooperation with the State Historical Society of North Dakota. Its primary aim was to preserve the area's history, including the Mandan Slant Indian Village and the ruins of Fort Abraham Lincoln's infantry and cavalry posts.
Major preservation projects included rebuilding the blockhouses and palisades at the infantry post; marking foundations and labeling building sites at both posts; rebuilding five Mandan earth lodges at the Slant Village site; and constructing a native-stone museum for historical displays. The reconstructed fort and state park buildings were dedicated July 17, 1938.
After completing their work at the state park, crews were redeployed to improve the City of Mandan's fairgrounds near their camp.
About 33,000 North Dakota men served in the CCC. Nationwide, the Depression-era program employed 3 million young men over nine years. Its workers built, installed, or restored 46,845 bridges, 800 state parks, 4,622 fish-rearing ponds, 5,000 miles of water-supply lines, and 3,462 beaches. They also relocated 45 million trees and shrubs and planted 3 billion trees.
The Mandan Park District demolished the chimney in 2024 as part of the baseball and softball complex expansion project.
The Society thanks Arley Olson for sharing his research and other information for this article.