Camp Watoga was occupied by CCC
Company 1525 and located on what is now the maintenance building site
of Watoga State Park. Company 1525 was operational from June,1933 to
mid July of 1942, making it one of the longest periods of service by
any CCC Camp in the state.
The mission of the Company, also designated as S-52 and then SP-5, was
to assist in development of Watoga State Park. This the CCC company did
with construction of buildings, trails and swimming pool. Also
constructed was a dam to form an 11 acre lake. Many of the pieces of
hardware for hinges , locks, etc; were made in the CCC blacksmith shop
on site.
A small CCC museum at this popular park features tools and other
memorabilia, along with a CCC statue and some original refurbished
buildings that were used by the CCC.
Some images courtesy of Mitchell Opas Family Photo Collection.
Note: Clicking on an image below opens a new window. Close
window to return here.
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Overhead view of Camp Watoga Barracks in later photo. Note river in
background.
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Inside look at one of the barracks. Note the recessed ceilings
which suggest a still later time of this photo. Most barracks
were constructed initially with open, exposed rafters. Later, after
initial construction, housing refinements were gradually added to
barracks in all or most camps around the state during nonscheduled work
times - weekends or periods of inclement weather.
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At Camp Watoga airport. Camp Watoga was one of the few CCC camps
accessible by air traffic in 1933. This early airport photo of
administrators visited Company 1525 to help create and approve the
initial plan of work and evaluate the site locatin of Company 1525 on
the Watoga campgrounds. The CCC Camp was less than 3 months old at the
time, and no doubt the CCC enrollees were shelterd by tents, not
barracks. Note the person with goggles (2nd from left).
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Mitchell Opas in
uniform.
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Checking in.
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Loading up.
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Camp cook.
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Forest Festival, Elkins
West Virginia.
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Peeling
potatoes.
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Taking a break.
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Look "perty"
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Constructing a road.
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Original barracks today.
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The old Watoga CCC gas pump station.
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Education Certificate
for Mitchell Opas.
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Camp Watoga Newsletter
(cover only)
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