Robert Lewis Rough

1935-1936, Company 327 at Camp Hull, S-89, Conrad, PA and Company 364, at Camp Slate Run, S-81, Slate Run, PA

Bob Rough was seventeen when he graduated from high school in 1934. There was no regular employment available for him in his hometown of Franklin, Pennsylvania, or in nearby Oil City. Although he was an accomplished musician and found work most weekends playing with one dance band or another, it wasn't enough. He applied to the CCC and was accepted on April 1, 1935. He passed his physical in Erie, Pa, on April 22^nd and boarded a train to Fort Hoyle, Maryland, for conditioning camp. Less than twenty-four hours later, he was on another train to Conrad, Pennsylvania, assigned to Company 327 at Camp Hull, CCC Camp S-89, in District Two of the Third Corps. Camp Hull was located deep in the Susquehannock State Forest, about twelve miles from Wharton.

His workdays involved building roads through the forest. He learned to clear cut the right of way, operate the grader to further shape the road, clear brush, lay sluice pipe, quarry rock, build fire trails, install signs and build a fish dam. His crew worked on Horton Run Road, Gravel Lick Trail, Nelson Run Road, Marvin Run Road, and various fire trails.

He wrote home that The eats are good up here and you get all you can eat. He enjoyed the Saturday night movies followed by ice cream and pie. He signed up for a mechanical drawing class that met Monday evenings. Music was always a large part of his life and his time in the CCC was no exception.There was always music at night. He joined a band, playing clarinet, saxophone and guitar as needed. They played in the barracks and later in nearby towns (Costello, Conrad, and Colesburg) on the weekends.

December brought deer season and the boys stayed close to camp, Improvement cutting which had its appeal since the winter weather was especially harsh. By mid-January, Camp Hull closed. On January 14, 1936, the boys left Camp Hull in company trucks for their new camp and company, Company 364, at CCC Camp S-81, Camp Slate Run. They spent much of their time there being snowed in. Work was cancelled because of temperatures ranging between 18 and 23 degrees below zero. Fortunately, camp had first rate movies, a good library, and lots of jam sessions. When they worked, they removed snow, burned brush, hauled wood for the barracks, and scattered ashes to make roads more passable.

March 17, 1936, marked the famous 1936 St. Patrick's Day Flood. It washed out recreation hall and the shower house at camp and caused major flooding damage all along the west branch of the Susquehanna River. Two details were sent to Jersey Shore to help with the aftermath.Bob was assigned to chop wood all day at camp.

On March 31, 1936, his year with the CCC was complete and he was discharged. He received $5 of his monthly $30 pay for March ($25 of his monthly pay had automatically been sent home to his family) and a bus ticket home to Franklin.

Inspired by his mechanical drawing course in the CCC, Bob pursued a B. S. degree in Civil Engineering, graduating from Tri-State College in Angola, Indiana, in 1938. He served in the Army Corps of Engineers in Europe during WW2 He was a petroleum engineer for the United States Bureau of Mines from 1947 through 1971 when he retired. He died in 1983 in Sarasota, Florida.

Below are Photos from Robert Lewis Rough