Biography of Arlyn LeVere Staack

CCC Man, Company 761, Camp Butle SCS-21r, David City, NE

My Dad, Arlyn LeVere Staack, born on October 21, 1917 in Keya Paha County, Nebraska, was in the CCCs in 1936 to 1938 (per note on menu). He was an Assistant Leader in Company 761, Camp Butler near David City, Nebraska, which was part of the Nebraska-South Dakota District of the CCC in the Seventh Corps Area. Per the 1937 annual, the camp had an educational hall with a library, reading room, classrooms, shop and offices. The work at David City included all types of soil conservation work. The enrollees worked on constructing pasture furrows, digging diversion ditches, removing up and down hill fences and relocating fences and lanes on the contour to prevent gullies forming, constructing brush and earth dams to check gully wash, making farm ponds for adequate water supply, constructing fences on badly eroded or steep areas that were retired from cultivation, constructing terrace outlet systems, seed dams, fence dams, planting trees for gully control, fence, weed, and water trees. This work included helping private farms to prevent erosion. This included education on rotating crops, contour furrows, terracing, strip cropping, cover crops, pasture improvement, fire prevention in grass land and timber, retirement of badly eroded land, gully control and farm reservoirs.

He had an annual of that District from 1937, a 1937 Christmas Menu and Roster, and several photos he and my Mom saved all of these years. The menu, post card and photos I share below.

--- Carol K. Staack-Hammond