In the 1930s Devil's Den State Park began emerging from Lee Creek Valley in the Ozark Mountains thanks to the work of the Civilian Conservation Corps. A reunion to celebrate the beloved park and to honor the legacy of the CCC workers is Sunday.
The first reunion for the workers took place in the 1960s, and events continued until a few years ago, says Mystina Swaim, park interpreter.
FAQ
Reunion Day
WHEN — All day Sunday; activities begin at 1 p.m.
WHERE — Devil’s Den State Park in West Fork, 11333 W. Arkansas 74
COST — $25 for ages 18 and older; free for 17 and younger. Each person paying admission will receive $5 in Camp Exchange tickes.
INFO — 761-3325
BONUS — Guests are encouraged to wear 1930s era clothings. Those who do will get extra chances to win door prizes.
FYI
Reunion Day
Schedule
1-1:45 p.m. — We Can Take It!: Hear the story of the Civilian Conservation Corp and the history of Devil’s Den State Park from Tim Scott, assistant superintendent of the park, at the Visitor Center audio-visual room.
2-2:45 p.m. — Hiking Through The Legacy of the CCC: Park interpreter Mystina Swaim will lead an easy hike along the grounds where the CCC boys lived and worked. Meet at the large pavilion near the playground.
4-5 p.m. — Devil’s Den Softball: The CCC boys played ball during their free time. Meet at the ball field in Area E.
5-7 p.m. — CCC Camp Supper: Fried chicken, mashed potatoes, beans, cornbread and chocolate pie will be served at the foundation of the kitchen where the CCC workers prepared and ate their meals. Meet at the kitchen foundation along the CCC Interpretive Trail. (One Camp Exchange ticket required for each person.)
7-9 p.m. Traditional CCC Free Time: Play horseshoes, checkers, dominoes or dance to 1930s era music. Door prizes announced during this time. Meet in the large pavilion. (One Camp Exchange ticket required for each person.)
9 p.m. — Movie Showing: The workers occasionally visited area movie theaters during their free time. The park will show “A Dollar A Day,” a 30-minute documentary. Meet in the large pavilion. (One Camp Exchange ticket required for each person.)
"The past few years, [the workers] haven't been able to come to the reunion. We've only got two or three of them left, and they are well into their 90s," she says. "That's why we are changing it up a little bit."
The park is keeping the traditional reunion day and is inviting the workers who helped built the park, but park personnel are making the event more about the 1930s CCC tradition, Swaim says.
Park interpreters interviewed many CCC workers during previous reunions. Records of those conversations, which have offered a lot of insight for the upcoming reunion, are in the park's archives.
The day's events include a traditional CCC camp supper, which will be served at the foundation of the kitchen the workers used in the 1930s, a free period for fun, games and dancing and a movie about the era.
Admission to the reunion is $25 for guests 18 and older, which will get the guest $5 in Camp Exchange tickets to be used at specific events during the day.
"The CCC boys were paid $1 a day," Swaim says. "They made $30 a month and sent $25 home to support their families. They kept $5 for themselves to use for whatever they wanted."
Guests to the reunion are encouraged to dress in 1930s-era attire -- "simple material ... this was during the Great Depression and people didn't have a lot of money to go out and buy fancy fabric," Swaim says.
Door prizes will be awarded, and those wearing 1930s-era clothing will be offered additional chances to win.
"If it wasn't for the CCC, we wouldn't have the park," Swaim says. "Everybody can be a piece of that story when they come to the event. Actually, when they just come to the park, they are a part of that legacy."
-- Kelly Barnett
kbarnett@mwadg.com
NAN What's Up on 07/01/2016