The lasting legacy of Camp Columbia

As a child growing up in west Coulee Dam, our outdoor playground was built by the toil of young unmarried men of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). The CCC was born out of the Great Depression in 1933 and was a voluntary public-works program of President Roosevelt's New Deal. Roosevelt's program put men of ages 18 to 25 to work on projects involving natural-resource development and conservation. The average wage was $30 per month, of which $25 was sent home to their families. With the construction of Grand Coulee Dam beginning in 1933 and followed by building of Engineer's Town in 1934, the need arose to provide home landscaping and recreational facilities for the work force along with tourist parking facilities. Camp Columbia, or USBR Camp BR-48, would be established in Electric City on Aug. 14, 1935 and end on June 3, 1938. During its three-year tenure, the camp would be occupied by three separate companies of about 150 men each. The CCC would build the Candy Point Trail, Douglas Park, vista parking areas, and the community pool and tennis courts in Cole Park. They also maintained a tree/plant nursery on Columbia Street that provided the trees and shrubs planted in Engineer's Town.

Bert Smith, Them Dam Writers online 2020