Entry - July 12, 1936

7:00 - Had a big ball game today. Our team won. We beat a New York team from the other side of the park.

Today being Sunday I went to church in Kalispell. We scrubbed out our barracks today. I am thinking pretty strong of Ill. tonight. Who knows?

Robert

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Comments From Chris -


At its max, there were 14 CCC camps in Glacier National Park, each with around 50 to 250 men. These men were from all over the country. Many of the CCC camps had games like this which I'm sure helped build comradery. I've read from several accounts that there were many differing attitudes with the incoming enrollees. It didn't take long though for them to join in a sort of brotherhood with the other enrollees. Working together on the land would build those bonds and result in some of them saying this was the best time of their lives. Playing games like this probably helped as well.

During this post Robert had been away from home for 10 months. I don't think I mentioned it before, but Robert first joined the CCC when he was beginning his senior year of high school, October 5, 1933. He wouldn't be able to finish school that year.

After his first term, he came back to Illinois and finished out school one year later than he normally would have. He was a month from being 19 during graduation. Two months after graduating, he signed back up for the CCC.

I'm not quite sure of the families financial situation at the time, but leaving high school seems to indicate the additional income would have been helpful. From everything I know about it, this was a great experience for him. There had to be times like this though where someone fresh out of high school was thinking about friends and family back home.

Robert is third from left on the ground. Playing games.
From Robert's CCC Photo Collection