Camp Salt Creek: A Piece of Western Springs History

The next time you're driving on Ogden Avenue, look due north at Howard Avenue and you’ll see a road leading to a nursery where the Cook County Forest Preserve District raises trees for reforestation projects (click on second photo above). But, in 1934, this was the site of “Camp Salt Creek,” a federal camp for young men, 18 to 25 years of age, who were in dire need of a job, room and board (click on third photo above). 

As background, in 1933 the nation was in the midst of the Great Depression with 25% unemployment. As a result, the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was formed to hire a half million unemployed young men. In return, these men were to build some of America’s first roads, national and state parks, and other public infrastructure improvements. 

To plan and operate this huge organization, the National Park Service was assisted by the U.S. Army. For example, military officers supervised the new camps. Applicants were required to enlist for 6-month stints, were issued army work uniforms, and were subject to early morning reveille, periodic “KP” duty in the mess halls, and lights off at 10 p.m. But, if a young man were lucky enough to find an outside job opportunity, he could request and be granted a discharge.

The men worked outdoors 8 hours a day, Monday through Friday, with most weekends off. While they earned $30 per month, $25 of this amount was sent home to their parents. The 245 men assigned to Camp Salt Creek lived in six, coal-heated barracks, similar to the one shown in the fourth photo above. The camp also had a mess hall, truck garage, bath house, recreation hall, dispensary, and headquarters building. Although the camp drew water from its own well, the camp utilized Western Springs‘ sewers. Three Army Reserve officers supervised the camp’s daily operation. 

During the day, approximately 208 men were assigned to building bridle paths (now bike trails), small bridges, shelter houses, and dams, as well as reforestation and soil erosion work. On occasion, the men would also be trucked to other nearby locations where they would build stone walls and similar park improvements. Many of these are still visible in Bemis Woods and other area forest preserves (click on fifth photo above).

During their off hours, the men could take free classes. According to one CCC report, “…a teacher residing in the nearby community of Western Springs conducts classes 20 hours a week, five nights a week from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.” Subject matter included bookkeeping, shorthand, typing, Spanish, public speaking, and psychology. In addition, the men could partake in basketball, baseball, volleyball, ping pong, boxing, horseshoes, and musical programs. An internal CCC document from 1935 also reported that the camp did not have any problems resulting from “Communistic activities” or any “bootleggers around camp."

Area residents and businesses were supportive of the young men in many ways. For example, the LaGrange Theater provided them with reduced movie rates. On Sundays, local ministers would conduct services at camp or invite the men to their churches. A 1936 article in the Western Springs Times described how a group of local club women had converted the camp’s barn-like recreation hall into ”a thing of beauty” with the addition of curtains, bookcases, easy chairs, a large rug, and new paint.

By the late 1930’s, the nation’s economy had improved and CCC applications dwindled. As a result, Camp Salt Creek and 2,600 other camps were gradually closed. Today, except for the old pump house (sixth photo above), all that remains of Camp Salt Creek are a few foundation walls (see seventh photo above). But, while the camp structures no longer exist, much of the CCC’s work is still visible, both here and across the nation.