From 1933 until 1942, the Civilian Conservation Corps employed millions of young, unmarried men in jobs related to conservation and natural resource development as part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal. Tod Bevitt will explore how the C.C.C. impacted Kansas and Franklin County during their presentation at the 83rd Annual Meeting of the Members of the Franklin County Historical Society on Sunday, January 26, 2 p.m. at Neosho County Community College in Ottawa, Kansas.
The Civilian Conservation Corps was arguably one of Roosevelt’s most successful New Deal programs. The C.C.C. was a program of conservation and construction that changed the lives of more than three million men and their families by offering employment opportunities during the Great Depression. For the past 10 years, Tod Bevitt has been studying the C.C.C. in Kansas, researching the men, their camps and the projects they completed. In 2018, he and his wife, Wendi, contracted with the Kansas Historical Society to document what remains of the C.C.C. camps in Kansas. His presentation will give an overview of the C.C.C. and specifically its impact in the Ottawa area.
Tod Bevitt is the owner and principal investigator for Buried Past Consulting, LLC, performing cultural resource investigations throughout the state of Kansas and the Great Plains. Wendi Bevitt has more than 20 years of experience conducting historical research and genealogy and is the author of “Hidden History of Osage County,” a monthly column in the Osage County News.
The January 26 program will begin at 2 p.m. with a review of 2019 FCHS activities. Tod Bevitt’s presentation will begin at approximately 2:45 p.m. This program is free and open to the public. In the event of inclement weather, this event will be held February 2 at 2 p.m. The Old Depot Museum will be closed on January 26 so that all staff members and volunteers can participate in the annual meeting.
For more information, please call (785) 242-1250.
