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Page 38 December 2015 The Catoctin Banner Newspaper www.TheCatoctinBanner.com Published by www.EPlusPromotes.com
The center got off to a rocky start, drawing, hand routing, measurement
with staffing problems and too many skills, painting, and organizational
visiting dignitaries, not only from the skills produced 225 signs for
federal government but also foreign Catoctin, Greenbelt, Cunningham
governments, such as Japan, Canada, Falls State Park and Antietam
British Guinea, England, Israel, the Parks in Fiscal Year 1965-1966,”
by James Rada, Jr. Philippines, and the Ivory Coast. Kirkconnell wrote.
“Continual recruitment brought a They also performed work in
total of 157 recruits into the program the surrounding community, such
1965 — Training the Unemployed but 57 left before the end of June. as building a ball field and picnic
The bleak winter contributed to
pavilions for Thurmont parks.
from the Catoctin Mountaintop homesickness; stark conditions of By 1966, things were running
the camp without indoor recreation far more smoothly. By the end of
Catoctin Mountain can boast a Consideration of using the park facilities and high expectations eighteen months of operation, 439
lot of interesting history from Camp for such a site began in May 1964. added to the general ‘depressive men had been recruited to the camp.
David to the Blue Blazes Still raid. Federal government officials visited atmosphere,’” Kirkconnell wrote. And 102 had transferred out, 165
From an Office of Strategic Services the park and inspected possible sites Camp Director C. A. Maxey had resigned, 24 graduated, 16 went
training camp during World War II to for the camp. Within a month, the blamed the high drop-out rate on the back to school or jobs, leaving 111
Camp Misty Mount for children. government began converting the recruits who had “temperamental and Corpsmen in camp at the end of June
“Also on the Government side 60-acre Central Garage Unit Area in emotional problems in boys who had 1966, according to Kirkconnell.
is the ‘mother’ camp of President the country’s first Job Corps Center, known little but failure,” according By that time, it became an election
Johnson’s Poverty Program,” the according to Kirkconnell. to a Baltimore Sun article. year issue. Congress criticized the
Frederick Post reported in 1965. Besides building the camp, officials The boys had been recruited from program and cut funding. Discipline
President Johnson had been the met with residents of Thurmont, families earning less than $3,000 a was a problem and so were
Texas director of the National Youth Hagerstown, and other communities year (around $23,000 today) and had community relations.
Administration. It was a New Deal where the camp attendees might an average of a ninth grade education. The Job Corps Center finally
program under President Franklin spend their off hours. They wanted to At the camp, they earned $32 a closed in May 1969.
D. Roosevelt, similar in objective to make sure that there would be a good month plus $50, which was put in a
the Job Corps. Johnson convinced relationship between the camp and bank account for them. “If they made
Congress it could work again, towns. a family allotment of $25 from the
according to Barbara Kirkconnell “Thurmont merchants were $50, the government matched it with
in Catoctin Mountain Park, An wooed by an expected $200,000 in another $25,” Kirkconnell wrote.
Administrative History. revenue from supplies, equipment The program included a half
The camp, called Camp Round and food sold to the camp for the day of work and a half day of
Meadow, opened in January 1965 program,” Kirkconnell wrote. education in the winter. The work
and served as the place to train people Camp officials spoke at civic time increased and the education time
who would be sent out across the meetings and invited officials and decreased as the weather warmed up.
country to depressed areas to open organizations out to tour the camp. The work consisted of park projects,
and operate other similar camps. “On January 15, 1965, 85 young such as building trails, picnic tables,
At the camp, 75 people were men between the ages of 16 and 21 and needed buildings. They also
hired and trained on how to run a arrived at Catoctin MP to inaugurate did work improving the Gettysburg
poverty training camp. “While these the job Corps Program at a site Battlefield.
people are being instructed, some 20 ‘largely unimproved’ since the CCC As they mastered basic skills, they
persons accepted as trainees by the left in 1941,” Kirkconnell wrote. were given more-complex work.
new program, will be working in the The Jobs Corps Center was “A sign construction program
area,” Kirkconnell wrote. dedicated on February 27. teaching printing, mechanical
The center got off to a rocky start, drawing, hand routing, measurement
with staffing problems and too many skills, painting, and organizational
visiting dignitaries, not only from the skills produced 225 signs for
federal government but also foreign Catoctin, Greenbelt, Cunningham
governments, such as Japan, Canada, Falls State Park and Antietam
British Guinea, England, Israel, the Parks in Fiscal Year 1965-1966,”
by James Rada, Jr. Philippines, and the Ivory Coast. Kirkconnell wrote.
“Continual recruitment brought a They also performed work in
total of 157 recruits into the program the surrounding community, such
1965 — Training the Unemployed but 57 left before the end of June. as building a ball field and picnic
The bleak winter contributed to
pavilions for Thurmont parks.
from the Catoctin Mountaintop homesickness; stark conditions of By 1966, things were running
the camp without indoor recreation far more smoothly. By the end of
Catoctin Mountain can boast a Consideration of using the park facilities and high expectations eighteen months of operation, 439
lot of interesting history from Camp for such a site began in May 1964. added to the general ‘depressive men had been recruited to the camp.
David to the Blue Blazes Still raid. Federal government officials visited atmosphere,’” Kirkconnell wrote. And 102 had transferred out, 165
From an Office of Strategic Services the park and inspected possible sites Camp Director C. A. Maxey had resigned, 24 graduated, 16 went
training camp during World War II to for the camp. Within a month, the blamed the high drop-out rate on the back to school or jobs, leaving 111
Camp Misty Mount for children. government began converting the recruits who had “temperamental and Corpsmen in camp at the end of June
“Also on the Government side 60-acre Central Garage Unit Area in emotional problems in boys who had 1966, according to Kirkconnell.
is the ‘mother’ camp of President the country’s first Job Corps Center, known little but failure,” according By that time, it became an election
Johnson’s Poverty Program,” the according to Kirkconnell. to a Baltimore Sun article. year issue. Congress criticized the
Frederick Post reported in 1965. Besides building the camp, officials The boys had been recruited from program and cut funding. Discipline
President Johnson had been the met with residents of Thurmont, families earning less than $3,000 a was a problem and so were
Texas director of the National Youth Hagerstown, and other communities year (around $23,000 today) and had community relations.
Administration. It was a New Deal where the camp attendees might an average of a ninth grade education. The Job Corps Center finally
program under President Franklin spend their off hours. They wanted to At the camp, they earned $32 a closed in May 1969.
D. Roosevelt, similar in objective to make sure that there would be a good month plus $50, which was put in a
the Job Corps. Johnson convinced relationship between the camp and bank account for them. “If they made
Congress it could work again, towns. a family allotment of $25 from the
according to Barbara Kirkconnell “Thurmont merchants were $50, the government matched it with
in Catoctin Mountain Park, An wooed by an expected $200,000 in another $25,” Kirkconnell wrote.
Administrative History. revenue from supplies, equipment The program included a half
The camp, called Camp Round and food sold to the camp for the day of work and a half day of
Meadow, opened in January 1965 program,” Kirkconnell wrote. education in the winter. The work
and served as the place to train people Camp officials spoke at civic time increased and the education time
who would be sent out across the meetings and invited officials and decreased as the weather warmed up.
country to depressed areas to open organizations out to tour the camp. The work consisted of park projects,
and operate other similar camps. “On January 15, 1965, 85 young such as building trails, picnic tables,
At the camp, 75 people were men between the ages of 16 and 21 and needed buildings. They also
hired and trained on how to run a arrived at Catoctin MP to inaugurate did work improving the Gettysburg
poverty training camp. “While these the job Corps Program at a site Battlefield.
people are being instructed, some 20 ‘largely unimproved’ since the CCC As they mastered basic skills, they
persons accepted as trainees by the left in 1941,” Kirkconnell wrote. were given more-complex work.
new program, will be working in the The Jobs Corps Center was “A sign construction program
area,” Kirkconnell wrote. dedicated on February 27. teaching printing, mechanical
