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To see the statue and learn
more, go to
www.visitpa.com. At the top right corner of page, type in
Laurel Hill State Park. On the next page that appears, click on
the first item (Laurel Hill State Park). When next page appears,
click on “How to Get There.” |
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Through a project completed by the
Somerset Masonry crew and Instructor Bryan Stanczyk, Instructor
Aide Mike Barndt and Site Manager Tim Weimer, OOR helped to
commemorate a milestone in American history: the accomplishments
of the CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps).
The crew built a base and
surrounding brick plaza in Laurel Hill State park to hold the six
foot bronze statue of a CCC worker. The statue, dedicated last
summer, honors the three million young men who served nationally
from 1933 to 1942, in a program devoted to protecting and
developing America’s natural resources.
Former OOR Board President Dr. Ed
Lewis presided at the dedication ceremony. Dr. Lewis was
instrumental in raising funds to purchase the statue itself.
Because of his famil- liarity with the OOR program, he could
describe to the gathering just how OOR staff, Stanczyk, Barndt and
Weimer “got the job done.” |
Laurel Hill and Kooser State Parks in
Somerset County are part of the legacy of the CCC, which was
created by President Franklin Roosevelt and the United States
Congress to help alleviate the overwhelming unemployment during
the Great Depression. More
than 15 years ago, a group of surviving CCC enrollees once again
volunteered. This time they worked to preserve the heritage of CCC
achievements more than 60 years ago.
The results of their efforts are the statue, educational programs,
way- side and Visitor Center exhibits, oral histories and marker
signs.
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