The stonework of the Civilian Conservation Corps

I've just returned from a trip to Devil's Lake State Park in the Baraboo Hills north of Madison, Wisconsin.

Most of you are not aware that in 2009 I decided to create a second blog to specifically cover a topic that has always fascinated me - the stonework crafted by the men and boys of the Civilian Conservation Corps.  Here is the header I created for that blog:

This blog will feature photos and stories about the stonework (bridges, retaining walls, walkways, shelters, buildings) created by the Civilian Conservation Corps. For the past 40-50 years I've encountered these beautiful works of art everywhere from the Appalachians to the West Coast, and it seems appropriate to collect photos of them in one place.

The blog will not cover the CCC in general. I've read several books about the CCC and will incorporate some basic background, but I intend to keep the focus on the stonework. I'll be photographing sites in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and the Upper Midwest, and will search the 'net for photos from around the country.

After researching and writing only a half-dozen posts for that blog during the first year, I stopped writing for it altogether, stymied by a combination of finances, health, and family events, which prevented me from travelling to visit the sites.

Rather than delete that blog entirely, I'm going to move a few of the posts from there to TYWKIWDBI, and just create a new Category in the right sidebar to accommodate them.

The reason for our trip to Devil's Lake today was in part autumn leafpeeping, but also to photograph some spectacular stonework there.  It will take me a few days to get the photos organized, and I'm on a waiting list to get a book from the library on the history of the park (celebrating its centennial this year) and the CCC work there. 

In the meantime, I'll start with a 2010 post on some stonework at Minnehaha Falls in Minneapolis.