Columbia Gorge Genealogical Society

Vancouver, Washington (September 19, 2011) – The Confluence Project will host two free events to capture the stories of locals who participated in the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) between 1933 and 1942. Headquartered at Vancouver Barracks, the Northwest CCC program operated 27 major camps and hundreds of temporary work stations along the Columbia River Gorge. Previously enrolled personnel from the Forest Service, Army, or Navy are invited to share their memories of service through oral histories, photographs, and memorabilia as part of ongoing research by the Confluence Project on the history of the Gorge and the Columbia River.

Scheduled interviews will take place on Saturday, October 15th at the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center in The Dalles, Oregon, and on Saturday, November 12th at the Howard House, Fort Vancouver Historic Reserve in Vancouver, Washington. Past enrollees and their families are encouraged to contact Mary Rose at (360) 693-7742 to schedule an interview time. Interview volunteers will be sent questionnaires in advance. Interviewers will gather information from participants including:

When did volunteers enroll and under what circumstances?

Did volunteers live in the Northwest at the time?

Was the CCC experience meaningful to volunteers and their families?

In retrospect, did the CCC leave a lasting impression?

What camps did they work in?

What specific memories or events stand out from their time of service?

What are the lasting effects of the CCC's in the Columbia River Gorge and beyond?

All oral histories, scanned photos, and other memorabilia gathered will inform interpretive materials for the Confluence Project, specifically at the Vancouver Land Bridge at Fort Vancouver and online at www.confluenceproject.org.

The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was a public work relief program that operated from 1933 to 1942 as part of the New Deal. In less than a decade, over 2.5 million Americans created a lasting heritage throughout the nation and in the Northwest, planting nearly 3 billion trees, building over 800 parks, updating forest fire fighting methods, and creating a network trails, campsites, roads, and conservation practices that have helped preserve our forests and scenic vistas for generations to come.

To read more about the Confluence Project , please visit their website at:

http://www.confluenceproject.org/

2024 Program Schedule

January 6, 2024 - America's Extension Service - Resources for Genealogy - Georga Foster
February - Original Courthouse History Forums- Members are encouraged to attend.
March - Darrelll Jabin - Oregons Traveling Historian- March 23, 2024
June 10, 2024 - Hood River Museum Meetup - 1:00pm
July/August - Summer Break
September 14, 2024 - Solutions To Geneaogical Research In Todays Economy
October 5, 2024 - Thomas MacEntee LIVE
Nov. 9, 2024 - FamilySearch Workshop -LDS LIbrary
December- No Program- Merry Christmas

Pioneers of The West

Header Photo: Helen Lundeberg created this painting while employed by the Works Progress Administration (WPA), a New Deal program that employed artists during the Great Depression. Like other WPA artists, Lundeberg depicted a hopeful view of the United States during a time of turmoil and uncertainty by showing a dreamlike image of western expansion. The group of pioneers, with their backs to the viewer, follows an ox-drawn wagon into a valley. The monumental figures appear strong and assured in their forward progress. Rising mountains melt into the sun. Lundeberg's style of mixing fantastic images with reality is evident in the background: The pink, rolling mountains blend into the orange, pink, and bluish haze of the sky; it is difficult to determine where the mountains end and the sky begins. The careful use of space and dreamlike elements in Pioneers of the West is representative of Lundeberg's postsurrealist style. This movement, derived from surrealism, purposely combined fantasy with reality and was predominantly found on the West Coast. (Helen Lundeberg, Pioneers of the West, 1934, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Transfer from the General Services Administration, 1985.8.27) GSA: Information and images created or owned by the GSA unless otherwise indicated, are considered in the public domain. They may be distributed or copied as permitted by applicable law.