C.C.C. Life At Ole Bull

January 2000

Ed. Note: Charles E. Gregg was a member of the original Company until July 1934, when he was discharged, having served the maximum time allowed them. He returned during August 1934 as a civilian carpenter and has held that capacity to date.

Organization and Arrival On May 9,1933, the members of the future 346th Co., Civilian Conservation Corps, were enrolled at the Greensburg Relief Board, and then taken to the Armory for a medical examination to determine their fitness to serve in this newly founded organization. After this examination we were transferred to Fort Hoyle, Maryland for further examination and for reconditioning duty. This reconditioning duty, consisting of various types of field work in and around the Fort, continued until the evening of May 28, 1933, when we were notified that we were to move on, the destination completely unknown to us.

The next morning, after one of those nights in a day coach, we arrived in Renovo, Penna., in a drizzling rain. From the station we were transported in trucks and buses on out into the mountains. The original plans called for the Company to occupy a site some four miles from Cross Fork, Penna., a place called Windfall Run, which was later occupied by the former 1322 Company. During the trip to the proposed site, it was found that the roads were completely impassable, so the Ranger who accompanied our Company, directed our party to a site in the vacinity of The Ole Bull State Park, some seven or eight miles out of Cross Fork, Penna.

After this tiresome and dreary ride, a total distance of about thirty miles, we arrived at our new location, an old railroad bed, covered by thick underbrush. The area had to be cleared as we had our homes on the trucks, namely tents. Out here in this God forsaken section of Potter County, Ole Bull Civilian Conservation Corps Company 346 took form. After a section of this area had been cleared, the mess tent was set up, and the cooks began preparing our first meal since we left Fort Hoyle the evening before. The first meal served at 346th Co. Co., consisted of crackers, corn-beef and coffee, and we were plenty glad to get that.

After this short recease we started work all over again, clearing sites for our tents, cutting underbrush, leveling the ground and setting up our homes, a task that was completed before nightfall. It was under the direction of those capable officers that accompanied us, Captain C. C. Griffin, 28th Inf., Captain Gomer L. Coble, Fa-Res and Lieut. R. Ware, USN, that this work progress rapidly.

During most of the afternoon on our first day here, the weather man had been our friend, but just as we completed the setting up of the last tent, it started to rain, and upon our return to our tents found about two inches of water in them. Those were the days when the true spirit of "We Can Take It" came forth.

Our Tented Homes. The ground in the vicinity of our new homes, tents, was overrun by a species of large creek rats, which soon made themselves at home in our tents. At night I use to lay awake and hear them running across the beams of our tents, and later when the floors were put in the tents, they could be heard knawing at the floors. Soon after the floors were put in our tents, about the first of June, our campaign for their eradication was successful. After a some- what lengthy survey in search of a suitable water supply, sufficiently large enough to meet our needs, our bath-house was put up. This was also a tent affair, but proved a welcome from washing in the creek, as we had been doing.

Construction of Permanent Buildings. The first permanent building to be constructed was our mess hall and kitchen. This work was under the direction of Captain G. Goble and was done by the members of this Company, completed about the middle of August, 1933. It was under the direction of Lieut. J. DiMartino, who replaced Captain G. Coble on Sept. 6, 1933, that the construction of the barracks began. This work began about October 28, 1933 and by November 5, 1933, the bar- racks were ready for occupation by the members. About eighty men were employed in this construction program, all civilian laborers. Although the barracks were not lined or electric lights installed, they were appreciated in ex- change for our tents, as the snow was nearly one foot deep.  It was also during this time that Captain Joseph S. Hoffman, FA-Res., arrived to replace Captain C. C. Griffin, Inf.

First Senior Foreman.  Now just a word about our first C.C.C. Senior Foreman, or "Top Kick" as he is often referred to.  The Senior Foreman was Clifford B. Oberly. Prior to his entrance in the Civilian Conservation Corps he served as an athletic director at the Greenburg Y. He was an amateur boxer and wrestler. During his period of service at this Camp, no one ever defeated him in boxing or ever threw him in a wrestling match. He weighed about 235 lbs., and it was no trouble at all for him to pick an ordinary man one foot off the floor with one hand. In spite of his ability to put any- one in place by physical force, if necessary, he was well liked by the men over whom he worked.

General Remarks. From this time on, very few items of any interest occurred, but I will state the various events of interest, in this final summary of the period, May 30, 1934 to the present time.

The first project completed by the members was the Joerg run road, a fire trail, about two miles long.

On July 10, 1934 the original members of this Company were given compulsory discharge, having served the maximum amount of time permitted then. It was with much regret that we, the original members of this Company left, after watching this Camp grow up out of what was just an old railroad bed, covered with brush.

With the departure of the original members of this Company, the key positions were filled with members of the first and second replacements. I returned about the middle of August 1934, and found the camp greatly improved over the place I had left about a month before.

The first death in the Company occurred on Nov. 24, 1934, when William H. 10inger passed away, and the only other death occurred on January 4, 1935, when Donald Hart died.

On January 6, 1935, our first fire occurred, when the mess stewards quarters caught fire, but due to the quick action of the members of the Company, the damage was held to a minimum.

On February 6, 1935, our bathhouse caught fire, about 12:30 a.m. The damage in this fire was a little more than the one in the steward's quarters, but due to the well organized fire-fighting details of the Camp, the fire was extinguished in less than twenty minutes. The damage done required a complete new section of the building to be re- placed. During the fire, before it could be extricated, the safety valve on the chlorine tank let go, and the escaping fumes stopped the members in their efforts to extinguish the fire. The Senior Foreman, Lee R. Verry, received a bad dose of the fumes, and was quickly treated by our Doctor. Under the direction of the Officers, the members of the Forest Service and the members of the Company, the fire was soon extinguished. As a result of the fire, it was necessary for the members of the Company, the fire was soon extinguished. As a result of the fire, it was necessary for the members to wash in the creek, and often the ice had to be broken first. On the evening of March 6, 1935, the members decided that they should go to bed with their clothes on, due to the two previous unlucky 6ths, and then they would be ready for quick action, but nothing happened.

From this time on things have been running about the same, without any particular outstanding occurrences to mention, so I will close this article, hoping that all of you derive as much as I did from my period of service at Camp S-87, Ole Bull Castle Site.