The remnants of an old depression-era work camp deep in the woods of Madison, Connecticut are being unearthed and preserved by several local groups.
Camp Hadley in Madison was a Civilian Conservation Corps camp, one of 23 that operated in the state from 1933 to 1942. The CCC was part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal, and employed 3.5 million men during the height of the depression.
"Workers at Camp Hadley worked on a number of local projects," said Joshua Engelhardt, a math teacher at Madison's Daniel Hand High School. "For instance: tree planting, soil conservation, irrigation -- and they also responded to natural disasters. There was a hurricane in 1938, and they were the labor that cleaned up downtown Madison."
Engelhardt said the "Hadley boys" became local heroes for their efforts.
Until recently, the site was neglected, overgrown with trees, leaves, moss, and mud. But Sam Wilson, a junior at Daniel Hand, came across the site while hiking, and encouraged Engelhardt to start bringing students to the site to excavate and clean up the remains.
Students have joined with the Madison Land Conservancy Trust and other volunteers to preserve the site.
Engelhardt said his students have unearthed all kinds of stuff. "Plates, cups, rivets, light bulbs, and lot's of beer cans," he said.
Listen below to an interview with Englehardt:
A local historian, has identified one living alumnus of Camp Hadley: 91-year-old Mike Caruso of Killingworth, who faked his identity and went to work at the camp at the age of 14.
