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Show r beaver County News SWSSSl TffXi f Thursday December 22, 1988 IF Lewis Carper's account of the Wah Wah Springs from 1933. r NOTE 'des J. Carper re si- - Mr. Lewis in Manassas, Virginia where (he has dedicated many years of to Church and Community i service .affairs. Both Lewis and his wife s. are talented musicians and They were highly instrum-- ) ental in founding the M anas s as Concert Association, an j organization which annually brings top performers into their areafrom across the country. Mr. Carper was among the first fin the nation to sign up for the (Civilian Conservation Corps pro gram initiated by President Roos- evelt to hire unemployed young men ' for public conservation work during ! the Depression Era. It is interest- ling to note that Camp Cahill was (established approximately 42 days after occupation of the nations first CCC camp in the George Washing- Fton National Forest near Luray. Virginia. The excellent manuscript and i photographs presented by Mr. Car- -. per lend a remarkable historical perspective of early CCC life in ' Beaver al County and also of the spirit around Milford during the 1930's. The last time Mr. Carper visited Milford was in 1938 when he and his wife Virginia spent a couple of days with Mrs. W.F. Cottrell while on their way to Cal- I ifornia. comp-Foser- Com-(mun- ity ; so-'d- THE JOURNEY WEST the lovely spring afternoon 21, 1933 a special train of pullman cars departed from Fort i Monroe, Virginia bound for places .in the West. It was an exciting On tot May ' -- . v event for the newly enrolled Tidewater CCC boys, and also for their friends and tamily who ware there to see them off. There were several companies on board, each comprised of 21 boys plus the regular Army personnel of commanding officers, Top Sargent, Mess Sargent and Supply Sargent. The boys were all happy and looking forward to their new experience with CCC life and the excitement of making money. We played cards, checkers, sang, talked, joked, took naps, or just sat by the window and watched the scenery go by mile after mile. For meal time, we had the Army issue "mess kit", and on a given signal each car was told to ''come and get it" The food was always excellent and plentiful. I'm sure many of the boys were getting more than was available at home. Each day the train would stop at some wide open space and let everyone get off to engage in calisthenics for ten or fifteen minutes to offset the long hours of sitting. On Thursday morning May 25th, I was told we had arrived at a sideyard or station in Salt Lake City. I decided to go to the rear of the train car and look out Sure enough we were in a big city and in the distance I could see the inspiring Mormon Temple. After breakfast I found out that my unit and another unit were to be attached to a Union Pacific train going south to a town named Milford. The train arrived that afternoon around 5 p.m. with our two units and supplies. We were then transported to the Milford ballpark to Byron C. Muir BY; set up temporary order for the night. Many people came to the park to see us and greet us. The atmosphere was quite refreshing. FINDING A SUITABLE THE DESERT CAMP Since departing from Virginia in May we had been under the constant supervision of the following men were not over 17 years of age, and more than 15 were over 65. One man was 82 years old. All were from Utah, coming from around Logan, Tooele, Provo and Salt Lake City. They were a fine group of men and all eager to become a part of camp life. The Company designated their men as Leaders,Assistant Leaders,or Regulars. Leaders received $45.00 per month of which $25.00 was sent home. Assistant Leaders received $36.00 per month with $25.00 going home and the Regulars got $30.00 per month with $25.00 going A NEW HOME IN THE WAH WAH'S home. With everything furnished there really was no need to spend It did not take our small unit much money except for those who of 21 boys and Army personnel frequently played poker and were long to move back and set up at usually broke by payday. However the new location. Almost immedone could never loose his shirt iately plans and sketches were made because that belonged to "Uncle for the layout of a whole company Sam" and was not his property. which would later be the nucleus If a man got a weekend pass to for 180 Utah men. Contracts were go home or elsewhere he would let for the building of a nice mess usually need money for transporthall and bath house. Floors were also ation. Passes were not hard to come constructed for all the tents. A by if one did a good job and coopcanvas covered latrine was erected erated fully in spirit of camp life. on one corner of the campsite. The spirit at Wah Wah Springs With the gentle slope and fine souwonderful and our food was was rce of water, it was not long until really great, prepared by trained we had it piped to the shower cooks under Army Sargent Leadhouse and also the new mess hall. ership. We had all kinds of meats This new way of life in the desert and vegatables. Cakes, pies, rolls was beginning to bring color back and bread, all made from scratch into my cheeks and the wonderful and baked in our own ovens was food was putting on some weight simply "out of this world." I never Our company of 21 men was remember hearing one person say known as the Desert Range Civithey were hungry or thai they didn't lian Conservation Corps Camp like the food. F-and did not attain full strength until July 1st. when it reached LEADERSHIP, NAMING OF CAMP a total of 201 m?n. Some of the 'CAHILL, FAREWELL LT. WADE the sand out while hurring back to our own tents to eat it It did not take the Lieutenant long to realize that a change had to be made in finding a better location. I don't think he had any exact orders to follow in finding a specific location. It was up to him to find what was best for all of us. The new location was a place calLsu' Wah Wah Springs, a few miles back towards Milford. It was situated on a gentle slope where there was an abundant supply of spring water and not all the wind and sand. IN We were issued canvas folding cots to sleep on during our first night in Milford. It was cold all night lonj and being on the cot let all the cool air swirl around beneath me. I could have slept warmer by doing away with the cot and sleeping right on the ground. The next morning I learned that our unit was preparing to head for the desert. I'm sure a coin was flipped to see which unit would go to the Beaver Mountains and which would go into the West Desert. How exciting the desert seemed, a new experience for me and no doubt all the rest of the Virginia boys. Riding in the back of an open stake truck we crossed over the first range of mountains and then you could see for miles in all directions. When we alnnstreached the middle of Pine Valley orders were given to stop and set up camp. I can remember the place well. Across the road was a windmill and a large watering pla-x- . The first tent up was the kitchen tent, then the office and finally the sleeping tents. We got through that day and night alright but the next day we realized we were up against a problem with the wind and sand. There seemed to be no end to it We would gst the food in our mess kits from the kitchen tent and then would have to cover it up to keep Army personnel: First Lieutenant John C Wade, who was in command followed by Top Sargent W.J. Cahill, Supply Sargent Joe Yeager, and Mess Sargent James B. Watson. All were fine military men trained to perform welt Because Sargent Cahill had endeared himself to all the men at camp and to all the townspeople of Milford a meeting was held to name the camp at Wah Wah Springs in his honor. From that day forward the Desert Range Civilian Conservation Corps Camp No.F-- 1 5 carried the popular name of CAMP CAHILL. Activities at camp were rapidly progressing and required the need for Forest Service personnel, a Sup erintendent and several Foreman. Mr. HJ. Blake a former right-of-wengineer for the Union Pacific was made Camp Superinten dent; Jack Travers of Black Rock was made fence foreman; EarlYer-se- n of Garrison was foreman; D. Davis of Ogden was foreman in charge of shipments, trucks and accounts; Lincoln Sto-okof Clover, Tooele County, was foreman in charge of miscellaneous work; R.M. Hockaday of Moscow, Idaho was foreman of veget ation surveys; and Mr. Stahman of Spanish Fork was assigned to research studies on vegetation. Harry Martin, well known Milford resident was camp mechanic Not long after we became settled , at Wah Wah Springs Captain Tim was sent to take othy Sapia-Boscharge as Commander, replacing' ay post-cutti- I ng ey 15 . - Camp er May-Octob- EDITED C.C.C. ch m 4 XJ lalMf r .im Our Vv ..m.n.i.inr '"'' "r- '- - -z . 4 '' X ,,. J: first night in Milford we slept on cots at the ballpark , group of Camp Cahill boys pose with dead rattlesnakes (front Reverend Webster of Milford is sitting second from right center). and was visiting us that day, Lewis Carper is second from right, A bending over to get in picture. 1 U U u J , 1 ' . , lintel''rz ''J&J ' -- ,'f-- v ft 1 . ! v - : - tf ' Cahill Officials from left to right: unknown; H.J, Blake, Superintendent; Jack Travers, Fence Foreman; unknown; Lieut, h ; Wade; Major from Fort Douglas; Captain Timothy are next Personnel Service Forest four (the Sargent Cahill; Hockaday); Supply Sargent Yeager; youngest 2 are Stookey Camp Sapia-Bosc- & unknown; & Mess Sargent Watson, Cahill at Wah Wah Springs (looking North) . Note flag near large building in center and canvas covered latrine . Camp right front foreground |