Camp Waddington (Civilian Conservation Corps Camp, 1935 - 1937)

The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was born from the brutal economic downturn experienced across America in 1933 that left one in four men unemployed. Franklin Roosevelt – already quite interested in conservation and preservation of natural resources – saw the need for both employment opportunities and stewardship of the land. In a proposal to Congress on March 21, 1933 he advocated for the CCC, “to be used in complex work, not interfering with normal employment and confining itself to forestry, the prevention of soil erosion, flood control, and similar projects. I call your attention to the fact that this type of work is of definite, practical value, not only through the prevention of great financial loss but also as a means of creating future national wealth.”1 By July of the same year there were over 1400 functioning camps and over 300,000 enrollees. These enrollees were primarily male, unmarried, unemployed, and between eighteen and twenty-five.

On July 15th, 1935, roughly two hundred new CCC recruits reported to Oglebay Park. Their first order of business involved establishing their living quarters for the next several years. Camp Waddington was built as a temporary settlement in the beech forest near where Caddy Camp now stands. Camp members used old wooden poles discarded by a local utility company to build simple, though well constructed, cabins. CCC participants were paid thirty dollars a month — twenty-five of this was sent directly to the participants’ families — plus food and board. Discipline in the camp was strongly enforced, as members could be fined up to three dollars of their five dollar direct salaries. This is not to imply that Camp Waddington fostered a draconian environment, however. Leisure activities were common, no demands were made of campers when they were not working, and the 10PM curfew could be ignored once a week. Educational opportunities were made available to those who wished to partake, but were never a requirement. Camp Waddington also had several counselors who helped volunteers find full-time employment and manage their finances. Finally, CCC members had the option to choose their projects for the most part. Someone with an interest in woodworking could join the carpentry team while another participant passionate about the doors could transfer to the arborist group. 

The projects completed by Camp Waddington in Oglebay Park were widely varied. Rigorous park plans were updated every six months. Unlike some other CCC camps, Camp Waddington had access to seven trucks, an excavating machine, a bulldozer, and plenty of equipment and tools. One of the first projects completed by the camp was the construction of retaining walls, sewer systems, and roads throughout Oglebay Park. Dilapidated buildings were demolished and all three thousand trees in the park were examined and tended. Eleven miles of walking trails were created and outfitted with benches. CCC members also worked on picnic shelters, guest cabins, the tennis courts, Caddy Camp, Camp Russel, and laid the groundwork for the Crispin Center.

Camp Waddington was an extremely popular initiative with Wheeling locals. Camp members often went into town to socialize with the locals or have a drink. Reciprocally, the number of camp open houses that occurred in 1936 through 1937 imply that the people of Wheeling were just as interested in the work being completed by Camp Waddington. A 1936 letter from the Wheeling chapter of the American Red Cross earnestly thanked the CCC participants for their work mitigating a flood and helping to repair damaged buildings in its aftermath.

Despite Camp Waddington’s success both interpersonally and regarding Oglebay Park, it appears to have quietly disappeared sometime after 1937. Enrollment was recorded as 147 that year, though no records exist for later years. It is likely that as philanthropic contributions and WPA funding increased, there was no longer a significant need for Camp Waddington. The contributions of the camp to Oglebay Park were monumental. It effectively transformed the site into an easily accessible and workable environment for future projects, while engendering Oglebay Park with the local public. Roads, nature trails, Caddy Camp, and Camp Russel all remain as testament to Camp Waddington’s many projects in Oglebay Park.

Camp Waddington: CCC Camp at Oglebay, Ohio County Public Library. Accessed February 25th 2021. https://www.ohiocountylibrary.org/research/wheeling-history/3935.

Cipoletti, Anna. New Deal Projects at Oglebay Park, Weelunk. January 20th 2021. Accessed February 25th 2021. https://weelunk.com/new-deal-projects-oglebay-park/.

Experience Oglebay, Oglebay. Accessed February 25th 2021. https://oglebay.com/experience-oglebay/.

1. Roosevelt, Franklin D. Message to Congress on Unemployment Relief, The American Presidency Project. Accessed February 25th, 2021. https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/message-congress-unemployment-relief-0.