In the years since the Rim Rock Drive was constructed, many of the original Road Builders have donated photographs and recounted memories of their time spent at Colorado National Monument. These invaluable records are preserved in the NPS archives. Thurlow Pitts, who served as a truck driver for the CCC, contributed the following account in 1980. Mr. Pitts died in 1983 at the age of 72. Life in a CCC Camp at Colorado National Monument By Thurlow R. Pitts
The Camp was located astride the truck trail that ran along the canyon rim overlooking the Coke Ovens. Mess Hall and Recreation buildings were below the road nearest to the canyon rim and tents above the road on the limited space available for such use. My first days are well recalled due to some of the conditions encountered in starting a program of youth employment that was new and exciting to many of us. The U.S. Army was called upon to house, fee, and clothe the enrollees. They did the best they could “with what they had.” Our first beds were army cots with straw mattresses, wool army blankets and no sheets. It is not hard to picture the discomfort of some who were allergic to wool – especially in Colorado in June and July. We were issued Army clothing of 1918 vintage. Trousers and shirts were of wool, and the trouser legs were so pegged it was hard to get some of the boys’ feet through the pant leg hem. This was later solved by having gussets sewn in the pant leg inner seam; the colors did not always match, but a usable garment was achieved. My experience with Army shoes, 1918 issue, was the same as with most of us who spent our first weeks walking and working in blasted Colorado stone – disaster to the shoes. After a few days the stitching that held the soles on parted company with the shoe uppers, and we found ourselves with shoe strings and uppers in fair shape but no soles or heels. Socks were the next to go. I recall one of the officers giving me a pair of old oxfords which were a size or so too large but very appreciated. These conditions improved with time, and I do not remember too many complaints. We were content to have a job and know that $20 out of the $25 we received was going home to help support our families who were in need. The $5 I received on payday would last for a month to purchase what were considered luxuries and some civilian clothing. If memory serves me, Lieutenant Hawkins (regular Army) was our first Camp Commander. After his tour of duty, officers were selected from the Army Reserve to fill positions as Commander, Surgeon, and Second in Command. Positions of Mess Sergeant, Supply Sergeant, and First Sergeant were selected from enrollee ranks and were under the jurisdiction of Camp Officers. All work groups were under the supervision of Park Supervisors and Foremen, and they were responsible for the boys’ welfare while away from Camp on work details. Power equipment was limited to only that which was necessary, such as compressors for furnishing air to the jack hammers used in drilling holes in the sandstone, so that explosive charges could be used in reducing vast amounts of rock to a size that could be handled by hand when loading dump trucks, and small mine cars that could be pushed on their tracks to wherever the necessary fills were to be made during the road construction. Some of the “cuts” and fills required months of hand labor to complete. Our first Camp location was selected to further the truck trail construction of the road to what was to become a permanent camp location on the Canyon Rim at what is now Park Headquarters. In order to build a road to this area, it was required that a sheer canyon wall be so constructed that it would permit the passage of vehicles. The original design was a half tunnel open on the Rim side. This was blasted through solid sandstone and was being worked on when, without warning, the entire road portion dropped, sweeping, as I recall, nine men to their deaths into the canyon hundreds of feet below. At this time, my duties had changed from jackhammer operator to Company truck driver, and since road passage had been made to our new Camp area before it had been constructed and occupied. I had driven my truck through this half tunnel an hour or so before the fall took place and was in Camp when the only survivor, I believe, was brought in. The men who were killed and injured were not CCC enrollees but had the designation of L.E.M.’s or Local Experienced Men. The Camp Doctor called upon me to assist him in caring for the injured man who was brought in. All went well until he opened his eyes and called me by my first name: I was the next casualty, when upon coming to, I found myself outside under the shade of a juniper tree, and someone else had taken over as the Doctor’s Assistant. Our new camp was designed for year-round occupancy, and the large pot-bellied stoves stoked with coal and juniper were used to heat the buildings. It was not all work and no play: for the most part enrollees were permitted weekend leave in nearby towns or to their homes if transportation and distances were favorable. Camp recreational activities included baseball, and the Recreation Hall had pool tables and a library. Back to my truck driving duties, I recall some interesting experiences. The traverse of the Trail of the Serpent was an experience in both directions, since it had, as I recall, fifty or more switchback turns. The breaking of a front spindle on the ’34 Chevrolet Army truck which permitted the tire and wheel to detach themselves from the truck and roll out from under the right front fender, coming to rest somewhere near the base of the Coke Ovens formation hundreds of feet below. The truck stopped on the edge of the road near the rim of the canyon, and my passenger, an Army officer, had to slide under the steering wheel and get out on the driver’s side due to insufficient roadway between the crippled truck and the canyon rim. The picking up at the Grand Junction train depot of the District Commander, a Colonel from Fort Logan, Colorado, had its amusing and complimentary aspects. It was spring, and the road to Camp via the Glade Park Store was – for the most part – one way, rough, and not too flat; some positions seemed slanted towards the canyon’s edge. I recall assuring my passenger that the slick or icy portions were entirely safe due to the fact that the truck had dual tires. This did not prevent him from being a bit apprehensive, and to him the road was not something from which to enjoy the scenery at that time. The amusing incident to this account occurred the next morning when the Colonel was to make his departure. The Camp Commander, having purchased a new Chevrolet Coupe, had it brought to the Officers’ quarters in preparation for transporting his guest back to catch his train. My duties recalled mail pick-up and orders for the day, so, I was present when the Camp Commander advised the Colonel that he was prepared to drive him to Grand Junction and could depart at his leisure. It is with amusement that I recall the Colonel’s response to the Captain’s invitation when he replied, “No Captain, that boy and that truck got me up here: I believe I will let him take me back.” I am sure he had loved ones in Denver who were awaiting his safe return, and my opinion of the truck’s “dual wheels” had made a very favorable impression on him. My tour of duty in this Camp as road worker, truck driver, and as Company First Sergeant is among my fondest memories. Having hiked and climbed in these canyons as a youngster, having the opportunity to live in this scenic beauty was most enjoyable. Having climbed to the top of the Independence Monument in 1926 at 15 years of age, it was with surprise on my recent visit 54 years later to see two climbers where I had stood a long time before. I wish to extend my compliments to the Rangers and officials who are now interested in securing pictures and comments of those who were a part of the Park Heritage. I am sure as time passes, it will be of interest to many of the thousands of visitors who view this beautiful Rim Rock Drive and its unsurpassed canyon scenery. Respectfully, |