I thought you might enjoy a bit of IL outdoor history...some pretty cool old photos.:http://www.lib.niu.edu/ipo/1999/oi991202.html

GOOD STUFF Dave! I'll have to come back and read more.

That was really interesting DDave. Very educational too.

Ahh..just the thing..now I am off to figure out where my uncles (3) were when they were in the CCC... I suspect it will not be an easy task.

Coulterville Correctional Center???:LOL

My dad's dad was in the CCC. he spent his days at Trail of Tears State Park in Jonesboro and my grandma lived in an area called shoal creek which was just south and slightly east of what is now Sand Ridge (about 2 miles north of Turkey Bayou and on the east side of the Big Muddy river). This was in their "courting" days. Grandma said he woudl get off work on Friday evening and walk all the way to her house that night.. which means through the Pine Hills, scatters, Little Grand Canyon, etc. Remeber this is in the 30's at night, summer, winter, etc., can you imagine the critters he must have seen? she also told me he was crazy about taking photos and was pretty good in the day. He had alot of photos from the CCC and probably on his trips back and forth too, I do not know where they are now.

But his crosscut saws he had when he got out are hanging in my basement.

Now that man was a real trooper to cross that stretch at night...mighty large cojones.

My dad said he was one heck of a timber and outdoorsmen, though he said he never hunted much but loved wild game. at christmas he'd buy each son a box of shotgun shells and expect 25 pieces of game from each of them, preferably ducks.