CCC Camp Benson Park

The photos below were taken at Camp New Benson. I am not 100% sure that this is the same camp, but it seems very likely.

If the above photo is from the camp near Wahkeena, then it appears that it was not on the location of the current picnic area, but further north, across the rail tracks at Benson State Park. The article quoted below mentions work that was completed in 1935, the same year the photo of New Camp Benson was taken.

"...the CCC boys who were stationed in the Benson state park camp near Multnomah falls."

Apparently, Camp Benson Park was considered to be more of a side camp than a permanent camp, and did not have it's own designated camp number.

"An unnumbered CCC camp was reportedly established at Benson Park and may have been connected to Camp F-7 at Cascade Locks. An August 1934 Forest Service report mentions the Benson Park Camp assisting in extinguishing a fire in the town of Cascade Locks. Another report describes an inspection visit by ECW Director Fechner to the Eagle Creek Campground and Benson Park camp."

The CCC camp was apparently located on the City of Portland land donated to the USFS in 1939, not on the current land of the Benson State Recreation Area. This is probably where the old campground (current picnic area) is at Wahkeena Falls, north of the highway.

"When owned by the City, a CCC Camp was established on the tract near Wahkeena Falls, and its members were employed several periods. They erected some buildings, built good trails to the scenic upland points, did considerable roadside and trailside cleanup, and extensive fire hazard reduction. In this area, where forest fires are a potential danger through the entire fire season, clean up adjacent to the highway is essential."

Confusing things even more, there were many side camps and not all of them were well documented, among with other issues that make keeping track of which camp is which a little tricky.

"Information on the number and location of CCC camps on the Mount Hood Forest is inconsistent and incomplete. It appears that some side camps were occupied as long as the main camps, and it is difficult to distinguish among them. A few side camps were even assigned numbers, thus making distinctions more confusing. In other cases, new companies moved into old campsites and were assigned new numbers. In most cases, CCC camps retained the numbers of previous camps. Names of camps were also changed frequently on the Mount Hood. Finally, camp directories used post offices as a means of identification. This makes it especially difficult to separate camps in rural areas where several camps used one post office."

Otis 118

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