Three attractions in Graham County and one that straddles Graham and Greenlee counties are featured in an exciting new publication. The map/brochure, called “The New Deal in Arizona: Connections to Our Historic Landscape,” is a We the People project funded by the Arizona Humanities Council.

It is designed to highlight some of the best public sites associated with New Deal programs such as the Civilian Conservation Corps and the Works Progress Administration.

The timing of the map’s completion is directly linked to the fact that 2008 is the 75th anniversary of the CCC. One of the attractions on the map, the Sanchez CCC Camp, is probably the best-preserved CCC camp in Arizona; numerous rock-masonry buildings are still standing at the site.

Participants in the Bureau of Land Management's Oct. 9 tour of the Civilian Conservation Corps Sanchez Camp viewed the many remaining stone-masonry buildings still standing at the 1930s-era site. Contributed photo

The CCC has been the topic of two recent “brown bag” lunch seminars hosted by the Bureau of Land Management, which led a tour of the Sanchez Camp in October. That site is one of three local CCC-related projects that are included on the map. The BLM is already planning another CCC tour for March 4, 2009 as part of Arizona’s Archaeological Awareness Month.

A site familiar to everyone that has traveled up Swift Trail to Mount Graham and the Pinaleño Mountains is the Noon Creek picnic area and Wet Canyon bridge. Both were constructed by CCC workers who lived nearby at Camp F-41-A, one of several large encampments on the mountain. Others were located at Treasure Park and Columbine, and camps at Stockton Pass and Tripp Canyon were established in the lower elevations. The Forest Service has a publication with more information about CCC camps and projects in the entire Coronado National Forest; it is available at the Safford Ranger District office.

Another stop featured on the new map is in Downtown Safford. The beautiful murals that grace the walls of the Post Office were part of a WPA program that employed artists to create public works of art. The Safford Post Office murals were painted by nationally known artist Seymour Fogel and, at the onset, were controversial. The brochure explains why.

In the early 1930s, the Gila River Watershed Project became the second largest Soil Conservation Service effort in the nation. Projects were led by the staff and constructed with labor provided by the CCC. Examples of this CCC work are very visible along the BLM’s Black Hills Back Country Byway that winds its way through parts of Graham and Greenlee counties. Miles of rock alignments to capture runoff can be seen from the Byway; the locations are noted in the BLM’s Byway brochure and on the new Heritage Tourism map. Both maps are available from the BLM Safford Field Office.

The new Heritage Tourism map will be provided to chambers of commerce and visitor centers throughout the state to encourage travelers to explore Arizona’s rich New Deal legacy. It was unveiled Saturday, Oct. 25, at Colossal Cave Mountain Park during Tucson’s celebration of the CCC’s 75th anniversary.

BLM archaeologist Dan McGrew and retired BLM soil scientist and fire ecologist Larry Humphrey were invited speakers at the event. An exhibit featuring the Sanchez CCC Camp provided an opportunity for participants to learn more about this outstanding site.

For some of those attending the ceremony – the dozen or so former CCC workers who were honored – photos of the camp brought back memories of their experiences 75 years ago. Sharing and recording those memories, and highlighting this part of our nation’s history through the New Deal in Arizona: Connections to Our Historic Landscape Heritage Tourism map, will help keep history alive for future generations.

It is the hope of the team who put the map together that it will spark New Deal scholarship and encourage community members to take a fresh look at their communities for projects built during the Great Depression. “Take this opportunity to ask older relatives, neighbors and friends about their experiences during the 1930s,” said J.J. Lamb, project manager and researcher for the map.

“Record their stories for your family, and for your community,” she added. “We hope that you will take the time to invite a friend, plan a picnic, take your camera and enjoy a New Deal journey in your community. There are sites waiting to be discovered across the entire state!” For more information or to request a map by mail email Lamb at aznewdeal@yahoo.com.