A Forest of Trees Does Not Grow There in Rows

A Forest of Trees Does Not Grow There in Rows recounts the story of two types of forests, those that grow naturally 

and those unusual forests that grow in straight rows. The rows of trees, planted during the 1930s, are the legacy of countless man hours. The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) and the Works Progress Administration (WPA) existed from 1933 until 1942 to help relieve joblessness during the Great Depression and to aid in the reforestation of the nation’s forests. 


On March 21, 1933, President Franklin D. Roosevelt proposed to Congress a work program to create jobs in forestry and other related projects for a suggested 250,000 young jobless men and World War I veterans struggling to find employment. 


Ten days later, Congress voted to accept Roosevelt’s suggestion into law. Within five days, a director was appointed and work began. Four government departments would oversee the projects. The Labor Department recruited the workers and operated the work camps. The Departments of Agriculture and the Interior supervised the projects that each camp would carry out. The United States Army and other military branches built and maintained the camps and provided trucks, tools, and work equipment as needed. 


After only four months, more than 300,000 men had moved into 1,463 camps and began sending a portion of their 

monthly pay home to help support their families. While these camps existed, the enrollees completed evening courses 

toward high school and work skill certification from the Department of Education. During the course of this national jobs program, more than three million Americans were provided jobs, education, and financial foundations. The beginning of World War II ended the support of these camps, and they were closed. 


Some very famous Americans started their work careers as young enrollees in these camps: Chuck Yeager, test pilot; 

Aldo Leopold, environmentalist and forester; Walter Matthau, actor; David “Stringbean” Akeman, country music singer; 

Stan Musial, baseball player; Archie Moore, boxer (Light Heavyweight Champion); and Raymond Burr, actor.