The History Prince William Forest Park

1. The History Prince William Forest Park • Prior to the construction of the park, the region was home to Cabin Branch Pyrite Mine. • The mine was established by John Detrick in 1889 and employed men and children from nearby towns. • Built by CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps) in 1936. • The CCC was founded by the Roosevelt administration both to help reduce unemployment during the Great Depression and conserve natural resources. • Served as a model for the Recreational Demonstration Area (RDA) program. • The RDA program was designed by Conrad Wirth, and was intended to provide medical aid, educational opportunities, and a chance to enjoy nature for underprivileged inner city children ravaged by the Great Depression.

2. Cabin Branch Pyrite Mine and the Cabin Branch Community • Cabin Branch Pyrite Mine: • Employed men and children from Batestown and Hickory Ridge. Consequently, it had an integrated workforce. • Paid mineworkers between $3.50 and $4.25 a day. Children were paid 50 cents a day for organizing pyrite ore. • Mineworkers worked 10-12 hour shifts, six days a week. • Batestown: • Founded by emancipated slaves and free African Americans. • Men harvested timber and grew crops in addition to working at the nearby pyrite mine. Women who worked outside the town found jobs mostly as domestic servants or teachers. • Hickory Ridge: • Home to both white and African American landowners. • Residents were subsistence farmers in addition to working at local pyrite mine. Clothes were homemade, and water was collected from nearby streams and wells. Extra crops were sold at nearby markets for additional income

3. Construction and use of the park • The CCC and the fruits of its labor: • Offered opportunity for unemployed, unskilled young men between 18 and 25 to work and learn new skills that would enhance their employability. • Responsible for construction of Prince William Forest Park, among other things. • Built five cabin camps and several lakes and dams. Moreover, they cleared trails for hiking. • Chopawamsic Recreational Demonstration Area: • Prince William Forest Park was the first RDA, and served as a prototype for other local and state governments to follow. • The five cabin camps built by the CCC were used by a variety of educational organizations for children during the summer for a $600 fee. • Educational organizations provided opportunities for underprivileged inner city children to access medical aid, regular meals, and nature. All things that were otherwise unavailable to them. E.g., lakes built by the CCC were used to teach disadvantaged children how to swim.