Z I tr1 CSL.JR Ovs \ £ F ; 7'31 • _::= C7x ro111Ca no. oe Nuevo Mexico ~ Published since 1976 - The Official Publication of the Historical Society ofNew Mexico C!8" April2008 Issue Nurrrber' 75 Camp Capitan: A Depression Era Educational Camp for Unemployed Young Women By Lynn Adkins the camp program for young women. were in such short supply that not more stating. than 90 people could be cooked for and "Eight camps...are now 'in operation. served at one time. This meant that. for seven more will be started shortly... every meal. food had to be prepared and Applications have been received from 20 dishes washed three times. After the first or more states for additional camps. The session. the number of enrollees for any camps now established are located at one session was red uced to the more Kinqtree and Orangeburg. South manageable number of 125. The state Carolina. Tampa and S1. Augustine. Transient Department loaned beds. Florida. Zarah. Kansas. Wolfe Laze. mattresses and blankets. Sheets. pillow IIIinois. S1. Paul. Minnesota. Weiser. cases. and pajamas were made for the Idaho. and Capitan. New Mexico. Other camp by WPA sewing programs. camps have been authorized for Rhode Theoretically each girl spent one three­ Island. Arlzansas. Ok lahoma. Missouri. month session at the camp. but in South Dakota and Tennessee." I practice some enrolled more than once. In Baca Canyon. between Capitan Ramoncita Gurule. enrolled at least and Lincoln . New Mexico. on Forest three times in 1938. receiving a Service Road 57. at the foot of the certificate at the end of each session. Capitan Mountains. is the site of former Her daughter. Polly Chavez. of Carrizozo. Camp Capitan. Although remote. with a still has Ramoncita's certificates. which rough. dirt road access. it was a good were signed by Lucy Shaw and New Camp Capitan residents and staff. 1938 location for the camp. with wide open Mexico NYA Director. Tom Popejoy. Ramoncit a Gurule. the m othe r of Polly Chavez. second fro m right in the itont rO\\7 vistas and a permanent spring of water. Sessions didn't strictly adhere to the 3 (copyright. Colorado Historical Society. CCC album #1. scan # 100.35833) which stilI flows today. Before Camp months rule either. Sometimes they ran In 1933. in the depths of our nation's closely with Hilda Worthington Smith. Capitan there were CCC camps in this longer: occasionally they were shorter. 2 depression the unemployment rate hit chair of the New Deal worker education location. first a tent camp. and then a Girls and young women. ages sixteen 29 percent. Tens of thousands of project that was part of FERA's permanent camp with a large log dining to twenty-five . who were either on relief Ameri ca n yo uth under the age of Emergency Education Program. In April ha ll. Ritche n and store room. six typical the mselves or from families on relief. twenty-five were unemployed. but 1934. Mrs. Roosevelt called a White military type barracks. an infirmary and were recruited by Mrs. Shaw from all neither were they in school. Many could House Conference on Camps for a small cottage for the officer in charge. over the state. Many were Hispanic . and not afford to go to school due to a Iacf Unemployed Women. which resulted in In September. 1935. after the CCC had came from rural areas in northern and of money for proper clothing an d a plan of action for what some of the abandoned the site. the NYA-funded central New Mexico. such as San Miguel supplies. Serious concerns were felt media derisively dubbed the "She She educational camp for unemployed and Lincoln counties. but others were among educators and government She" camps. young women opened there. from towns Iilee Portales. Roswell. Las offi cials alike. fearing that this large. idle In 1935 a new federal agency. the Camp Capitan was the brainchild of Cruces . Silver City. and Socorro. Some segment of the population would National Youth Administration (NYA). Lucy Lepper Shaw. who developed it enrollees were also accepted from become disenfranchised and attracted to was created to help address the needs of and served as its director du ring the five Arizona . since Arizona had no residential the political doctrines of the communists America's youth. Numerous types of years of its existence. Lucy Shaw. who camp for young women. Some families or socialists. Und er the New Deal projects and programs were developed. was born Janu ary 13. 1886. in Marshall. may have en ha nced the age of their program President Roosevelt partially One program gave financial assistance Michigan . studied at the Art Institute of young daughters in order to get them addressed this problem when on March to needy college students. who would Chicago and at Columbia University. into the program. Dolores Esquibel of 31SI of that year he signed the bill creating otherwise dro p out of school for lack of She became the first wo man investment Santa Cruz. New Mexico . said that her the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). funds . Young men. who were generally counselor for Bankers Trust Company in mother. Geneva Montoya. who was born The concept offered employment to not in school. were put to work on New YorR. and was named treasurer of in 1925. could not have been more than jobless young men. both rural and manual labor projects. for which they the Presbyterian Board of Foreign about thirteen. when she attended the urban. They wo uld earn a minimal were paid a stipend. Among other Missions. before coming to New Mexico ca mp in the mid-1930s.3 salary for performing manual labor on projects. they built piers for a in the 1930s for the health of her While the curriculum at the camp conservation projects and other useful recreational lake in Redfield. South husband. Arthur Knight Shaw. changed and evolved over the course of community endeavors. while being Dakota. renovated a boy's club in A very informative. but unsigned. its existence. some aspects remained housed in group camps at government Pawtucket. Rhode Island. constructed article appeared in the May 16. 1947 constant. Good health for the girls was a expense. However. young women were tuberculosis isolation huts in Arizona. edition of the Ruidoso News. which must priority. At the beginning of each session not included in the program. and refurbished school buildings in have been written by someone every girl was given a thorough physical Eleanor Roosevelt. a stro ng and numerous locations. Young women. in intimately familiar with the ca mp. exam by a medical doctor. Girls who influential pe rson in her own right, addition to worRing on domestic based perhaps even Lucy Shaw herself. It became iII were treated at Fort Stanton. supported the CCc. but chaffed at the projects. assisted in schools. nurseries. sheds much light on the personnel. daily More than 2000 girls went through the notion that young wo men in need were libraries and other institutions. At this life. and recreational activities of Camp camp program in five years without a being denied access to such a program. time most of the participants in the NYA Capitan. The article relates that as the single fatality. Instruction in good She campaigned for a women's camp programs lived at home. A special camp was preparing to open equipment personal hygiene was emphasized. As in program that would combine education. division of the agency. headed by and furnishings were in short supply. other NYA residential camp programs. recreation. and work in a healthful respected ed ucator. Mary McLeod except for two large barracks wood the girls were encouraged to be environment. Her idea was scorned by Bethune. was created to specifically heaters and two good kitchen ranges physically active. They had gymnastic ma ny. even in New Deal circles. focus on the needs of black youth. that had been left behind by the previous classes. baseball teams. and even dug However. she prevailed and the first Shortly after the NYA was created. the occupants. Two days before the first their own swimming hole. They also women's camp. Camp Tera. residential camps program for group of residents. 185 girls and 23 staff played croquet and volleyball. practiced opened on June 10. 1933. in Bear unemployed women was transferred members. was due to arrive. the army ballroom and folk dancing. and went Mountain State ParR. New YorR. It from the FERA to the NYA domain. The came to claim and remove the two hiRing. In one of the barracas. turned received funding from th e Fede ral camp types varied by location. and kitchen ranges. Arthu r Shaw. with help into a recreational building. and called Emergency Relief Administration reflected regional cul tural differences. from staff at Fort Stanton. saved the day the "Baca Canyon Opera House". they (FERA). funneled through New York They were housed in a variety of by going through the fort's discarded put on plays and light operas. State's Temporary Emergency Relief structures. and while the programs equipment and resurrecting enough However. it was not all play and Administration. for which the camp was included ac tivities such as sports and parts to create two stoves. which with recreation at the camp. Enrollees were named. Camp Tera. later renamed hiRing. the training program leaned new parts added later. served as the expected to work on assigned projects Camp Jane Addams. became a pet heavily towards domestic and secretarial cooking facilities for the duration of the several hours a day in order to earn the project for Mrs.