By Monty Siekerman

Amanda Bennett, director of the Ada Public Library, meets with Bill Jamerson prior to his presentation about the Civilian Conservation Corps on Wednesday at the library.

Jamerson, dressed in the uniform of a CCC member, said the corps around the Ada area mostly helped farmers.

They dug drainage ditches (for which there are many), built small bridges at crossroads, dug ponds, built dams, erected outhouses, and taught farmers about soil conservation.

The corps set up camps throughout the state. Athough none were in Ada, the members traveled here to work from nearby camps, such as the ones located in Findlay, Marion, and Bellefontaine.

The CCC was active during the Great Depression, providing work and, thus, a wage for the corpsmen and their families. More about the corps can be found at Ccclegacy.org.