CCC Buddies
My grandfather made a number of very good friends while serving in the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930's. This photograph of Lester with his CCC buddies was taken in High Point, NC. (After serving at the camp in Old Fort, NC, Granddaddy was transferred to a camp in High Point, NC.) I love the hats! I know that even years later, Granddaddy and Clay McIntosh continued their friendship. The two men and their families visited back and forth.
When Granddaddy started in the CCC he made $30 a month. Here is what he did with that money:
We would send 25 dollars to our family and we got five dollars. I sent mine to Aunt Ammie. She a widow living on the farm with Grandfather Howard [Suggy Howard] and helping to care for Jewel and Clayton [Lester's siblings]. This I did about three years. The five dollars took care of my cigarettes, (I smoked at that time.) hair cuts and maybe a date or two. A movie cost ten maybe five cents and sandwich ten cents hot dog five cents.
Lester eventually transferred to the CCC camp in Yanceyville, NC where he was promoted to first cook and made $45.00 per month. While there he helped feed two hundred men a day for more than two years. To supplement his monthly salary he began selling belt buckles and fancy pillow covers. I would like to know the story behind those fancy pillow covers. Where did he get them and who bought them? I have to assume a lot of young women received these as gifts.
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