Oregonscape

Abstract

Oregonscape Matthew Cowan CAMP WYETH, pictured here in 1942, was a civilian public service camp during World War II where conscientious objectors — those who opposed participating in the military due to religious or philosophical beliefs — fulfilled their military service. Founded on November 27, 1941, the camp was also known as Camp #21. Located 14 miles west of the Columbia River Gorge, projects at Camp Wyeth were overseen by the U.S. Forest service and included a variety of maintenance, repair, and cleanup duties in and around the Gorge. Day-to-day work included constructing roads and trails, maintaining camp grounds, fire fighting, and building lookout towers. According to an article published in the Oregonian on March 1, 1942, the camp housed men from thirty different religious denominations, thirty-three occupations, and eight states. One of the most well-known residents to work at the camp was Lew Ayres, an actor known for his role in the film All Quiet in on the Western Front and his marriage to Ginger Rogers. In 1951, Daniel Goldy, regional administrator of the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, recommended the establishment of eighteen camps for conscientious in Oregon. He went on to suggest that the Northwest region, including Washington and Idaho, could profitably support twenty-four camps. The cost was estimated at $35,000 for construction of each camp, with operating costs of $30,000 per year. While this recommendation was made to Congress, these camps never materialized in the post-war era. You can read more about Camp Wyeth in Jeffrey Kovac’s “Civilian Public Service Camp #21” entry in The Oregon Encyclopedia (www.oregonencycloopedia.org). Click for larger view View full resolution THIS IMAGE, published in the Oregonian on March 1, 1942, captures a view of Camp Wyeth, which had formerly housed Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) members. At the time the photograph was taken, the camp housed 113 pacifists of military age who were assigned to the camp by draft boards during World War II. The circle on the image is a crop mark made by Oregonian editorial staff in preparation for publication. OHS Research Library, OrHi 71456 [End Page 416] Matthew Cowan OHS Moving Images and Photography Archivist Copyright © 2022 Oregon Historical Society