Camp Parsons,  Company 518, F-3
As one of the first CCC camps in West Virginia, Camp Parsons was operational from April 20, 1933 until nearly the close of the CCC program in 1942. The camp was located near the town of Parsons in Tucker County and housed CCC Company 518, also known as F-3.

Company 518 was responsible for assisting in operation and managing the massive tree nursery adjacent to the camp. The nursery was the heart and sole source of millions of tree seedlings planted by other CCC "Boys" throughout West Virginia and elsewhere.

Although a US Forest Service tree nursery had been established here prior to 1933, the assignment of CCC Company 518 and establishment of Camp Parsons provided much needed support, and the nursery was successfully expanded.

From 1933 to 1937, an additional 50 acres of nearby land was purchased and added to the nursery lands. According to a US Forest Service report, the Parsons nursery provided seedlings for not only the Monongahela National Forest, but the Shenandoah, the Allegheny and 6 other forests as well, not to mention many other, unforested all-points areas of the state.

The report stated: "The nursery was capable of producing as many as 7.5 million seedlings in its beds at one time. Principle species raised in it were red spruce, white pine, red pine, white spruce, hemlock, European larch, Japanese larch, red oak, white ash, black locust, black cherry and yellow poplar."  ( re:,"50 Year History of the Monongahela National Forest; USFS staff report.  September, 1970. page 43.)

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Camp Parsons
 Camp Parsons, Company 518, F-3 and a collage of camp structures and men.




Two unidentified enrollees of Camp Parsons at the entrance with some camp buildings in the background, From page 52,
"Written on the Land".
 Two unidentified enrollees of Camp Parsons at the entrance with some camp buildings in the background, From page 52,





K.E. Bolyard, enrollee of Camp Parsons pictured in 1940 near the camp entrance. It seems most, if not all CCC camps had bells for routine calls and emergencies. Ibid, page 64.
 V.E. Bolyard, enrollee of Camp Parsons pictured in 1940 near the camp entrance. It seems most, if not all CCC camps had bells for routine calls and emergencies. Ibid, page 64.



 


Report concerning the nursery at Camp Parsons.  This was a very important activity for CCC camps throughout the whole state.



 Report concerning the nursery at Camp Parsons. This was a very important activity for CCC camps throughout the whole state.






Female workers at the Camp Parsons nursery in the years after the termination of the CCC program at Camp Parsons.  The building in the background is one of the CCC camp buildings which was used as a packing shed by the nursery folks.  This building stood until just a few years ago.
 Female workers at the Camp Parsons nursery in the years after the termination of the CCC program at Camp Parsons. The The The building in the background is one of the CCC camp buildings which was used as a packing shed by the nursery folks. This building stood until just a few years ago.
 



This building was constructed by the CCC and is now used as a bunkhouse for graduate students and other
Fernow researchers.  It is paneled entirely in chestnut.
 This building was constructed by the CCC at Camp Parsons and is now used as a bunkhouse for graduate students and other




Interior of the "bunkhouse" above.  Notice that the interior is paneled with chestnut.  This wood was plentiful before the blight in the 1930s and 1940s that killed most of the trees.
 Interior of the "bunkhouse" at Camp Parsons. Notice that the interior is paneled with chestnut. This wood was plentiful before the blight in the 1930s and 1940s that killed most of the trees.