Pickett State Park

Pickett CCC Memorial State Park

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Pickett CCC Memorial State Park hosted elected officials and members of the community on Thursday, November 4 for the official dedication of the park’s new Civilian Conservation Corps Museum. The CCC built the first state parks in Tennessee, including Pickett, Reelfoot, Montgomery Bell, Norris Dam, South Cumberland, Big Ridge, T.O. Fuller, Nathan Bedford Forrest, Booker T. Washington, Harrison Bay, Cove Lake, Pickwick Landing and Cumberland Mountain State Parks. They completed work in 17 different Tennessee State Parks. Many of their park structures are still in use today.

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The new CCC Museum features interpretative exhibits and artifacts, depicting the Civilian Conservation Corps’ contributions to Tennessee’s parks and natural areas, while recognizing the CCC’s extensive efforts across the country. Approximately 70,000 Tennesseans served in the CCC in various locations around the country. There were 77 CCC camps located throughout Tennessee. Completed CCC work included dams, bridges, roads, buildings, parks and numerous restoration and conservation sites across the state. The CCC was instrumental in the development of a number of Tennessee State Parks, and the results of CCC members’ efforts can still be enjoyed today.

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Montgomery Bell State Park Ranger John Bass provides a CCC Boys program during the CCC Museum dedication event on November 4 at Pickett State Park.

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Original CCC Boy Ben Hutcherson of Nashville picks his homemade banjo with Cumberland Trail State Park Manager Bob Fulcher during the CCC Museum dedication event on November 4 at Pickett State Park.

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Original CCC Boy Ben Hutcherson of Nashville plays with Park Manager Bob Fulcher and Brian Vollmer of the Cumberland Trail State Park during the CCC Museum dedication event on November 4 at Pickett State Park.

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Tennessee State Park rangers and staff welcome guests to the CCC Museum dedication event on November 4 at Pickett State Park.

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Park Ranger Shay Steel helps guests identify their relatives in a CCC photo from the 1930s during the CCC Museum dedication event on November 4 at Pickett State Park.

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Cordell Hull Birthplace State Park Manager Robin Peeler with Raymond Franklin during the CCC Museum dedication event on November 4 at Pickett State Park.

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Crowd moves toward the tents for program honoring the CCC legacy in Tennessee during the CCC Museum dedication event on November 4 at Pickett State Park.

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TDEC Public Affairs Director David Owenby welcomes the crowd to the CCC Museum dedication event on November 4 at Pickett State Park.

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Standing-room only during the CCC Museum dedication event on November 4 at Pickett State Park.

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Original CCC “Boys” and their family were the special guests during the CCC Museum dedication event on November 4 at Pickett State Park.

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Pickett State Park Manager Alan Wasik had the original vision for redeveloping the original park contact station into a museum honoring the CCC contributions in Tennessee.

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Brandon Taylor and John Bass presented a program on the original CCC “Boys” during the CCC Museum dedication event on November 4 at Pickett State Park.

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State Parks Planner Jack Gilpin shared the history of the 1930s, how the CCC came to be, and what it did for Tennessee during the CCC Museum dedication event on November 4 at Pickett State Park.

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Original CCC Boy Ben Hutcherson of Nashville brought his home made banjo and entertained the crowd with songs he remembered from his experience in CCC Company # 1454. picks his homemade banjo.

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State Parks Assistant Commissioner Mike Carlton congratulated Park Manager Alan Wasik, Parks Planner Ryan Forbess and the many parks staff member that bootstrapped the redevelopment of the former park contact station into a first-class showcase on the CCC contributions at Pickett and for public lands across Tennessee.

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TDEC Commissioner Jim Fyke announced that Tennessee will soon have its first CCC worker statue, which has been commissioned by Tennessee State Parks and will be placed at the museum’s courtyard. The six-foot, 400-pound bronze statue will be the 55th statue installed in the United States to honor the CCC’s legacy.

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Dudley Richard tells about being part of Camp Cordell Hull in Unicoi County, the first CCC company established in Tennessee during the CCC Museum dedication event on November 4 at Pickett State Park.

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Original CCC “Boys” were special guests during the CCC Museum dedication event on November 4 at Pickett State Park: Front L-R: 1) Dudley Richard 2) Randal Bickford 3) Coleman Padgett 4) Edward Hohmann 5) Hobart Parish; Back L-R: 1) Ben Hutcherson 2) Oscar Odum 3) Thomas Robinson 4) George Palmer 5) Parnell Tims 6) Grea Rains 7) Claude Jenkins 8) Omer Hicks

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Original CCC “Boy” Hobart Parish of Nashville, TN signs the commemorative poster during the CCC Museum dedication event on November 4 at Pickett State Park.

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Original CCC “Boy” Edward Hohmann signs the commemorative poster during the CCC Museum dedication event on November 4 at Pickett State Park.

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Original CCC “Boy” Coleman Padgett of Copperhill, TN signs the commemorative poster during the CCC Museum dedication event on November 4 at Pickett State Park.

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Original CCC “Boy” Parnell Tims of Pinson, TN signs the commemorative poster during the CCC Museum dedication event on November 4 at Pickett State Park.

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Original CCC “Boy” Randall Bickford of McMinnville, TN signs the commemorative poster during the CCC Museum dedication event on November 4 at Pickett State Park.

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Original CCC “Boy” Dudley Richard signs the commemorative poster during the CCC Museum dedication event on November 4 at Pickett State Park.

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Original CCC “Boy” Ben Hutcherson of Nashville, TN signs the commemorative poster during the CCC Museum dedication event on November 4 at Pickett State Park.

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Original CCC “Boy” Thomas Robinson of Henderson, TN signs the commemorative poster during the CCC Museum dedication event on November 4 at Pickett State Park.

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Original CCC “Boy” George Palmer of Chattanooga, TN signs the commemorative poster during the CCC Museum dedication event on November 4 at Pickett State Park.

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Original CCC “Boy” Omer Hicks of Kingston, TN signs the commemorative poster during the CCC Museum dedication event on November 4 at Pickett State Park.

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TDEC Commissioner Jim Fyke (center blue pullover) and uniformed Tennessee State Parks staff join the original CCC “Boys” during the CCC Museum dedication event on November 4 at Pickett State Park.

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Cumberland Mountain State Park Manager Chip Hillis, Cumberland Mountain State Park Restaurant Manager Connie Bowman and Parks Regional Hospitality Director Doug Stephens in the refreshment tent during the CCC Museum dedication event on November 4 at Pickett State Park.

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The new Pickett CCC Museum features interpretative exhibits and artifacts, depicting the Civilian Conservation Corps’ contributions to Tennessee’s parks and natural areas, while recognizing the CCC’s extensive efforts across the country. An interactive touch-screen exhibit gives visitors an opportunity to hear directly from former CCC workers, sharing their stories about their time working to construct Pickett State Park. Developed by Tennessee State Parks, the museum is in the same location of the former park office, constructed by the CCC in the 1930s.

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State Parks Planner Ryan Forbess was instrumental in developing the new CCC Museum at Pickett State Park