Red Rocks Amphitheatre
Between 1936 and 1941, the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) built one of the
nation’s greatest musical venues just west of Denver near Morrison, Colorado.
Since its construction, Red Rocks Amphitheatre has been known for its unique
beauty. Nestled between large red sandstone spires on the side of a mountain,
the amphitheatre’s 9,600 seats slope above and away from the stage, with
the lights of distant Denver as a twinkling back-drop to great entertainment.
The naturally wonderful acoustic qualities of Red Rocks, combined with performers’
intimate proximity to the crowd, allows for spectacular live music. Over the
years, the venue’s reputation as a place where legendary performances happen
has been strengthened by the number of live records made there. U2’s 1983
record and video Under a Blood Red Sky started the trend. Since then, Moody
Blues, Widespread Panic, and Dave Matthews have chosen to record live performances
at Red Rocks.
The
history of the CCC and Red Rocks is rooted in America’s Great Depression.
After the stock market crashed in 1929, millions of Americans lost their jobs.
Tough times prompted President Franklin D. Roosevelt to create the CCC in 1933
as part of his New Deal for America. The CCC had two purposes: to give jobs
to young men, while at the same time creating lasting legacies on the nation’s
public lands and in parks. Because of the large number of public lands projects,
CCC workers had an important role in the West, where they planted trees, fought
forest fires, and built trails and visitors centers. For CCC Camp SP-13-C, company
No. 1848, the amphitheatre at Red Rocks Park is an enduring, noteworthy achievement.
For the five years they worked on the amphitheatre, the members of the unit
lived in barracks situated near Morrison Park. Today, the CCC Camp there is
the headquarters for the Denver Mountain Parks District, a reminder that the
Great Depression gave the region a monument to hard work, federal spending,
and music.
When the CCC program was ended during World War II, more than 2 million American
men, including 77,000 Native American youths, had taken part in thousands of
projects nationwide. In the words of one historian, “The CCC was one of
the most successful public programs for the rehabilitation and training of unemployed
young men in the history of the nation.”
1. Look through your newspaper’s employment advertisements. Make a list
of the three most heavily advertised types of jobs you find (waiter, nurse,
construction worker, teacher, etc.). Then make a list of the top three jobs
you would be interested in applying for if you were looking for work. Be prepared
to explain to your class why you have chosen these three jobs. Write an advertisement
for the perfect summer job for someone your age. Realistically, how would you
go about getting such a job? Would such a job have existed in the 1930s?
2. The CCC and the Works Progress Administration (WPA) built many public facilities, including hundreds of schools, during the Depression. Research the history of your school, including the constuction of vasrious buildings, then write a report of your findings.