Father's Name Found

Started several years ago, one of the most interesting projects at the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) Museum of South Dakota is the roster of men who worked in the many camps in the state. Names are added from different sources. Often family members will check the names on the museum website and contact us with a name. If the name they are looking for is not listed and they are sure the man served, then a museum volunteer will direct them to the National Archive in St Louis.

Lanita and Mike Hammett

Many of the visitors to the Museum will check the printed version of the roster for names. The roster has grown to over 22,000 with well over 1,000 names added over the past year. Some of those names have been discovered through digitizing camp newspapers. That is another of the ongoing projects. With hundreds of newspapers in various conditions it is hoped that many more names will be found and added to the roster of men.

On April 26, 2024 Lanita and Mike Hammett from Arkansas stopped at the museum. Lanita stated that her father spoke of joining the CCC and was sent to a camp in South Dakota in the early 1940s. His name was not listed.

As the couple viewed the museum displays the museum volunteer remembered the camp newspaper project and looked at some digitized papers. The second newspaper viewed was of the Wind Jammer from Badlands 1941. It was a great surprise to find Curtis Pettey’s name listed. Lanita (Pettey) Hammitt’s father’s name has now been added to the roster.

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Curtis Pettey name found in CCC camp newspaper