Camp Victor Blue

Front: This was the site of a Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) camp that opened in June 1933. Created the same year, the CCC was a New Deal program that employed young men in conservation efforts like reforestation and soil conservation. This camp was named in honor of Victor Blue (1865-1928), a rear admiral in the U.S. Navy from nearby Marion, S.C. U.S. Army officers oversaw the camp, which operated under the jurisdiction of the S.C. Forestry Commission. Reverse: Camp Victor Blue enrollees primarily worked on forest fire prevention projects in Marion Co. and Dillon Co. Workers cleared land, built fire observation towers, ran telephone line, and fought fires for local landowners. The camp closed in 1935, and the CCC was disbanded in 1942. When open, Camp Victor Blue included wooden barracks, a mess hall, a recreation building, and log cabins for officers’ quarters. The last remnants of the camp were removed by the late 2000s.