A recruiting poster for the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC)
Marvin Gregoire (photo left) grew into manhood during the worst economic downturn of the industrialized world, The Great Depression, which began in 1929, when he was 14, and lasted into the late 1930s. As the younger son of a Marshall, Minnesota farmer, Marvin was not likely to have the opportunity to take over his father Joseph’s business, so he left home at the age of 18 to follow a different path that began as a CCC recruit.
The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC)
In March of 1933, as part of his New Deal programs, President Franklin D. Roosevelt started the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). The CCC’s goal was to hire 250,000 young men between the ages of 18 and 25 to perform water, soil, and forestry conservation within U.S. National Parks. Under the supervision of the war department, CCC workers kept a strict daily work-study-sleep schedule and in return, received $30 per month. The young men were required to send $25 of their monthly stipend back home to their family and were permitted to keep $5 for personal use.
After being accepted into the CCC, Marvin was assigned to the Chippewa National Forest Headquarters in Cass Lake, Minnesota where he served from January 1935 to September 1936. The Cass Lake CCC worked on roads, planted jackpine, staffed fire towers, and constructed the Norway Beach Visitor Center and the log Forest Supervisor’s Office which are still in use today.
Cass Lake 
Forest Supervisor’s Office 
Log Staircase Made from Frost-damaged Maple Limbs 
Fireplace Made from Local Split and Matched Glacial Bolders 
Stone Fireplace Keystone with Forest Service Logo 
The Fireplace and Chimney are 50′ Tall
Pike Bay Scandals: A Bit of Fun
The Cass Lake CCC men created and distributed an in-house newsletter each month called the Pike Bay Scandals, which was more of a gossip rag full of good-spirited ribbing than a news source. At 5’5 and 135 pounds, Marvin Gregoire was jokingly referred to as “Shrimp Gregoire” or the “Marshall Microbe” in the newsletter. Below are a few excerpts:
“Due to the fact that winter is coming ‘Schrimp’ Gregoire is putting pressure on the Boche in an effort to get a pair of the fur-lined pajamas. Boche says that ‘Shrimp’ is the first monkey he’s seen to be born without them.”
“Anton Hutala is showing fatherly affection for ‘Shrimp’ Gregoire, the ‘Marshall Microbe’. The Marshall Microbe will probably be Asst. Supt. when ‘Hoot’ retires.”
“Gregoire has a picture in his trunk. He says that and a few letters is all he has to remind him of Violet from one week-end to another. We’d say that was plenty.”
“Marshall, if you don’t call that little Marvin back pretty soon, I’m afraid you’ll lose him. A few more dates with Vi Carlson and there won’t even be a ‘Shrimp’ Gregoire.”
Excerpts from the Pike Bay Scandals newsletter
Life After The CCC
After leaving the CCC Marvin moved to Great Falls, Montana to work with his Uncle George Gregoire and learn how to run a Texaco fuel distributorship. During his stay in Great Falls, he met Agnes Conlin and the couple married in 1938. Marvin chose to join the military during WWII, where the CCC’s self-discipline and leadership training certainly must have come in handy. He returned from the war and continued to work with Texaco which eventually earned him a distributorship in Ephrata, Washington, where the Gregoires raised four children.
Funding for the CCC ended in 1943, but its lasting legacy of conservation work and park enhancements are still evident today at National Parks across the U.S.
For more information about the family of Marvin Gregoire click the Ancestry link below.
Sources
Cameron, Linda A. “Civilian Conservation Corps in Minnesota, 1933-1942.” MNOPEDIA Website. https://www.mnopedia.org/civilian-conservation-corps-minnesota-1933-1942 : 2020.
“Civilian Conservation Corps Records.” Official Personnel Records. Records of the National Archives and Records Administration. St. Louis, MO.
Minnesotastan. “Chippewa National Forest HQ, Cass Lake, Minnesota.” Civilian Conservation Corps Stonework Blog. 30 Jul 2009. http://cccstonework.blogspot.com/2009/07/chippewa-national-forest-hq-cass-lake.html : 2020.
“Pike Bay Scandals.” Center for Research Libraries Website. https://dds.crl.edu/crldelivery/14083 : 2020.
Molly of Molly's Canopy
November 23, 2020Happy Blogiversary! Visiting from GeneaBloggers. Excellent blog about participation in the CCC. I don’t have ancestors who worked there, but the CCC’s legacy of work is still with us — so it’s fascinating to learn more about its day to day operations from the perspective of a participant.
Michelle
November 26, 2020Thanks so much for saying hello, Molly! The CCC years were a time in my grandfather’s life that I didn’t know much about, so it was fun to research and discover stories about him.
Gervais Tremblay
May 14, 2021Hello Michelle
The world is small. While browsing your website, I came across this page. My family moved from Maine to Marshall, Minnesota. I do not know when yet and all the story. They were three brothers who move from the Maine to Marshall. My great-grandfather’s brother stayed in Marshall and had children in Marshall in 1902. The other two returned to Quebec. I was unable to find my great-grandfather’s brother because he changed his name from Tremblay to Trembly. I’ll keep you posted on my research.
Gervais
Gervais Tremblay
May 15, 2021Hello Michelle
Could you help me ? I can find his father Octave Tremblay.
Neil Trembly in the 1940 U.S. Census
Age 37, born about 1903
Birth Place Minnesota
Father Octave Tremblay
Brother Nil Tremblay
Ref
https://www.ancestry.com/1940-census/usa/Washington/Neil-Trembly_29p77t
Michelle
May 17, 2021Hi Gervais,
Sorry, it took me a while to respond. We have been out of town. It looks like you may have found the connection, but I would be happy to help if you send me an email and let me know what you are looking for.
Gervais Tremblay
May 18, 2021Hi Michel,
I am in no rush, I have been doing research as a hobby since university. I am not an expert in genealogy. My project consists in making the history of my family according to the accounts of my grandparents. For the part of their parents’ stay in the United States, it is rather complex to find the information. Without the help of mister Google and the Internet, it will be impossible. Tremblay change for Tromblay, Trumblay, Trembly Tomblay. I am happy the finally find the information.
Now that I know where they live I am very happy. The next step I have to find Why.
By the way the real name is Octave Michel Tremblay
Gervais Tremblay
May 18, 2021Sorry, I misspell your first name again! Could you correct it!
Michelle
May 26, 2021No problem! It is easy to do when your name is Octave Michel. 🙂
Michelle
May 26, 2021Yes, I use google all the time as well. I am glad you found out where they were living. Please keep in touch and let us know what you discover.
Gervais Tremblay
May 16, 2021I just finally found the information in Minnesota from my great-grandfather’s brother. It was very complicated. Trumbley and Duppler instead of Tremblay and Doppler!
Octave Trumbley
Eugenie Duppler
Mariage : Hubbard Minnesota : 11-nov-1900
T section
http://genealogytrails.com/minn/hubbard/marriage_county.html#t
Gervais Tremblay
May 27, 2021Abraham Lincoln, French Canadian and Kantakee
I don’t know if you’ve heard of this story, but it should interest you.
French-Canadian priest Charles Paschal Telesphor Chiniquy led 1,400 families from Quebec, France and Belgium to Kankakee and Iroquois counties in the mid-1800s, establishing churches at St. Anne and Bourbonnais.
https://www.daily-journal.com/news/local/web-exclusive-lincoln-represented-infamous-priest-from-st-anne/article_bab858d1-1026-5e26-a61d-86b9ba611ab9.html
Michelle
May 31, 2021Interesting read. Many members of my French Canadian family were in Bourbonnais. I wonder if they were part of Chiniquy’s group? I will have to follow up on this. Thanks for sharing!