"Big Louie" Jablonski (camp nickname: "Big Six") spent his last teenage year in the Civilian Conservation Corps, stationed in Camp Blue Lake near Minocqua, Wisconsin. Young men mostly in their late teens and early twenties, the group built and repaired fire breaks and bridges in the northwoods forests, fought forest fires and planted trees.
When the camp officers discovered that Louie was both educated and responsible, he was placed in charge of the library and canteen (a kind of combined snack-shop / post office / small general store).His camp experiences meant a great deal to him and he often told stories of those times. Many a morning we kids were roused from our beds with the old camp call, "Rise and Shine! Daylight in the Swamps!"
The camp posed for a group photo apparently in the winter of 1933. The clothes were World War I vintage; the hats appear to be classic Stormy Kromer Blizzard Caps ("Kromers" for short).
Here's the mystery -- we haven't been able to locate Louie in the photo. You can help. Click here or on the photo to zoom in for close-ups of the faces.
Comments?
lou@designcoalition.org