New ODNR Historical Marker at Shawnee State Park
Article Presented By Herlihy Moving & Storage…
(Portsmouth) – The Ohio Department of Natural Resources unveiled a new historical marker at Shawnee State Park on this week to honor Company 1545, a crew of Black World War I veterans whose work helped shape the park during the Great Depression.
In a ceremony at Roosevelt Lake, ODNR highlighted the contributions of Company 1545, which began work in 1934 as part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). At the time, Shawnee State Park was known as the Theodore Roosevelt Game Preserve, and Company 1545 played a critical role in damming Turkey Creek and Mackletree Run to create Roosevelt Lake. The men also built trails, graded roads, erected bridges, and constructed shelters that made the rugged landscape more accessible for visitors.
“Today we honor not only the hard work of these men but also the resilience they showed,” said ODNR Director Mary Mertz. “Their contributions laid the foundation for the park experiences that millions of Ohioans and visitors enjoy today.”
The ODNR historical marker also tells the broader story of the Civilian Conservation Corps, a program that provided meaningful work to more than three million Americans between 1933 and 1942. In 1933, President Roosevelt opened the CCC to 25,000 World War I veterans. Recruited through the Veterans Administration, they were exempt from age and marital restrictions and lived and worked in dedicated camps.
The marker honors a group of Black World War l veterans whose work helped to shape Shawnee State Park.
About 300,000 CCC members were African Americans, who often worked in segregated camps. Company 1545 was one of four Black CCC camps in Shawnee State Forest. These men left a lasting legacy in Ohio’s public lands, while living in segregated camps and facing discrimination. The new marker stands as a permanent reminder of the men’s perseverance and the enduring impact of their work on Ohio’s natural and cultural history.
Once the hunting grounds of the Shawnee tribes, Shawnee State Park now spans 1,095 acres in the rugged Appalachian foothills of southern Ohio. Nestled within the 63,000-acre Shawnee State Forest, often called the “Little Smokies,” the park offers a scenic trail system, two lakes, and access to the Ohio River, making it a haven for hiking, boating, fishing, and swimming. Visitors can extend their adventure overnight with options ranging from a rustic resort lodge and modern vacation cabins to a wooded family campground or riverside campsites.
