A Mac history class drew Natalie Heneghan ’15 (Cedarburg, Wis.) to a HistoriCorps summer preservation project in Wyoming.

Where did you work, and what were your days like?

I worked on Black Mountain Lookout Tower in the Bighorn National Forest in Wyoming. The tower was built in 1939 by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), an agency created by President Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal and designed to put young men to work in national parks and forests during the Great Depression. It was in use as a wildfire lookout tower until 1987 but has fallen into disrepair since then. It sits on top of Black Mountain at about 9,500 feet. The ultimate goal was to make the tower safe for an interpretive site or rental cabin.

HistoriCorps breaks up these projects into multiple weeklong sessions. Ours was a small crew— just 4 people—and we were led by an experienced historic preservation technician. We all camped within the forest and hiked about two miles up to the tower each morning. Specific tasks included repairing and staining the plywood shutters, cleaning out the interior, and applying putty to the windows. But what occupied most of my time was re-shingling the roof. It was pretty thrilling. This was the reason the project description discouraged people with a fear of heights from signing up. We were harnessed in and at times it was quite the balancing act, but I learned pretty quickly how to juggle a hammer, nails, and a bunch of wood shingles while making sure I didn’t lose my footing.

Why did you choose a HistoriCorps preservation project?

HistoriCorps attracts people who love the outdoors, have an appreciation for history and historic structures, and don’t mind getting their hands dirty. It fit my interests perfectly. I wanted a hands-on experience, and that’s exactly what HistoriCorps offers. There’s no fee to participate in a HistoriCorps project, even though they supply all the food and materials, but volunteers have to get themselves out to the site. So Macalester’s history department funded my transportation out to Wyoming, which was fantastic.

How did your history classes at Mac pique your interest and prepare you?

I took U.S. in the 1930s with Peter Rachleff my sophomore year, which triggered my mild obsession with the New Deal. It’s a fascinating area of study, and the dozens of agencies created and legislation passed during this period (roughly 1933 to 1943) truly changed the landscape of the U.S. It helped push our nation through the Great Depression, and those employed by these projects did everything from pave new roads to paint murals to construct lookout towers! That’s why I was drawn to the Black Mountain project. It was a perfect example of the New Deal in action, and it just needed a bit of loving— and new shingles—to bring it back to life.

What did you learn about studying history from your summer experience?

This experience solidified something I sort of already knew about myself—that I love hands-on history. Reading and writing can only go so far. I like being in action, and an organization like HistoriCorps is so unique in that it allows people like me to practice history in a very tangible way. Before doing HistoriCorps, I knew I wanted to go into preservation or public history. The Black Mountain project was an important step in that direction, and I was excited to return home with a clearer concept of how history fits into the day-to-day and how I can work to connect people to important places—whether in the middle of Wyoming or in our own backyard.

January 23 2014

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