CCC Camp Bigby was established on May 19, 1933. Company 1402 Forest-3 served from 1933 to 1939, and Company 1413 Army-1 served from 1940 to 1942. A temporary camp stood on the grounds of the old Niceville High School at the corner of Highway 85 and Nathey Avenue, and the permanent camp was built across the highway from the school near Jackson Guard. It was the only CCC camp in Okaloosa County, the first in the state of Florida, and one of the first in the nation. Its work in conservation, fire prevention, and the early development of Eglin Field greatly enhanced the local economy during the Great Depression.