President Franklin D. Roosevelt and the U.S. Congress created the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1933 to provide jobs on public lands for unemployed workers, especially young men and World War I veterans. That year, the city of Abilene donated land for use in building a state park near Lake Abilene. Company No. 1823, one of the companies made up entirely of World War I veterans, was assigned to the Taylor County site. Using the design of Abilene architect David Castle, the men constructed a refectory as well as roads, picnic areas, and a swimming pool, using native sandstone as the primary building material. At the opening ceremony on May 10, 1934, Abilene Mayor C.L. Johnson called it "a beautiful spot of great recreational benefit," and State Parks Board Chairman D.E. Colp formally dedicated the new state park. In 1935, a reactivated Company No. 1823, made up of African American veterans, returned to Abilene State Park for additional work. They built culverts, a water tower, and latrines, and carried out some road and stonework repairs before moving on to Kerrville. The Civilian Conservation Corps' work remains visible at Abilene State Park, one of more than 50 public parks in Texas that benefited from the labor and craftsmanship of CCC workers.