During the Great Depression, the Emergency Conversation Work Act created the Civilian Conservation Corps, producing lasting landscape and construction projects across the U.S. and giving millions of young men meaningful employment and training. The military-style discipline and order they experienced served many of them well during World War II. At Garner State Park, CCC Company 879 began work at Camp SP-42-T in April 1935. During the first phase of development from 1935 to 1937, construction included the main entrance portal and road and the keeper's lodge. In 1937, work began on the heart of the new park, the combination building known as the Pavilion, and a dance floor on a high bluff near the Frio River. The architecture, known as NPS Rustic, used native limestone and wood in its detailing. The second work phase from 1938 to 1939 focused on finalizing the master plan and constructing cabins and a stone overlook near the Pavilion. The third phase from 1940 to 1941 concentrated on preserving and enhancing the landscape's natural look. In April 1941, as America neared entry into World War II, work here came to a close, and local and state representatives officially dedicated Garner State Park on June 1, 1941. Since then, the park has attracted countless visitors to its unique vistas, historical architecture, and abundant outdoor activities, and its cultural landscape recalls the perseverance and hard work of the young men who participated in the CCC, one of the nation's most successful federal programs, which reclaimed both land and lives while providing hope.