In 1939, these stone hearths would have been bustling with the daily activities of a Civilian Conservation Corps company. Established during the Great Depression, the CCC provided a good wage, three meals a day, and job training to unemployed young men. In exchange, the men worked to conserve the nation's natural areas. At Catoctin, the CCC worked to restore forests that had been devastated by the iron industry. Deer, quail, and rabbits returned to their old habitats as the CCC men planted thousands of native pine, maple, and oak trees. The hard work of the CCC established a new park, the Catoctin Recreational Demonstration Area. Outdoor activities like fishing, camping, and hunting were popular, inexpensive activities. These pursuits also provided the health benefits of exercise and fresh air to the urban poor. Programs like the CCC used New Deal money to make the outdoors more accessible. With the creation of the new park, people now flocked to the furnace area not to cut timber or produce iron, but to swim, fish and hike.