CPS Men lining irrigation ditch with stone and cement. Scan courtesy Mennonite Church USA Archives-Goshen IX-13-2-2

Colorado Spring, Colorado was the location of the second Mennonite Civilian Public Service Camp, which was opened three miles (five km) northeast of the city in June 1941. CPS Camp #5 was the first
Mennonite Central Committee-administered camp west of the Mississippi. The Colorado Springs camp completed three types of projects left unfinished by the Civilian Conservation Corps "Templeton Gap Camp.":

• Construction of diversion ditches and small reservoirs to lessen the effects of erosion in the hills around Colorado Springs
• Stock tank construction,
• Flood control including terracing and contour furrowing.

This work was initially done by hand (i.e.pick-axe, spade and shovel); later heavy equipment was available. Some of these ditches you can be seen south of the Beth-El Mennonite Church in the Austin Bluffs area. In addition, the campers maintained roads and fought forest fires. An assignment to work in the sugar beet industry drew objection from the COs since sugar could be used for making explosives and was withdrawn.

The camp was located East of Union going north of the 3900 block of Templeton Gap Road. The renovation of the CCC camp to become a CPS camp was overseen by Willis Kanagy (1899-1997) who later was also the contractor for Beth-El. It had about 12 buildings, among them five dorms for the 125 campers, bath hall, laundry, kitchen-dining hall, headquarters office, government building, infirmary and chapel.

CPSers came from a variety of Mennonite and Amish groups, as well as other denominations (Jehovah's Witnesses, Apostle's Faith, Presbyterian, Methodist, Nazarene, Evangelical Brethren, etc.) and some non-churched, including one person of Japanese descent.  Albert M.Gaedert (1907-2002) from Inman, Kansas, was the first director of the camp. A semi-monthly periodical, the Pike View Peace News, reported about camp life beginning in September 1941.

The camp enjoyed good relations with the Colorado Springs community. The camp enjoyed excellent public relations with various civic groups who used their influence to keep it when in 1943 there were rumors that it might be closed. Some wives of the campers worked in the households of military officers. It was closed in May 1946.

In September 2005 the Colorado Springs CPSers held their 60-years  reunion at Crosswind Conference Center in Hesson, Kansas with 54 participants. A reunion in 1999 had 147 participants.

Bibliography

©1996-2009 by the Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. All rights reserved.

MLA style: Goertz, Adalbert. "Civilian Public Service Camp (Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. July 2009. Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 07 November 2009 <http://www.gameo.org/encyclopedia/contents/civilian_public_service_camp_colorado_springs>

APA style: Goertz, Adalbert. (July 2009). "Civilian Public Service Camp (Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 07 November 2009 <http://www.gameo.org/encyclopedia/contents/civilian_public_service_camp_colorado_springs>