By June 1933, there were 200 men stationed at the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) camp at Princeton. At first the men were scheduled to do soil conservation work, but the plans were changed to straightening a nearby stretch of the Grand River.

The river was in drainage from the Iowa line to a point about three miles north of Princeton. The right-of way for the river was available without cost, but the people at the vicinity had never been able to get together enough money to pay for the expense of digging a channel. Now a force of 200 men was available, without cost of the community, to do the digging.

It was thought the work would greatly benefit the farmers on the Grand River bottom whose corps were periodically ruined by high water. However, there is no documentation that this work on the river was ever accomplished.

— researched and presented by Wilbur Bush, Gallatin, MO

The CCC made valuable contributions to forest management, flood control, conservation projects, and the development of state and national parks, forests, and historic sites. In return, the men received the benefits of education and training, a small paycheck, and the dignity of honest work.