Plaque Honors Depression-Era Crews That Built Appalachian Trail

Friends of the Appalachian Trail celebrated its 50th anniversary Friday by dedicating a trail-side plaque honoring the Depression-era work crews that forged the final link in the famous footpath between Maine and Georgia.

A half-dozen former Civilian Conservation Corps members who helped cut the trail through the rugged Maine wilderness joined about 75 government officials and trail volunteers at the dedication ceremony near the base of the Sugarloaf ski area.

Part of the group rode the gondola to the summit of Sugarloaf, 150 miles north of here, and hiked a mile and a half along the trail to watch the installation of a brass plaque near Spaulding Mountain, the last section completed.

Trail Sections Relocated

Raymond Hunt, chairman of the Appalachian Trail Conference in Harper’s Ferry, W. Va., said sections of the 2,100-mile trail have been recut and relocated dozens of times in the last 50 years. The trail is “a living, changing thing” that requires continuous maintenance, he said.

Dan Smith, representing the General Services Administration, predicted the trail will become an even more valuable resource in the future as the nation’s population grows.

The trail winds through 14 states from Mt. Katahdin in Maine to Springer Mountain in Georgia. It is maintained and managed by the Appalachian Trail Conference, a nonprofit organization that coordinates trail clubs, government agencies and volunteers.