PWA funded road construction under the direction of the Bureau of Public Roads continued to be a major facet of park development operations in 1938. Grading of the 4.9-mile section of Rim Road between Kerr Notch and Vidae Falls was nearing completion, and the 3.3-mile section between Vidae Falls and park headquarters was completed. Bituminous paving (plant mix type of oil surfacing) was completed on 12.3 miles of Rim Road between the north entrance checking station and Cloudcap.
PWA funds enabled the park to extend and modernize its utility systems during 1938. These projects, which continued into 1939, included the extension of an overhead electric transmission line from park headquarters to Annie Spring and the extension and improvement of the park’s water, sewage, telephone, and electrical systems. The telephone line between park headquarters and the rim area was placed underground, and the overhead power line in the cabin area replaced by an underground line. [37]
One CCC camp was located in the park at Annie Spring from July 1 to October 15, 1939. The camp was converted from tent construction to portable, wooden barracks buildings with a new utility area. During the summer a ”spike camp” was stationed at Oregon Caves National Monument to operate a sawmill for the various proposed structures at Crater Lake, Oregon Caves, and Lava Beds.
The CCC projects at Crater Lake during 1939 were many and varied. A workshop was again located at the park for the construction of signs, and a crew of fifteen enrollees assembled, carved, and erected some 80 rustic signs to replace the former metal signs. The Rim Campground was improved with new plants and trees and development of new parking and camping sites. The interior of the fire hall at park headquarters was improved, and three employees residences constructed in 1931 were remodeled with new dormer windows, stone porches on the exteriors, downstairs walls and ceilings, bathroom fixtures, and knotty pine in the living rooms. Two footbridges were constructed at park headquarters, one leading to the Lady of the Woods and the other between the Administration Building and the employees’ cottages. Three additional employees’ cottages were partially completed. A new powder house was constructed at park headquarters, and planting, stone steps, and walkways were laid out to the rear of the Administration Building and around several park residences.
Major road construction projects were completed in the park during 1939. These projects included the grading of the Rim Road sections between Vidae Falls and park headquarters and Kerr Notch and Dutton Ridge. A fill in the Vidae Creek area was landscaped and planted with some 5,000 willows, twin berry, huckleberry, spirea, and other plants. The Sun Creek Campground Road was laid out connecting with Rim Road in the vicinity of Vidae Falls. With the completion of these projects Francis G. Lange, Resident Landscape Architect, reported in October:
Major road activity on the Rim Road is nearing completion. Grading operations are completed. The Rim drive starts at Park Headquarters and ends at the same point, a distance of thirty-two miles. The actual amount of new construction on the Rim Road takes place at the Rim and ends at Park Headquarters, a distance of 29 miles. Rim Road construction started in 1930 and it appears that final oiling will be completed by 1940 or 1941.
During construction activity from 1934 to 1939 six landscape architects have been employed. Their work has consisted of special landscape features, such as parking areas, planting, old road obliteration and other landscape details.
