I wondered why anyone would build something like this on a hill and then abandon it over the years. It was obviously 'old' but had to date poured concrete for style or construction techniques. I finally found the 'valve' hidden under some leaves and that got me to thinking this structure had something to do with a water system of some sort. Maybe a storage tank which would provide a gravity 'pressure' system?
Hayes was a large camp for the CCC back in the 30s. The bulletin board on the 'beach' side of the park documents the CCC times there very well but no reference to a water system of any sort. I did inquire to a few members of the park staff but they were all seasonal workers and even though one gal had been there several summers she didn't know what it was or even where it was. At this point I was ahead of her because I could find my way back!!!
After we were home I did some online searching and couldn't find anything and finally emailed my photos to the state historian that covers the CCC camps up at Grayling. She didn't know what it was but sent them on to a gal that has been involved in Michigan DNR for years and she didn't know what it was. She sent my photos and descriptions to a gentleman that has been involved with the DNR park system for some time and he knew exactly what it was. Yes, it was at one time park of the park water system and it was built back in the 40s so it was after the CCC era. It has been long abandoned and he wasn't aware of the picnic table being up there. He did tell me that there is a 2nd one on the beach side of the park although he didn't say exactly where. That side of the park is a lot smaller and much of it is open and as far as I recall there's only one hill so it shouldn't be that had to find. Maybe if I can get back while the leaves are off the trees it will make it fairly easy to find.

I didn't get up high enough to see what the 'chimney' looking part is but I'm guessing that was the original 'access' or a vent of some sort.


I'll go back up there the next time we're in the area and see if anyone has retrieved the table. It took some work to get it up there in the first place but all that's any good at this point are the tubing legs.
The last thing I 'found' was this old valve with the hand wheel missing and the stem bent over. The blue paint does't look that old. I wonder if maybe someone painted that for some kind of a photo shoot of some sort? Who knows what all may have happened up there over the years. I'll have to do some internet searching to see if I can find some photos.

I had cleaned out around the valve so I added the pink surveyor ribbon (hey, it's the only color I had in the truck) to make it a bit more visible.
So...
has anyone here ever 'discovered' the structure or maybe even created some of the artwork on the sides?
What I'm really interested in is more info on when and why and how it was all built. No sign of any tracks up the hill so not sure if they drove mixer trucks up there or mixed the concrete onsite. Still took a lot of work to get all the materials up there and then mix it and pour it. No preformed forms I'm guessing.