Lewiston Sites

Park improvements were one of many projects in the city that employed citizens in 1934 under the Federal Emergency Relief Administration. According to the town report "Lewiston Athletic Park: General repairs and painting inside and out of the grand stand. Exterior covered with Setabs brick siding. Two bleachers demolished, rebuilt and painted. Erection of a 75 feet Flag Pole. Erected a chain link fence between the Athletic Park and the Junior Field."

One of the 26 bridges in Maine that were destroyed or damaged by the 1936 flood and rebuilt by the US Works Program Flood Relief projects and were handled under the jurisdiction of the Bureau of Public Roads, US Dept. of Agriculture. All bridges were placed under construction in 1936. In some cases, labor was provided by the Works Progress Administration. Work was completed in 1937 By Builder/Contractor: Phoenix Bridge Company of Phoenixville, Pennsylvania The bridge is a metal 8 Panel Rivet-Connected Polygonal Warren Through Truss. Length is 723 feet. Formerly known as the South Bridge, it was re-named for Lewiston son...

The 1933 town report includes a photograph of a CCC camp, which was CO.132nd P-59 and operated from June 1933 to May 1937 for the Maine Forest Service in protection from insects & disease. It was located on the property of the Town Farm in the far SE of the city.

The mayors address in the 1933 town report mentions a Civil Works Administration project for repairs at the 1892 baroque revival style building. "City building is now being rewired, painted and varnished as you may see." This project was part of $239,193.23 spent in the city for unemployment relief. The mayor's address in the 1934 town report mentions an E.R.A. project for modernizing the wiring in City Building.

"ERA BUILDS A SEWER SYSTEM by Frank Gibson The City of Lewiston has been confronted with a serious situation caused by a stagnant and disease-ridden brook which flowed through the sub-urban section of the city. Valuable land was going to waste as people did not care to build in this section on account of the oder that arose from this brook during the summer months. Money was appropriated by the city officials to put in a drainage system, but due to the fact that only small amounts could be appropriated yearly it would have taken twenty years to complete this sewer...

This manufacturing city on the Androscoggin River received Federal assistance for various projects, between 1933 and 1942. In 1933, part of the $281,433 spent by the Civil Works Administration in this city of 34,948 (1930 census), was assistance to the public library: "Miss Doris Linehan has done valuable work repairing books and filing documents employed as a federal CWA assistant." Report of the Health Officer, Robert J. Wiseman, Jr., M.D. CHILD HEALTH EMERGENCY RELIEF PROGRAM—The Child Health Emergency Relief Program was made possible thru an order of the Federal Government, with the cooperation o f the local physicians, five nurses employed thru the Civil...

The Lewiston post office was constructed using Treasury Department funds during 1934.

Schools were one of the many work programs that helped reduce welfare rolls in the depths of the depression in this industrial city. Out of $239,193.23 distributed by the Civil Works Administration (CWA), "Nearly all of our public schools have been painted and varnished 12 rural schools are also to be painted." The 1934 town report, under Federal Emergency Relief Project From Dec 1933 up to Feb. 1935 specifies the schools. "5. Painting and varnishing the interior of City Schools. Martel, Pettingill, Coburn, Frye, Dingley, Wallace, Jordan, and Lewiston High School. Exterior and interior painting of the twelve suburban schools, with general repairs such...

Lewiston took full advantage of New Deal funds to get much work accomplished during the years of the economic depression. One of these federally funded projects was the upgrade of the sewer system. During the hard winter of 1933/34, "Sewer pipes are now being laid on Castle, Dill, Eustis and Foch St. Sewer pipes on Glenwood St., Boston Ave. and at Barkerville are soon to be laid." 1934 Mayors Report: E. R. A. "Please let me enumerate some of the most important projects completed during this last year under the E. R. A. All proposed projects on sewerage have been accomplished to the...

Approximately half Lewiston' sidewalks s seems were built by the New Deal. "1934 Mayors Report: E. R. A. Please let me enumerate some of the most important projects completed during this last year under the E. R. A. about 12 miles of permanent sidewalks; thousands of feet of curbing were relayed; nearly 8 miles of temporary sidewalks;" "12 Permanent sidewalks: There were 69,450 feet or approximately 12 miles of permanent sidewalks constructed in the following streets: Lincoln, Cedar, Oxford, River Lower Lisbon, Park, Knox, Bates,Blake, Bartlett, Horton, Howe, Shawmut, Howard,  Bradley, Jefferson, Webster, Orange. Sylvan Ave., Colder, Lafayette, Newman, Campus Ave. Nichols, Wood, Maple, Birch, Walnut,...

Rebuilding the water supply system was part of the massive amount of public works projects undertaken in this small industrial city. In the winter of 1993/34, under the Civil Works Administration, the Mayor said "work was accomplished at great odds, inclement temperature, ground frozen to a depth of over four feet in some places. Let me, very briefly, tell you what work was accomplished: 4100 feet of six inch water pipe was laid on Sabattus Road. 8500 feet of six inch was laid on Webster Road. 600 feet of six inch water pipe on South Avenue. 4400 feet of eight inch water pipe at Barkerville,...