Completion Year: 1941

The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) carried out a complete restoration of the  Mission La Purisima in Lompoc CA, 1934-41.  It was an astonishing achievement, given the ruined state of the Mission and scarce historic sources to guide the work. The CCC agree to do the restoration if land could be secured to turn the site into a State Historical Park.  Donations of land by the Catholic Church and Union Oil Company did the trick, and the CCC went to work. From 1934 to 1941 CCC crews uncovered, restored and rebuilt 13 separate structures at the Mission.  The State Historical Park was...

The Visalia Municipal airport was founded in 1927. In 1941, the Works Progress Administration (WPA) spent $375,000 improving the airport.  The work included the construction of a new terminal building and a new, longer runway of nearly 5000 feet. WPA work ceased when the War Department took control of the airport in 1942 with the onset of the Second World War. It is unknown if the current terminal building (pictured) is the one built by the WPA or if any other buildings remain from that time.

This 1941 mural by Victor Arnautoff depicts "South San Francisco, Past and Present." The 3-panel oil on canvas was funded by the Section of Fine Arts in 1941.

These projects involved street improvements, curb, gutter, and sidewalk construction. They resulted in 8,875 ft of streets, 20,122 ft of curbs and gutters, and 15,792 sq ft of sidewalks. The only streets actually identified in the WPA records are Mendocino Ave from College Ave to the north city limit, and also Fourth St from E. St to the east city limit. The photo here shows that a short section of WPA sidewalk also survives on the south side of Spencer Avenue, just east of its intersection with Monroe Street. It is a standard 4’ residential walk made of parallel 24” x...