Infrastructure and Utilities Sites

Works Progress Administration (W.P.A.) workers conducted street paving work in Kewanee, Illinois.

A street paving project in Langdon, North Dakota was undertaken during the Great Depression with the aid of federal Public Works Administration (PWA) funds. The PWA supplied a $21,273 grant for the project, whose total cost was $54,688. Work occurred between November 1936 and July 1937. (PWA Docket No. ND W1002)

The Works Progress Administration (WPA) conducted street paving work in Liberty, Texas in 1935/6.

"Mose’s injuries ... made most physical work impossible. But WPA found a position for him, carrying water to the WPA crews paving the dirt streets of Luzerne."

A street paving project was undertaken in Monaca as part of a New Deal project, sponsored by the Public Works Administration (PWA). The PWA provided a $37,948 grant for the project, whose total cost was $71,910. PWA Docket No. PA 1175

The Works Progress Administration (WPA) paved streets on the south side of Palestine, Texas in the fall of 1940. Some of the streets paved were Angelina Street, Michaeux Avenue and Highland Avenue. The WPA used an iron ore base with an asphalt top.

A street paving project in Rugby, North Dakota was undertaken during the Great Depression with the aid of federal Public Works Administration (PWA) funds. The PWA supplied a $19,125 grant for the project, whose total cost was $39,288. Work occurred between September 1936 and August 1937. (PWA Docket No. ND W1104)

The federal Works Progress Administration (WPA) and Public Works Administration (PWA) provided funding support for Scranton street paving projects. The Scranton Times-Tribune: "City Clerk William P. Huester announced on July 8, 1935, that he was prepared to distribute petitions to property owners who wished to participate in Scranton's proposed plan to pave streets. With the Great Depression gripping the country, the plan was part of the Federal Works Progress Administration. Through that agency, the federal government would pay 45 percent of the cost to pave city streets. The other 55 percent? That would be paid by property owners. The homeowner would not, Scranton Mayor...

A substantial street paving project in Sheridan, Wyoming was undertaken as a federal Public Works Administration (P.W.A.) project during the Great Depression. PWA Docket No. WY 1001

South Amboy, New Jersey leveraged funds and labor provided by the federal Works Progress Administration (WPA) to undertake the paving of nearly all the city's roads in 1936. Prior to this development, most of the community's roads were still unpaved.

Stillwater, Oklahoma undertook multiple substantial street paving projects during the Great Depression with the assistance of two federal Public Work Administration (PWA) grants. Construction occurred between 1937 and 1939. PWA Docket No. OK 1130, 1388.

Numerous large-scale street improvement and paving projects were undertaken in Tucson, Arizona during the Great Depression with the assistance of federal Public Work Administration (PWA) funds. The PWA supplied outright grants of more than $800,000 (not adjusted for inflation) for the work. PWA Docket Nos. AZ 1034, 1036, 1038, 1039, 1041, 1043, 1044, 1046, 1047, 1048, 1052, 1053, 1054, 1055

By 1923 only about five miles of Tyler's 130 miles of street were paved and most residential streets remained unpaved. A bond for street paving passed in 1925 by Tyler provided funding for continued street paving, some of it in south central residential areas. When Federal money became available in the 1930s, the City applied for grants to continue the paving efforts. Paving using both brick and asphalt was conducted by the Civil Works Administration (CWA), the Progress Works Administration (PWA) and the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in the mid-to-late 1930s (City of Tyler Engineering Records). By 1942 about 20 miles...

A street paving project in Wahpeton, North Dakota was undertaken during the Great Depression with the aid of federal Public Works Administration (PWA) funds. The PWA supplied a $28,800 grant for the project, whose total cost was $63,387. Work occurred between November 1938 and Sepetmber 1939. (PWA Docket No. ND X1210)

A Depression-era street pavement project in Waveland, Mississippi was undertaken with a grant by the Public Works Administration (PWA). Opening bids were advertised for the $49,000 street paving project in Waveland following the approval of the PWA project 4408. The allotment was approved 2/1/1934 for a loan of $35,500 and grant for $14,375. The contract for 23,800 square yards of paving was awarded to Higgison for a bid of $45,823.75. Construction began 6/12/1934 and was completed 8/9/1934 for paving of Waveland avenue from Front street to Railroad avenue, Railroad avenue from Waveland to Coleman avenue, and Coleman avenue from Bourgeois street...

"Thanks to WPA labor, many city streets were repaved after the iron streetcar tracks were torn up."

The Works Progress Administration (WPA) relayed the red vitrified brick street pavement at an unknown date on Crescent Place and Woodbine Avenue in Wilmette, Illinois. An embedded marker reads "Relayed by WPA."

Multiple street paving and improvement projects in Chattanooga, Tennessee were undertaken with the aid of federal Public Works Administration (PWA) funds. In one paving project, the PWA supplied a $25,261 grant toward the $58,846 eventual total cost of the project. Work occurred between March and June 1936. The PWA supplied a $98,994 grant for similar work undertaken soon after. (PWA Docket No. TN 1159, 1160)

Numerous and widespread street paving and improvement projects in Memphis, Tennessee were undertaken with the aid of federal Public Works Administration (PWA) funds during the Great Depression. (PWA Docket Nos. TN W1111, W1112, W1113, W1114, W1115, W1224, W1225, W1228, W1239)

The WPA furnished labor for the paving of streets and construction of sidewalks in Sharon, Pennsylvania. Greenville's Record-Argus reported that some such work occurred during 1940.

Amory initiated a street paving program in 1938, using $100,000 in municipal bonds, a Public Works Administration (PWA) grant of $81,818, and a Works Progress Administration (WPA) contribution of $20,000. PWA project x1284 was approved 9/7/1938. Construction began November 23, and was completed 11/15/1939.

A substantial street improvement and paving project was undertaken in Flagstaff, Arizona during the Great Depression with the assistance of federal Public Work Administration (PWA) funds.  It covered 86 blocks in the central area, now the historic district of the city, and included curbs and gutters.  The start date for the project is uncertain but the major work was done in 1938-39. "A major improvement that would have been long delayed without federal assistance was installing curbs and gutters and paving streets. The project began with a $30,600 PWA grant matching a city 10-year, 3 percent bond issue of $22,000 for curbs and...

During the hard winter months of 1933-1934, the Civil Works Administration (CWA) was a work relief program that employed Portlanders on a variety of needed projects. Street repair work was one such project category. These men are shown on January 26, 1934 repairing a street damaged by the collapse of a retaining wall at the intersection of NW Maywood Drive and NW Melinda Avenue in Portland's West Hills. The CWA served as a federal relief program from November 8, 1933 through March 31, 1934.  When the CWA began, Oregon anticipated being able to put 21,000 men back to work on small...

The Civil Works Administration conducted a street repair project and a sidewalk construction project in Warrior, Alabama. CWA Project No. 37-C-161: completed; "misc. street repairs". Work began Nov. 20, 1933. CWA Project No. 37-C-1857: 40% completed as of Mar. 31, 1934; "highway walkway". Work began Jan. 20, 1934.

The Civil Works Administration (CWA) conducted street widening work in Minocqua, Wisconwin in 1933.

Juneau’s streets, sidewalks and sewers were improved with the aid of New Deal federal funds during the Great Depression. A newspaper report in 1938 said that the Public Works Administration (PWA)  had allotted $170,000 for these purposes, but the 1940 Annual Report of the Governor of Alaska to the Secretary of the Interior puts the PWA contribution at approximately $75,000. The latter 1940 report also indicated that the Works Progress Administration (WPA) also contributed $5,790 to pay relief laborers to work on street improvements and $4,891 in relief labor toward the construction of the sewer system in 1939 and 1940. The locations of these improvements...

The Works Progress Administration (WPA) carried out general improvements around the city of Arcata, California, during the late 1930s and early 1940s.  Three separate projects were approved in 1937 and 1939 for street work, new water lines and new sewers. The only location specified in the WPA project cards is a sewer line at 11th and B Streets, which probably runs alongside Gannon Slough.  Locations of the others WPA works are unknown to us and further confirmation of these improvements is needed. Evidence for these New Deal works comes from WPA project cards in the National Archives.  These projects were proposed more...

"WPA funds helped pay for removal of 158,000 lineal feet of streetcar track that ran down the middle of many of Springfield’s streets, at a cost of $167,000. The work included resurfacing of the area where the tram tracks had been."

A street development project in Bottineau, North Dakota was undertaken during the Great Depression with the aid of federal Public Works Administration (PWA) funds. The PWA supplied a $38,250 grant for the project, whose total cost was $82,222. Work occurred between December 1938 and Sepetmber 1939. (PWA Docket No. ND X1210)

In 1934 the Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA) completed a Civil Works Administration (CWA) project in Calhoun, Georgia: "work on the streets in Calhoun."

Under the Works Progress Administration (W.P.A.), "numerous new streets were laid out while others were rebuilt."

A sizable street construction project in Salem, Mass. was undertaken with the assistance of federal Public Works Administration (PWA) funds. PWA Docket No. MA 797

A sizable street construction project in Springfield, Mass. was undertaken with the assistance of federal Public Works Administration (PWA) funds. PWA Docket No. MA 1176

A sizable street construction project in Worcester, Mass. was undertaken with the assistance of federal Public Works Administration (PWA) funds. PWA Docket No. MA 1217

Multiple street construction and improvement projects in Yankton, South Dakota were undertaken during the Great Depression with the aid of federal Public Works Administration (PWA) funds. Work occurred during 1934. (PWA Docket Nos. SD 2519, 2598)

Numerous street construction projects in Watertown, South Dakota were undertaken during the Great Depression with the aid of federal Public Works Administration (PWA) funds. The PWA supplied a $56,000 loan and $37,535 grant for a curb construction project; the total cost of the project was $56,327. Work occurred between May and August 1935. (PWA Docket No. SD 2077) The PWA supplied a $87,000 loan and $8,279 grant for a street construction project; the total cost of the project was $129,513. Work occurred between October 1934 and November 1935. (PWA Docket No. SD 2100) The PWA supplied a $6,136 grant for a second street...

The Works Progress Administration contributed $1,909 toward streets and school grounds improvements in Skagway, Alaska, between 1939 and 1940.    

The Civil Works Administration conducted a street improvement project and a sidewalk repair project in Fairfield, Alabama. CWA Project No. 37-C-369: "streets". Work began Nov. 20, 1933; 95% complete as of Mar. 31, 1934. CWA Project No. 37-C-1606: sidewalk repairs". Work began Mar. 1, 1934; 80% complete as of Mar. 31, 1934.

The Works Progress Administration contributed $10,480 toward the construction of new streets in Sitka, Alaska, between 1939 and 1940.  

A 10'-span stone arch bridge on Strotz Road, in Asbury, New Jersey, was widened by the Works Progress Administration (WPA). The structure is located approximately 400 feet north of the intersection with White Oak Dr..