In 1934 the Federal Public Works Administration (PWA) provided funds to build a million-gallon water storage tank in Newport News, Virginia to replace the old water tank. The caption for the photo above reads “A million-gallon water-storage tank erected at… read more
“The Civilian Conservation Corps, Roosevelt’s first New Deal recovery program, built the original parts of Abilene State Park, including picnic areas and swimming pool complex. In 1934, the 507 acres were dedicated as a state park. According to the Taylor… read more
The Civil Works Administration (CWA) installed a 16-inch water main along Alabama Avenue SE in 1933-4. This was at the beginning of an extensive program of building new water mains and sewers all across the District of Columbia by New… read more
“The Alcova Dam is designed for storage and diversion of the river flow into an irrigation canal which irrigates the land around Caspar, Wyoming. The dam is earth fill with a rock surface on the reservoir side. Its height above… read more
Completed in 1936 as a Works Progress Administration (WPA) project, what is now known as Amsden Lake was developed as a reservoir during the Great Depression. The dam “was built at a cost of $207,000 of clay faced with stone. The Federal… read more
In 1942, the Washington Post reported the approval of funds for the Federal Works Agency (FWA) to construct a major water main from 18th Street and Minnesota Avenue to Firth Sterling Avenue and Stevens Road, to serve the Fairlawn, Anacostia… read more
Construction of two 500,000 gallon square reservoir concrete slab bottom and sides with corrugated iron roofs, also 1,000 feet of 6 galvanized iron pipe to connect with existing water distribution lines. All necessary excavation, backfill and drainage installation.–Mooser, p. 94.
The following water main was laid as part of a Public Works Administration (P.W.A.) project: “Arborway, from Pond and Prince streets, to Forest Hills street …”
The WPA was extensively involved in flood control construction in Arroyo Seco during the 1930s. Excerpts of WPA involvement in that history follow: 1934-35: Trapezoidal channel is constructed in the Central Arroyo from Devils Gate Dam through the Rose Bowl… read more
In 1933-34, the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) made improvements at the Aspen Grove Family Camp owned by Brigham Young University. The Aspen Grove camp was established after land was donated to Brigham Young University in 1921 and BYU started an… read more
“Some of the early projects implemented [by FERA in Jefferson County] included … construction of an athletic field on city property near the public slaughter pen. The … project included a football field and clay baseball diamond with lights.”
The Works Progress Administration (WPA) developed the Atlantic City Reservoir in Absecon, New Jersey. At one point 1,200 WPA employees were working on the project.
The federal Works Progress Administration (WPA) undertook a sizable public building improvement project in Brooklyn, New York beginning in 1935. The project involved the “Improvement of Public Buildings and Offices” at more than 30 locations, including the water pumping station… read more
The PWA allocated $778,000 toward the construction of two reservoirs in Meagher County: the Bair Reservoir on the North Fork of the Musselshell River and the Martinsdale Reservoir on the river’s South Fork. 45% of the money for the project… read more
In 1927, the Metropolitan District Commission, which is the water works agency for the city of Hartford, Connecticut, purchased land on the Farmington River, northwest of the city, to construct a dam and reservoir. In order to build the dam,… read more
Landscaped embankment along Bay Street. Built small recreation building.–Healy, p. 67.
The federal Works Progress Administration worked to conduct repairs and alterations to several civic facilities in Queens as part of a $300,464 project begun in 1935. Facilities improved included the Bayside Pumping Station, located roughly at Northern Blvd. and the… read more
The bulk of present day Bensonhurst Park was first established in 1895. Two further parcels were added later. In 1942, the WPA completed major work on the park: “The Department of Parks announces the completion of work in connection with… read more
This reservoir was built just south of Cordonices Park in Berkeley by Henry Berryman in 1877. It was still open to the air when the WPA worked on it in the 1930s, but was later enlarged and covered over with… read more
A water intake dam along Big Goose Creek, about 13 miles southwest of Sheridan, Wyoming, was part of a large waterworks project enabled by the New Deal’s Public Works Administration (PWA) in 1936-7. The intake, which was located a few… read more
The Bureau of Reclamation built the Boca Dam in Nevada County CA in the late 1930s. It is an earth fill dam and part of the Truckee Storage Project, and it is located one mile north of the confluence of the… read more
“The present construction features of this project are the raising of Arrowrock Dam [built in 1915] and spillway for additional storage, and the building of the canal system for the Payette Division. Work has been in progress on Arrowrock Dam… read more
In 1934 E.R.A. labor drained and cleaned Barre’s Bolster Reservoir.
Works Progress Administration (W.P.A.) conducted drastic improvement work at the South Boston Army Base in Boston, Massachusetts. WPA Bulletin: At the Army Base, South Boston, WPA employed more than 1000 men repairing and altering buildings, warehouses, wharves, roads, grounds and… read more
The Works Progress Administration (WPA) completed the construction of a pumping plant at the Boysen Reservoir in the vicinity of Shoshoni, Fremont County. The facility provided water supply. The exact location and condition of the pumping plant is unknown to the… read more
Works Progress Administration (W.P.A.) workers worked at Breeds Pond in Lynn, Mass. WPA Bulletin: Bacterial dangers are eliminated by the WPA construction of several thousand yards of large-stone, rip-rap work, along the vertical banks of Breed’s Pond, one of Lynn’s… read more
The following water main was laid as part of a Public Works Administration (P.W.A.) project: “Brookline avenue, from Brookline-Boston boundary line to Kenmore square, approximately 4,600 linear feet 48-inch pipe.”
"The Buchanan Dam is a large flood-control, water-conservation, and power project. It was originally a power project of a utility company but was taken over by the Lower Colorado River Authority in 1936 after the utility company had abandoned it…. read more
Researcher Frank da Cruz has found that construction of the Buckroe Elevated Water Tank in the 1930s was made possible by a 45% Federal Public Works Administration (PWA) grant. The water tank is located in the Fox Hill section of… read more
The structure at Buckland Spring, between Colebrook and Mt. Gretna, Pennsylvania along Rt. 117, was constructed as a federal Works Progress Administration (WPA) project in 1938. ““From the back wall of this structure, there were two separate pipes from which… read more
“Riverton Project, Wyoming – Bull Lake Dam, an 800,000 cubic yard earth and rock fill structure is under contract and is scheduled for completion in January 1938. Some canal and lateral work will probably be done in 1937. H. D…. read more
In 1933, the Bureau of Reclamation, in cooperation with the State of Oregon, investigated the possibility of developing a storage structure on Burnt River to provide a late summer water supply. The project was constructed following the plan developed from… read more
“BUTLER – An endeavor to employ local county men on PWA work now in progress around Butler finally met with success….Thus the aim of the Borough to engage its own citizenry for its own projects, reducing town unemployment slack to… read more
“Caballo Dam, Rio Grand Project, New Mexico — Caballo Dam on the Rio Grande is now being constructed by the Bureau to provide (1) flood control and river regulation, (2) the development of firm power at Elephant Butte Dam, and… read more
The Works Progress Administration (W.P.A.) conducted substantial improvement work at Cambridge Reservoir (Hobbs Brook Reservoir) in Lincoln and Waltham, MA. Work included nine miles (for an area of about 500,000 square feet) of shore rip-rapping and the clearing 316 acres… read more
“Between 1935 and 1940, Massachusetts and the federal government, primarily using Works Project Administration funds, constructed 63 buildings (all but Buildings 102 and the old Williams Hospital have since been demolished) and two, 500-foot (150 m) wide turf runways at… read more
Lehman Caves National Monument was established in 1922 and put under the jurisdiction of the National Park Service in 1933. The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) came to Lehman Caves National Monument and set up camp in 1934. The CCC… read more
The Cape Cod Canal is an artificial waterway traversing the narrow neck of land that joins Cape Cod to mainland Massachusetts. First constructed in the early 20th century, the canal was widened during the New Deal. That work was part… read more
“One of the biggest undertakings [CCC Company 1915] took on was the building of Cat Creek Dam. Knowing water is a viable commodity in the desert, these men saw the uncontrolled use and abuse from being overgrazed and where deep-rooted… read more
Cathedral Gorge State Park, outside Pioche, Nevada, was first constructed during the 1930s by the federal Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). “Cathedral Gorge is also the site of a water tower that the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) built and used when… read more