Lakes and Ponds Sites

"This nomination seeks to recognize the entire property comprising Lake Leatherwood Park as a National Register Historic District.  Previously, Lake Leatherwood Dam and Recreational Facilities, consisting of the bathhouse and the picnic shelter, were listed individually in the National Register on August 12, 1992.  Since that time, additional AHPP survey efforts through the initiation of the Eureka Springs Parks Commission have revealed a large number of additional buildings, structures, and sites within the park that were constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps as well as resources dating before and after the CCC period.  It is being nominated under Criteria A,...

The WPA dredged and improved the lake in 1935-1936.

Works Progress Administration (WPA) laborers worked to clear land in preparation for the creation of the 155-square-mile Lake Marion, part of the Santee Cooper Project. South Carolina Encyclopedia: "Following a four-year court battle, construction began in 1939. At its peak, the project employed nearly fifteen thousand workers, most of whom came from Depression relief rolls. Living in military-style camps scattered throughout the Santee and Pinopolis basins, the laborers cleared more than 160,000 acres with handsaws and mule-drawn wagons. They hauled dirt and clay to dam sites, built railroads, relocated cemeteries, and aided in the construction of the diversion and tail-race canals...

The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) constructed this lake in Mitchell, South Dakota.

Works Progress Administration (WPA) laborers worked to clear land in preparation for the creation of the 95-square-mile Lake Moultrie, part of the Santee Cooper Project. South Carolina Encyclopedia: "Following a four-year court battle, construction began in 1939. At its peak, the project employed nearly fifteen thousand workers, most of whom came from Depression relief rolls. Living in military-style camps scattered throughout the Santee and Pinopolis basins, the laborers cleared more than 160,000 acres with handsaws and mule-drawn wagons. They hauled dirt and clay to dam sites, built railroads, relocated cemeteries, and aided in the construction of the diversion and tail-race canals...

Both the CCC and the WPA worked extensively on Lake Murray State Park in the 1930s. The lake itself was completed in 1937 and opened to the public in 1938. The Lake's iconic Tucker Tower was started by the New Deal workers, but not finished until the early 1950s. An article on www.americasstateparks.org describes CCC work in the park in detail: "Members of the CCC constructed 10 state parks in Oklahoma, beginning with Lake Murray State Park, the first and largest of the original parks. Recruits began construction on park structures in 1935, two years after the inception of the CCC....

This water retention dam and lake was constructed by the WPA in 1937. It was was justified as being for potential needs in a drought, but which primarily served as a place for water recreation for African American families in the Kansas City area. At the time, there was very limited opportunity for outdoor recreation for blacks in Kansas City, essentially being a small section of Swope Park nicknamed "watermelon hill." The surrounding land was privately owned by some of the wealthier black families in the Kansas City area.

The Civil Works Administration (CWA) undertook the dredging of Lake Sammamish, in Lake Sammamish State Park, in 1934.

The Works Progress Administration (WPA) built Lake Sealy in 1940 under official project number 665-66-2-391. The WPA constructed a 750 foot earthen dam to impound the lake, covering the lakeside of the dam with riprap and sodding the back side. The lake currently provides no water or revenue for the City of Santa Anna which owns it. The lake was used for recreational fishing and then leased to a private landowner.

The Wikipedia page for Lake Shetek State Park, indicates that both the FERA and the WPA played instrumental roles in the early development of the park, including roads, sewers, and the construction of several structures, some of which are still in the park today. From the Murray County website: Much of the early development and construction of park facilities was done by Works Progress Administration (WPA) workers. The workers were part of a WPA Camp which was located on Keeley Island, across the lake to the west, from 1934 to 1940. The camp employed 200 transient and homeless men. Initially operated...

"The bathhouse at the new Lake Springfield beach area started out as a Civil Works Administration program but couldn’t be finished as a work relief program because there was “an absence of skilled workers on the relief rolls,” according to the Illinois State Journal in 1933. It was completed by private construction. The beach opened in 1935 with help from the federal programs. Public parks, the wildlife sanctuary and other recreational areas also benefited."

"The PWA and WPA also provided funding for projects around Lake Springfield, including landscaping and placing riprap. ... The WPA would later aid in ... other Lake Springfield projects."

NYSParks.com: "The park was donated to the State of New York in 1929 by Dr. McRa Livingston with the provision that the lake and park be named Lake Taghkanic. The lake had been previously known as Lake Charlott. In 1933 a Civilian Conservation Corp (CCC) camp was established at the park. C.C.C. projects in the park included construction of the East Bathhouse, the East Beach, the camping and cabin areas and the water tower."

Preliminary work on one of the largest earth dams to be constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps enrollees in the south began with the clearing of the site for a 540-acre lake along the Tangipahoa river. Excavation began July 1, with work on the dam construction planned for mid July. Plans called for a barrier of 100,000 cubic yards of earth, spillway 300 feet wide and 800 feet long. The work was on Highway 48, five miles southwest of McComb. Engineer was George Long supervising the local crew of the Civilian Conservation Corp enrollees. Lake Tangipahoa was adjacent to the...

In 1934 the Civil Works Administration (CWA) and Federal Emergency Lake Administration (FERA) constructed a dam to impound a recreational lake: Lake Tomahawk, in Black Mountain, North Carolina, as well as a community building and boathouse at its shore. The lake "was officially opened on Labor Day weekend in 1934." The community building featured shingle siding and a large room for social gatherings and boating and bathing facilities. The building is still in use today and the lake continues as a gathering spot. "The community house, built at Black Mountain, in Buncombe County, under project No. 11A-B11-2, is situated on the shore...

This recreational lake in Eastern Kansas was completed by the WPA and German POWs. Work included a dam and spill way. The lake is still a popular recreational area for residents of Topeka and nearby towns.

Construction on the man-made lake itself began in 1932 and was completed with help from the CCC: "In April of 1933, reforestation camps (Civilian Conservation Corps) were located in Iowa.  Camp #773, Camp Roosevelt Civilian Reforestation Army, was stationed at Lake Wapello.  George W. Vaughn was the army officer in charge of the men.  The 187 recruits assigned to Camp Roosevelt arrived on May 30th, the additional 25 men who completed the camp's enrollment were mustered from local unemployed men.  These men were assigned to gully erosion work, because erosion might dump crumbling tons of shore into the newly formed body...

Constructed in 1940 by the Army Corps of Engineers, this dam created the 45,000-acre Lake Wappapello reservoir on the St. Francis River. Constructed with the primary intention of flood control, Lake Wappapello continues to offer recreational opportunities including boating, fishing, and camping to the public.

Lake Warren was built by the federal Works Progress Administration (W.P.A.) in 1936.

"Beginning in 1935, the Federal Emergency Relief Administration began purchasing sub-marginal agricultural and forest land so that it could be converted to better use. In 1936, the National Park Service was given the responsibility of the Recreational Demonstration Areas. Laurel Hill was one of five areas in Pennsylvania and targeted for restoration and reforestation, and organized group camping and day picnicking. Beginning in 1935, with cooperation of the Pennsylvania Department of Forests and Waters, men of the Works Progress Administration (WPA) and the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) began building roads, trails, bridges and recreational facilities. Two CCC camps, SP-8 and SP-15 arrived...

The federal Works Progress Administration (WPA) constructed an artificial lake in Lenape Park, in Cranford / Springfield Township, New Jersey, along the Rahway River Parkway, ca. 1936.

The CCC assisted in the development of this state forest.

The Leominster State Forest area was purchased by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in 1922. The area was the site of many historic settlements and cellar holes from the 1800s. With the implementation of the New Deal, Leominster State Forest was selected for a number of improvements by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). In particular, Crow Hill Pond, a ten-acre pond located on state Route 31 on the western side of the forest, was the site of many projects. Crow Hill Pond was the work site of the 197th company of the CCC during the years 1936-1938. Captain Dixon led the 197th...

The Leonhardt Lagoon was constructed with Works Progress Administration (WPA) funds in 1936. The lagoon named after philanthropist Dorothea Leonhardt and was built at the site of the Texas Centennial Exposition. "The man-made lagoon lies south of the Midway. It was constructed with funds from the WPA to serve as a peaceful, beautiful place to take a break from the bustle of the exposition exhibits. As part of the overall design, George Dahl placed it at the center of the civic section. Leonhardt Lagoon was surrounded by a science museum, an art museum, an aquarium, and a band shell. In 1981, Pat...

W.P.A. Bulletin, 1937: "At the southern end of the marsh that was in the center of Winthrop, WPA has created a skating area and rendezvous for aquatic sports out of the formerly ugly Lewis Lake. A dump on one side of the lake was removed. Jagged banks have been changed to gentle grassy slopes, topped by walks. The pond has been changed to two small ponds connected by points of land which will be joined by a rustic bridge. A perfect spot for model yacht races, swimming races, a stroll in the sunlight or under a starry, moonlit sky."

The lily pool in Chicago's Lincoln Park, just one block from Lake Michigan, was dilapidated before 1936 when Chicago Park District employee Alfred Caldwell was asked to redesign it.  With funds and relief labor provided by the Works Progress Administration (WPA), Caldwell designed a beautiful, 3-acre garden in an urban metropolis. Walking paths guide visitors around the garden, where they can get in touch with native plants and trees. The pond includes a waterfall made from big slabs of limestone.. In the southeast corner, Caldwell designed a council ring to sit and relax. It was a beautiful urban oasis where city...

The Works Progress Administration (WPA) made improvements to Lincoln Park from 1937 to 1941. The agency allotted $45,000 dollars to the park, in connection with its commitment of $1,100,000 in 1937 to widen North Lake Shore Drive and create the North Avenue Beach.  Other WPA projects at Lincoln Park include the Alfred Caldwell Lily Pool and the Passerelle bridge over Lake Shore Drive.  Lincoln Park is one of Chicago’s largest and oldest parks and a prime example of the city’s commitment to conserving and protecting the Lake Michigan lakefront for public use. The park currently stretches from the Ohio Street Beach...

The Works Progress Administration (WPA) made improvements to Lincoln Park from 1937 to 1941 in connection with its commitment of $1,100,000 to upgrade North Lake Shore Drive through the park.  One such project was the "Passerelle", or pedestrian bridge over Lake Shore Drive, completed in 1940.. The Lincoln Park passerelle was designed by Ralph Burke and gained national recognition in the Museum of Modern Art's exhibition, "Built in USA, 1932-44."  It is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Lincoln Park is one of Chicago’s largest and oldest parks and a prime example of the city’s commitment to conserving and protecting...

WPA workers developed the Lincoln Pioneer Village and Museum from 1935 to 1936. Work also included landscaping and the building of cabins and a lake. From the State of Indiana's website on the attraction: "The Lincoln Pioneer Village & Museum houses hundreds of fascinating artifacts from the area’s historic past including a hutch made by Abraham Lincoln’s father, Thomas Lincoln. The Pioneer Village features 14 Lincoln-era replica cabins from Spencer County. This site was originally a WPA project." From the Evansville Sunday Courier and Journal, July 5, 1936: ROCKPORT, July 4—With both the democratic and republican nominees for governor on the program,...

"At Seneca State Forest, Little Thorny Creek was dammed to form Seneca Lake. The original dam stood 24 feet wide at the top, 16 feet high, and 162 feet long. The CCC constructed the original dam in three months using 116,000 feet of cribbed logs and 4,000 cubic yards of clay."

CCC crews built this small recreational lake on Mill Creek in Mark Twain National Forest in 1940. It is at least partially spring-fed and tends to be clear. The dam has a simple concrete spillway. In addition to the lake, the project consisted of a trail around the lake, a campground, and picnic ground.

Long Lake National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1932 under President Herbert Hoover.  Like many other extant refuges, it was improved during the New Deal by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) working under the Bureau of Biological Survey (which became the US Fish & Wildlife Service in 1940). The refuge encompasses 22,000 acres, most of which is made up of Long Lake. "At Long Lake National Wildlife Refuge, the Civilian Conservation Corp, comprised largely of local residents, played an important role in the refuge's development. Participants worked primarily on water development, wildlife conservation, and erosion control. They constructed dikes to control...

Nebraska's Loup River Public Power District was developed during the 1930s with the aid of multiple massive federal Public Works Administration (PWA) fund allocations. Development included a 35-mile-long canal, a diversion dam, two large power generation plants, a water-regulation reservoir, power transmission lines and other related infrastructure and facilities (including substations in Lincoln, Omaha, Norfolk, and Fremont). The power district operates to this day and continues to power sizable swaths of eastern Nebraska. 1011 Now: The district diverts water off the Loup River near Genoa ... Loup Power has two powerhouses, and the canal system runs about 35 miles in length. ......

A marker erected in 1998 describes the CCC's role in developing Loy Park and Loy Lake: "Grayson County officials became aware of a growing need for a public recreation facility for the area's approximately 65,500 residents in 1930. Three years later the federal government agreed to create a small lake on land provided by the county. The county commissioners court purchased a site 2.5 miles southwest of Denison in October 1933 and secured the services of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), a federal public works program, to construct the dam and build a recreational park. In early November, 200 men from...

The Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA) constructed the dam impounding Lynch Lake south of Finley, North Dakota. "Two lakes formed by the FERA dams in Steele county have been stocked with fish by the state fish and game department. They are located one and a half miles south of Finley and three miles southwest of Hope. The Finley post of the American Legion has purchased a park site on the spring-fed lake which is 1,400 feet long and covers 14 acres with 140 acre feet of water. It has graveled a beach for bathing and is illuminated. There is about 20...

Marrowbone Lake, located in the northwest reaches of Nashville, was created by Works Progress Administration (W.P.A.) workers.

Miami and the surrounding Dade County were effectively without city or county parks until the 1930s.  The city got its first park in 1925, after which the city was devastated by a hurricane the following year. The county received its first donation of land for a park in 1929, which became Matheson Hammock Park.  In 1930, the park system got its own director and a beach park, Surfside, was added in 1932. The county began improvements on the parks using mostly convict labor and men sent by the Charity Office once the Depression hit, as well as starting a Roadside...

"In 1934, the United States Government bought Lake Mattamuskeet and created Mattamuskeet Migratory Bird Refuge. The purchase included all physical structures and improvements on the land, including the Pumping Station. The Mattamuskeet Drainage District ceased to exist and the lake soon refilled. Between 1935 and 1937, the government converted the Pumping Station into a hunting lodge and headquarters building for the new refuge. Company 424 of the Civilian Conservation Corps did much of the conversion work, with 17 to 23 year old 'CCC boys' working side by side with civilian contractors. The transformed building opened to the public in November...

Franciscan Monks established the Spanish Mission San Francisco de los Tejas in what is now East Texas in 1690. The monks were forced by the local Indians to abandon the mission in 1693. The monks burned the mission when they left. The discovery of a Spanish cannon barrel led to the park's development near the village of Weches, where the CCC set up a reforestation camp in 1933. The Texas Forest Service developed San Francisco Mission State Forest as a tourist attraction and commemoration of early Texas history, just in time for the Texas Centennial celebration in 1936. Those individuals involved in...

The seven-acre Montclair Park in Oakland was built with the aid of the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in 1938-40.  This gem of a park lies just north of Montclair Village in the Oakland hills and below Montclair Elementary School.   At the center of the park is a large, oval, stone-lined pond that is home to ducks, turtles and koi carp (giant goldfish), as well as occasional Canada geese.  The pond is an extension of the Lake Merritt bird sanctuary and therefore protected by federal wildlife laws.   The park also includes extensive rock walls and stairs, large lawns and trees, tennis courts,...