Parks and Recreation Sites

The federal Public Works Administration (PWA) funds provided funding for the construction of a high school gymnasium in Walla Walla, Washington. The facility, located at the southwest corner of S. Park St. and E. Birch St., is presently used by the YMCA. The PWA provided a grant of $51,750; the total cost of the project was $141,750.

Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) enrollees made many improvements at Yosemite Village and Curry Village at the east end of Yosemite Valley, in the heart of Yosemite National Park. At the time, these were known as the Old Village, New Village and Camp Curry. At Yosemite Village, the CCC teams installed log curbing, laid out new paths, and planted ferns, trees, and shrubs around the administration building, new hospital, residences, and Yosemite Museum. Some of the landscaping was done with native plants transplanted from various places outside the valley.  CCCers placed flagstones around the telescopes in front of the museum. Under the direction of...

These improvements include the creation of a recreational beach by dredging sand from the San Joaquin River, the construction of dressing room barges, the provision of lighting for the park, and the construction of 50 benches. Currently the park is used mostly for picnics and barbeques. The bathing beach no longer in use. Te park is operated by the City of Stockton.

The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) completely reconstructed the public campgrounds at the head of Yosemite Valley, which are today known as the North, Upper and Lower Pines campgrounds. There had long been camping all over Yosemite Valley, but it had been an unrestricted free-for-all with cars driving across meadows and people camping wherever they liked. The damage to the valley's meadows and streams had been extensive before the National Park Service (NPS) brought a halt to the anarchy.   First, the NPS restricted camping to designated campgrounds at the head of the Valley in the late 1920s.  It then implemented a new...

In January 1941, the National Youth Administration began building a bathhouse with dressing and toilet facilities at Zaragoza Park as well as a chain-linked fence around the pool that was connected to the bathhouse. The City of Austin furnished materials for the project and the NYA supplied the labor.

Workers from the Civil Works Administration built the rustic-style Zilker Club House out of native Texas limestone in 1934, originally as a Boy Scouts of America hut. The clubhouse and the surrounding 30 acres of land were used by the Scouts for activities and Scout meetings. The clubhouse resides on a hill top and has a panoramic view of the Austin skyline. The clubhouse is now rented out for parties and receptions. The clubhouse is a contributing building to the Zilker Park Historic District. The district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on May 23, 1997.

Zilker Metropolitan Park is located at the confluence of Barton Creek and the Colorado River in Austin, Texas. The 351 acre park is administered by the Austin Parks and Recreation Department and is considered "Austin's most-loved park." Starting in 1917, local businessman Andew Jackson Zilker began donating land to the Austin School Board with the stipulation that the City of Austin purchase the land from the school board for use as a park. The money would then be used to create the Zilker Permanent Fund, an endowment fund for industrial education and home economics training in the schools. Architect Charles H....

The Civil Works Administration built the Girl Scouts Hut in Zilker Metropolitan Park in 1934. Architect Charles H. Page designed the National Park Service rustic style building, which overlooks the Barton Creek greenbelt. The hut is still used for meetings and camps by the Girl Scouts and can be rented for use by the public.

The Civil Works Administration remodeled a historic house into a refectory at Zilker Metropolitan Park, based on architect Charles H. Page's design. Text from the state historical marker: "Originally built in the 1870s for Austin pioneer Ashford McGill, this native limestone structure and the surrounding property were purchased by Andrew J. Zilker who conveyed the land to the city for a park in 1931. Remodeled by the Federal Civil Works Administration for use as a multiple purpose park building, the house now exhibits 1930s-era detailing, including a pergola-covered courtyard. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark-1990"

"Zimmerman Playground, a block east of Bronx Park on the south side of Britton Street between Barker and Olinville Avenues. One of nine War Memorial Playgrounds opened by Mayor LaGuardia on July 15, 1934. The Parks Department press release credits the 'Works Division of the Department of Public Welfare' for some of the labor. Beyond that, there is no mention of how the playgrounds were designed and built. But by the reasoning laid out here, it's almost inconceivable that federally-funded work relief was not involved. But in any case, the playground was expanded a few years later, as described in a...

"The historical buildings and structures of Zion National Park represent a variety of buildings, interpretive structures, signs and infrastructure associated with the National Park Service's operations in Zion National Park, Utah. Structures vary in size and scale from the Zion Lodge to road culverts and curbs, nearly all of which were designed using native materials and regional construction techniques in an adapted version of the National Park Service Rustic style. A number of the larger structures were designed by Gilbert Stanley Underwood, while many of the smaller structures were designed or coordinated with the National Park Service Branch of Plans...

The bridge abutments at the Emerald Pools and Angel's Landing trailheads along the Virgin River display rock work that was clearly done by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC).  The abutments and foundations have survived even though the original bridges have been washed-out several times by the river and replaced.

The Canyon Overlook Trial at Zion National Park was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1933.  It runs about a half mile from the east portal of the famous Zion-Mt. Carmel Tunnel to an overlook at the Great Arch.  Sections of the trail are cantilevers over sheer stone cliffs.  The trail was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1987.

The East and South Entrance Signs were built by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in 1934 and 1935 and are made of locally-quarried red sandstone pillars, with horizontal logs supporting the signs. The signs were designed by the National Park Service Branch of Plans and Designs in 1936 and made by CCC workers from Camp NP-2. They were altered in 1940 to the design of Park Service architects H.W. Young and A.C. Kuehl and the south entrance sign was rotated in 1960 so that it stuck out of the pillar on the east side rather than the west side in order...

The smaller of the two check-in stations at Zion National Park is the East Entrance check-in.  The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) completed the entrance in 1935.  (The North Entrance check-in was added in the 1990s.)  In 1934, the CC constructed a small ranger residence across the road from the check-in station.  The National Park Service designed the residence. Both the residence and the check-in have not been significantly modified or rehabilitated in over 80 years.  The residence was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1987.

In 1942, the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) built a path on the east side of the main road up to a viewing platform.  The CCC built the construction in stones that face west toward the Throne of the Patriarchs.  It is still intact, with modest rock work and the original concrete pathway.  The Great White Throne Overlook was the last CCC project in Zion before Congress cut the CCC funding.

Mormon farmers excavated the Pine Creek Irrigation Canal at the turn of the century, using water from Pine Creek to irrigate farmland on the west side of the Virgin River near Bridge Mountain.  The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) built new headworks in 1934.  The CCC used a 15-foot sandstone boulder as an anchor to draw water directly from the Virgin River 1/4 mile upstream from the Pine Creek, conveying the water over Pine Creek in a flume.  The Public Works Administration (PWA) provided funding.

The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) built the South Campground Amphitheater in 1934-35 in typical stonework for the stage, walls, walkways and steps.  Red sandstone was used in accordance with National Park Service rustic design principles.  The original wood benches, set on stone blocks, were replaced with metal seats in 1956.  The amphitheater was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on February 14, 1987.

The higher elevation portions of the East Rim Trail at Zion National Park were originally completed by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC).  They were intended as a government road and truck trail.  Vehicular use quickly diminished and it became a foot trail. Although the CCC did not built any other roads and trails in the park, CCC men did significant work on slope stabilization and retaining walls along all of the trails and roads.  Typical CCC stonework can be seen in several places shoring-up trails and roads.

Several revetments (rock flood walls) along the Virgin River in Zion National Park's main canyon were installed by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC).  Unfortunately, this kind of flood control work was a hopeless endeavor and most of the revetments were washed-out. Where they remain, however, they channelized the river, which is even worse because it has altered the deposition regime of the river and affected the ecology of the flood plain through the bottom of the canyon.

"The Zoo Amphitheater was the first project completed by the Civilian Conservation Corps in Oklahoma City. CCC Companies 875 and 895, consisting of about 400 young men of Oklahoma, lived in tents and later wooden barracks on the land north and south of Lincoln Park, adjacent to the amphitheater. Between 1933 and 1936, they laid the groundwork for the park, zoo, lake and this amphitheater. ... The amphitheater is large and will hold thousands of concert-goers. The sloped theater has native rock terracing, with wide grass areas where people can sit on blankets or chairs."   (waymarking.com)

"The zoo was upgraded in the late 1930s, at an estimated cost of $100,000.00 with Federal Works Project Administration (WPA) labor and money and Texas Centennial bond money. An extensive system of concrete and natural stone bridges, park houses, winding walks, hillside stairways, and retaining walls along the creek banks were added. The WPA projects included new monkey cages, large animal dens and paddocks, and wild fowl cages. There was also a new building that served as both commissary offices and an entrance." (dallaszoo.com)