Parks and Recreation Sites

In October 1935, the New York City Department of Parks announced the opening of twelve new playgrounds, including this one at Hunts Point. Although the release does not specify federal involvement, researcher Frank da Cruz explains here that “it is safe to say that every single project completed by the NYC Park Department during the 1930s was federally funded to some degree.” After April 1935, the WPA was especially involved in the development of the New York park system.

In the early 1930s, at a meeting of the Huntsville-Walker County Chamber of Commerce, it was suggested that a park be built around Huntsville. The Chamber of Commerce took the proposal to the Texas State Parks Board. The board required that the community provide the land for the park. Twenty thousand dollars in bonds would have to be sold by Walker County to pay for the land needed. In early 1936, the bond issue passed with more than four to one in favor of selling the bonds. From 1937 to 1942, Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) Company 1823(CV), an experienced company of...

The federal Works Progress Administration undertook a $93,900 project starting in 1935 to modernize and otherwise improve several public (now-former) bath facilities in Brooklyn, NY. The public baths on Huron St. (a few hundred feet west of Manhattan Avenue, on the north side of the road) were constructed in 1903-4; the baths closed in 1960, but the building is still standing. The facilities identified as part of the WPA project were: 209 Wilson Ave. Municipal Baths, Coney Island Duffield Street Hicks Street Pitkin Ave. Huron St. Montrose Ave.

"This structure, housing the swimming pool, was erected as an addition to the physical-education building. The swimming pool is 42 by 75 feet and galleries for spectators are provided to seat 1,000. The construction is reinforced concrete with exterior walls faced with brick and trimmed with cast stone. The steel roof trusses support a wood roof. The project was completed in September 1938 at a construction cost of $193,818 and a project cost of $205,887." (Short and Brown)

The University of Washington's Husky Stadium was expanded during the 1930s as a result of WPA funding assistance and efforts. A WPA press release from Dec. 1937 announced $23,345 in funds for the site and described some of the work: "A three-story headhouse will be built over the main entrance. The first floor of the structure will be occupied by ticket offices, storage rooms and public lavatories while the second floor will be given over to caretakers' apartments. Equipment for a public address system, and an observation room will find a place on the third floor. Surmounting the structure will be a cupola...

Small rustic picnic area along HWY 287 (now I-45 Business) in Corsicana, Texas. There are four picnic tables and four fireplaces. The 1936 County Historical Marker is also located here. The area is along a creek and one of the tables appears to have been buried in silt. There are two markers one giving information on who donated the land to the Texas Department of Transportation and another with information on the National Youth Administration. Donation Marker: "This site was donated for park purposes to the State Highway Department of Texas by Johnson-Wiggins Post 22 American Legion. Ray W. Morgan, Post...

The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) established the Hydaburg Totem Park in 1939 with the goal of to preserving the art of the Pacific Northwest Coast Haida people and encouraging tourism to the area. The CCC employed native carves and laborers, thus fostering a partnership between the Federal Government, local government, and Alaskan natives. A brief history of the totem park by the National Park Service describes the role of the CCC in the development of Hydaburg and the park: "In the 1930s, the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), supervised by U.S. Forest Service personnel, created Hydaburg Park, and several other similar parks in Southeast...

The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) engaged native communities in Hydaburg in collaborative projects seekeing the preservation and restoration of native totem carvings: "In the 1930s, the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), supervised by U.S. Forest Service personnel, created Hydaburg Park, and several other similar parks in Southeast Alaska. CCC workers brought poles to these parks from other locations. The government then hired local Haida workers to restore these totems. When restoration was not possible, replicas were carved. Twenty-one poles were brought to Hydaburg, five of which were able to be restored. The remaining 16 were replicated between 1939 and 1942."

From Elmo Richardson, Natural Resources Journal, April 1966: The construction of Hyde State Park afforded the first, as well as the best, example of the role of the CCC in state recreation programs. Activities and problems encountered in constructing Hyde State Park were illustrative. Of work projects elsewhere in the New Mexico and in the five-state CCC area. During the first two years, the shortage of local enrollees kept the company at the Hyde site short of the desired 200 total; not until 1938 was that figure attained. Two years later these boys were combined with a company of workers...

Also known as the Log Cabin Literary Center, this rustic log building was constructed in 1939 utilizing the labor of the Civilian Conservation Corp. Each interior room is finished with indigenous Idaho lumber donated by the State’s timber companies. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The cabin is now used to support artistic and literary endeavors under the direction of The Cabin organization. A quote from their website explains: "The City of Boise purchased the building from the state in 1992 and signed a long-term lease with the Log Cabin Literary Center in June 1996. Today, The Cabin...

The Canyon Creek Crier: 1940 provided the following description of work to be undertaken by CCC workers in the fall of 1940: "Tall, yellow pine timber stands like primeval cathedrals near the southern bounds of the Malheur National Forest and here we find Idlewild, a most ideal locality for an overnight camp. With this in mind the Forest Service plans the construciton of a camp site water system, outdoor kitchen stoves, picnic tables and benches and the customary sanitary facilities essential for a recreational campsite." The Idlewild Campground was the more ambitious of the two campgrounds built by members of Company 1231...

The PWA constructed a swimming pool at Idlewild Park in Reno in 1937.

Fourteen boys of the federal National Youth Administration (NYA) built a tennis court and graded a baseball field at Trenton, New Jersey's old Immaculate Conception High School. The exact location of this former school is unknown to Living New Deal, though it was possibly located at 544 Chestnut Avenue.

Built in 1939 by the Civilian Conservation Corps, the Imnaha Guard Station is located in Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest. It was originally used to house patrol and fire crews. Unlike other guard stations, the Imnaha Guard Station has been used every summer since it was built, even before similar guard stations were rented out to the public.

The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) made various improvements in the Dixie National Forest in 1935, including lookout shelters, roads, trails and comfort stations (restrooms) at Blow Hard Mountain and Brian Head Peak. A CCC camp had been established at Zion National Park in 1933, and in 1934 the CCC set up a ‘stub camp’ (closed in the winter months) at Cedar Breaks National Monument. In 1935, CCC works teams were sent into nearby Dixie National Forest to carry out various building projects.    

"Between 1932 and 1935 communities throughout North Carolina, including Charlotte and Mecklenburg County, benefited from a broad array of public works funded primarily by Washington.  These included ... the building of a grandstand in Independence Park ..." The project was begun by the Civil Works Administration (CWA) but completed by the Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA). Per the latter's description: "In Charlotte at Independence Park, one of the baseball fields has been used for years for Sunday school leagues and business league games. Much interest has always been manifested in these ball games, and attendance especially on Saturday is heavy. No...

“The stadium in Muskogee is called the Indian Bowl, and is made of white concrete. No WPA marker is visible, but the stadium is on the list of WPA properties. It was constructed with WPA funds and was eligible to be on the National Register. The adjacent Alice Robertson School is made from buff-colored brick.”

"Within Davis Mountains State Park is the Indian Lodge, built by the Civilian Conservation Corps during the early 1930s. Indian Lodge has 39 rooms, a restaurant and a swimming pool (for Indian Lodge guests only), meeting rooms, a Texas State Park Store, and 24-hour staffing."

Indian Mounds Regional Park sits on limestone and sandstone bluffs overlooking the Mississippi River and downtown St. Paul. It features six Native American burial mounds created roughly 1,500-2,000 years ago. The WPA constructed limestone walls throughout the park.

The Indian Road Playground lies along West 214th Street on the east side of Inwood Hill Park. The playground was constructed during the 1930s by the WPA. New York City's Parks Department site writes that during "the 1930s when Parks Commissioner Robert Moses (1888-1981), using Works Progress Administration (WPA) money and workers, initiated a massive reconstruction of the park. Parks created this playground bordering the 35-acre lawn that dominates the southeast portion of the park, which provides recreational facilities such as baseball fields with bleachers, walking paths, and picnic areas."

Park walks repaired with gravel and oil, re-landscaping done.

"The Division of Grazing (Grazing Service as of 1939) operated the greatest number of CCC programs in the state. There were several reasons for this. First of all, Nevada has the largest public domain (nonallocated federal acreage) of any of the forty-eight states. With little trouble, Nevada's elected officials and stockmen easily persuaded national CCC officials to approve requests for several new grazing camps, notwithstanding national CCC program budget cuts. Second, following passage of the Taylor Grazing Act of 1934, a large workforce was needed to implement its ambitious provisions. Even with CCC assistance, the amount of work needing to...

The CCC first arrived at the park in 1933. Quarters were soon built for 250 CCC boys. The CCC would help build "trails, bridges, camps, shelter, and more." (https://friendofindianadunes.org/historic-page/) The CCC also built roads, gatehouses and other facilities. "A CCC camp was located at the site of Dunes Creek upstream from the Pavilion. The Company 556 was at Dunes for a short while before being moved to Pokagon State Park as Company 1563. Wilson Shelter is one of their projects. Other projects of theirs, such as the Group Camps, have been removed. A flag pole near the Nature Center is from the...

The Wilson Shelter is located at the Indiana Dunes State Park. The shelter was completed by Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) laborers in 1935. The style of the shelter is classified as Parks Rustic.

Multiple New Deal agencies: the Works Progress Administration (W.P.A.) and the Public Works Administration (P.W.A.) contributed to the development of the Indiana State Fairgrounds. Projects included the Coliseum, WPA Barns, and a WPA Tunnel.

"Architect Merritt Harrison considered this building his finest creation. PWA (Public Works Administration) funds made it possible for the Fair Board to build this structure, which was to be a “Livestock Pavilion.” Harrison used tan brick and Indiana limestone on the exterior. The style is Art Deco. When you go inside, notice the ticket booth grilles--cast brass in the form of ears of corn. On the outside, notice how most of the corners are rounded or stepped back, a hallmark of the Deco style. Like the track, the Coliseum has been used for many events. It was the best and largest...

"Built by WPA as an example of an ideal modern farmhouse and later used as an officer’s club during WW II. Built of concrete block, the house includes an attached garage, wiring, plumbing, and other modern conveniences."

"This building was originally constructed by the WPA in 1936 as an exhibition hall. From this area behind the Home and Family Arts Building you can see the upper floor living quarters for seasonal fair workers. Also, this open parking lot used to house the DNR's wooden display buildings from 1915-1950."

"The State Fair Board has recently restored a number of these wooden buildings. They were all built with WPA funds. The WPA was one of several of FDR’s New Deal alphabet soup programs designed to help jobless workers during the Great Depression. The WPA provided funds for various public work projects around the state, and a good many here at the Fair Grounds. These barns were built to replace some of the older horse barns on the Fair grounds. Many of the buildings on the fairgrounds during the 1890s were temporary buildings, or were moved from the Camp Morton site....

"Built by the Works Progress Administration (WPA), the tunnel provided a way for automobiles to park in the infield."

W.P.A. Bulletin, 1937: "Before work relief began building things in Winthrop, the high school athletic teams were forced to play at Ingleside Park which was partly a swamp. This is also being reclaimed by WPA."

(2.25 Acres) ... Built one football field and one soccer field with parking facilities, demolished old jail and prepared material for future use. The property was transferred to Department of Education for San Francisco Junior College, which is now under construction by P.W.A. grant.--Healy, p. 62.

In 1938, the Public Works Administration, which had dam construction projects along the Colorado River in Texas, proposed the establishment of a federal fish hatchery in the area to provide fish for the newly created lakes. Congressman Lyndon B. Johnson arranged an agreement between the Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA), the U.S. Bureau of Fisheries and the National Youth Administration (NYA) to construct the hatchery. The NYA established a camp at Inks Dam in 1938 and began construction of the fish hatchery in 1939. Current programs at the hatchery include providing channel catfish for tribal fishery management programs in the Southwest...

"With its dependable water source, abundant fish and game, and natural beauty, the region of Central Texas around the Colorado River and present Inks Lake has been an inviting location for centuries, attracting Native American and German and Anglo settlers. In 1937 while running as a candidate for the surrounding Congressional district, Lyndon Baines Johnson promised voters that he would create a “Tennessee Valley Authority” type of transformation for the Colorado River, including dams for flood control and electricity, bridges and highways, and recreational facilities along the river. Johnson’s victory soon brought into being the Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA)...

'Embracing less than one half acre. ... Excavation of 880 cubic yards soft rock, construction of 37 cubic yards of rubble wall, 6 sets of reinforced concrete steps containing 27 cubic yards, installation of irrigation system of 500 pipe feet, 145 lineal feet of 5 feet chain link fence, building 3,150 square feet of crushed rock walks, spreading of 635 cubic yards of loam and manure, planting 100 trees and shrubs over arch of 8,800 square feet. This improvement provided a restful and inspiring retreat at a site commanding a superior view of San Francisco Bay, principally used by mothers...

The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) developed the International Peace Garden during the 1930s.

The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) and the Works Progress Administration (WPA) built facilities and completed structural improvements at Interstate State Park in Taylors Falls, Minnesota. “The ten CCC/WPA/Rustic Style historic resources at Interstate State Park are included in two historic districts: a six-acre area known as Glacial Gardens and a 22-acre campground. The park buildings and structures were constructed of local basalt stone, which was probably quarried near the boundary of the park at a site where Highway 8 cut through a section of rock in 1931. A CCC crew may have quarried the stone for the WPA. Architects for the...

During the Great Depression, the WPA radically transformed this large park at the Northwest tip of Manhattan, making accessible what is now the only largely non-landscaped park in all of Manhattan. WPA workers built roads, trails and overlooks throughout the hilly park. A Department of Parks press release from January 26, 1939 summed up the ongoing work: "The fine native woodland will be made thoroughly accessible by means of a network of footpaths with many benches for strollers... The Authority provided a further sponsors' contribution to the WPA for toilet facilities, benches, drinking fountains and overlooks along the high...

A January 26, 1939 press release by the Department of Parks announced that, "The WPA is at present constructing a boat basin in the Harlem Ship Canal which utilizes the old channel bordering Inwood Hill and Isham Parks  no longer used since the cutoff through the old Johnson Iron Works was completed by Army engineers early this year. This basin will house small boats of every description from canoes and outboards to cabin cruisers. It is scheduled to be completed in April 1939 and before that time work will have been started on the reconstruction of 10 acres of existing...

Before the 1930s, the large area of Inwood Hill Park north of Dyckman Street, between the New York Central Railroad tracks and the Hudson River was a literally a dump. Through the efforts of the Henry Hudson Parkway Authority, the Department of Parks and the Works Progress Administration, this area was transformed into an extensive landscaped area full of baseball and soccer fields, archery ranges and more. A January 1939 Parks press release explained that the Henry Hudson Parkway Authority contributed to this not only through landscaping the new Henry Hudson Parkway and providing foot-bridges between the waterfront area and...