Parks and Recreation Sites

"In 1934, the Great Depression necessitated the consolidation of the city's 22 independent park agencies into the Chicago Park District. Using federal relief funds, the newly-created park district soon began work to complete Kolmar Park. The park district improved the site with a playground and a playing field that was flooded for ice skating in the winter."

Kooser State Park in Western Pennsylvania is surrounded by the Forbes State Forest. "The park’s original design character was stamped by the Civilian Conservation Corps projects of the 1930s that established the existing lake and most of its use areas, its architecture and site details."   (https://www.dcnr.state.pa.us) "The CCC established by President Franklin D. Roosevelt during the Great Depression built a camp on the western edge of Kooser State Park. The young men of the CCC built the dam on Kooser Run creating Kooser Lake. They also built roads, outdoor fireplaces and cabins. Much of their work can still be seen today...

"One of the later WPA projects was the construction of the Kosciuszko pool and bathhouse. As one of the parks transferred from the city in 1937, the county set out to update the facilities. Plans for the project were complete in 1939 and approval for funding by the federal government soon followed. Construction for the pool began in 1941. The bathhouse was not completed until 1943."

The CCC built several buildings for the Krassel Ranger District in 1937 and 1938.

“The Forest Service’s CCC program blazed new roads and trails into prospective campgrounds, existing mines, or susceptible fore zones. The Forest Service with its ample staff of engineers and natural resource specialists provided technical expertise for CCC projects. Similarly, the technical staff assisted the Soil Conservation Service by supervising construction activities on southern Nevada flood-control projects in the lower Moapa Valley, Panaca, and Caliente. Similarities in construction and design in different forests are no coincidence. Most early ranger stations, roads, and campgrounds were built according to standard regional plans prepared by architectural engineer George Nichols in Utah. After 1938, a manual...

The Works Progress Administration (WPA) provided $195,000 in funding to pay relief workers to develop La Palma Park in Anaheim, CA. Workers planted palm trees, built a playground, and built the baseball field, which is now known as Dee Fee Stadium, all remain intact. But the pond pictured in the historic photo has been filled in and replaced with a parking lot.

The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) carried out a complete restoration of the  Mission La Purisima in Lompoc CA, 1934-41.  It was an astonishing achievement, given the ruined state of the Mission and scarce historic sources to guide the work. The CCC agree to do the restoration if land could be secured to turn the site into a State Historical Park.  Donations of land by the Catholic Church and Union Oil Company did the trick, and the CCC went to work. From 1934 to 1941 CCC crews uncovered, restored and rebuilt 13 separate structures at the Mission.  The State Historical Park was...

As part of the New Deal reconstruction of Mission La Purisima, the Federal Arts Project (FAP) of the Works Progress Administration (WPA) was asked to send in professional painters to finish the interior of the buildings. In 1938, FAP artists were employed in painting the pulpit and railing in the chapel of the padres' residence building, under the supervision of Douglas Parshall of Santa Barbara (Savage, p. 151).  in 1940, artist Harry Hemle got the job of decorating the interior of the completed church.  Hemle painted the walls, alter decorations and pulpit, with the assistance of two Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) enrollees...

As part of the New Deal reconstruction of Mission La Purisima, Helen Seegert created a concrete fountain at the east end of the complex in 1936.  It was paid for by the Federal Arts Project (FAP) of the Works Progress Administration (WPA).

La Salle Park, along the shore of Lake Erie in Buffalo, New York, was originally known as Centennial Park. The WPA helped to develop the site, in conjunction with the completion of the Clearwater Reservoir, ca. 1936.

On May 7, 1936, the Department of Parks announced the opening of the newly constructed second nine and the reconstructed first nine at La Tourette Golf Course in Staten Island, which had been “thoroughly reconstructed with new tees and greens throughout…with relief funds provided by the C.W.A., T.E.R.A. and W.P.A.” The course is still in use.

This bathhouse was built by the WPA in the 1939. It still stands today along the shore of LaBolt Lake, in Grant County, South Dakota. Much of it is in disrepair but it still stands as a nice tourist attraction. It is still used as a very rustic changing facility. The changing rooms have no roof and no door so discretion is a valor when using the facility.

The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) constructed stone buildings and bridges and planted thousands of trees.

Friday, February 16 - "About 100 CWA men are working on Lafayette Field. The football field will have a cinder track around it, and a baseball diamond will also be laid out. The fields will be surrounded by at least 1500' of fencing." Lafayette Field is located behind the old Lafayette High School.

Lafayette Park, also known as Lafayette Square, is a seven-acre public park directly north of the White House on H Street, bounded by Jackson Place on the west, Madison Place on the east, and Pennsylvania Avenue. The park was established in the 19th century and remained largely unchanged from 1872 until the 1930s. New Deal work on the park as part of a larger Capital Parks improvement program undertaken by the Public Works Administration (PWA), Civil Work Adminstration (CWA), Works Progress Administration (WPA), and Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), all working under the supervision of the National Park Service, which had been...

"Graded and layed 4" rock base for 19,000 square feet of paths, reconstructed 42,000 square feet of existing paths, paved with asphalt, 61,000 square feet, demolished water tower and frame house, built 91 cubic yards of concrete steps and wall, two tennis courts and completed water system, regraded existing playfield. This work modernized an old park in a high class residential section.--Healy, p. 57.

"During the dark days of the Depression, Santa Barbara gained more than its share from the Federal program known as the Works Progress Administration...Another local WPA gem, the grandstands, fences and outbuildings that graced the grand old Laguna Park baseball stadium was, in 1970 unceremoniously plowed under to make way for a parking lot for the city’s fleet of buses and administration buildings. ...Designed by the acclaimed local architect Winsor Soule, it was a full-sized stadium built in a small-sized city in 1938. Bigger than Ebbets Field or Wrigley Field, Laguna Park was a place where minor league teams associated with...

A chain of lakes for the hill counties of Mississippi was proposed in 1936 by Si Corley, director of conservation of the State Game and Fish commission. Funds from the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in concert with the sponsorship of the Game and Fish commission began the construction of a series of lakes adjacent to cities in the hill counties including a small artificial lake near Gitano. Exact location is unknown.

A chain of lakes for the hill counties of Mississippi was proposed in 1936 by Si Corley, director of conservation of the State Game and Fish commission. Funds from the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in concert with the sponsorship of the Game and Fish commission began the construction of a series of lakes adjacent to a number of hill county cities including at Pelahatchie. Corley pointed out that in addition to providing sites for outdoor sports, when fully stocked, the lakes could produce 2,000 pounds of fish per acre each year. In addition, they would be migratory bird sanctuaries. The...

A chain of lakes for the hill counties of Mississippi was proposed in 1936 by Si Corley, director of conservation of the State Game and Fish commission. Funds from the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in concert with the sponsorship of the Game and Fish commission began the construction of a series of lakes adjacent to several hill county cities including Raymond. WPA workers constructed the lake about one mile from Raymond. Corley pointed out that in addition to providing sites for outdoor sports, when fully stocked, the lakes could produce 2,000 pounds of fish per acre each year. In addition,...

"Lake Afton is a 258-acre (104 ha) man-made recreational lake located about 25 miles (40 km) southwest of Wichita, Kansas, U.S.A. It is within the 720-acre (2.9 km2) Lake Afton Park, on land once inhabited by the Kiowa, Comanche, Wichita (tribe), Osage, and Southern Cheyenne Indian tribes. The lake was created by Works Progress Administration workers in 1939–1942."

"The Alexander Lake Shelter Cabin is a three-sided Adirondack style shelter built by the Civilian Conservation Corps on the Admiralty Island Canoe Route in 1935. The natural environment surrounding the cabin is unchanged from the 1930s. Since its construction, the shelter cabin has been maintained with materials similar to the original." "The cabin has a peeled log superstructure and shake walls and roof. The structure is well-maintained, and its current appearance matches its original appearance. The sill logs on the two short sides have been replaced and are beginning to rot again; the back sill log has been replaced and is in...

The Works Progress Administration (WPA) developed the park at Lake Ashburton, constructing a fence and walkway around said. Maryland WPA Project #13. The Public Works Administration also built the lake's pumping station for the Baltimore water system.

The Works Progress Administration (WPA) constructed the Atalanta Lake Park in 1937. Located in Rogers AR, the park and lake development secured recreational opportunities for area residents for years to come. The Fort Smith office of the WPA notified the town officials in Rogers that funds for the project were approved in 1936. Its total cost was estimated at $53,667 and sought to improve approximately one hundred acres. The original project “contained a restaurant, swimming pool, ice skating rink, boat rentals, a tennis course, miniature golf and more. It was not only a city park, but a destination for tourists.” Due to...

Mississippi State Game and Fish Commission sponsored the Works Progress Administration to create a number of lakes for recreation purposes. Near Laurel, Lake Gates was approximately 1500 acres, fed by the Boguehoma Creek. The project began in 1936, and was completed in 1939. At some point by 1947, the name had been changed to Lake Bogue Homa. The lake remains an active fishing location and has been improved over the years.

The park contains 12 rustic style park structures built in the 1930s, “including a unique observation/water tower and a dam engineered over quicksand."   (Wikipedia)

Pecan Bayou flooded the city of Brownwood in late September of 1900 causing considerable damage to the business district and washing away the train track that served the city. The citizens of Brown County looked for a way to control Pecan Bayou. They voted in 1926 to create the Brown County Water Improvement District. The water district acquired seven tracts of land for the purpose of building a dam on Pecan Bayou. The water district completed the dam in 1932 just before another flood swept down the Bayou quickly filling the reservoir. The Texas State Parks Board acquired 538 acres of...

The Works Progress Administration (WPA) constructed a boat house along Lake Carasaljo in Lakewood, New Jersey in 1936. The structure was constructed "from wood and stone salvaged from the surrounding countryside." The exact location of the house and its current status are unknown to Living New Deal. WPA Project No. 5-15-11.

The Work Projects Administration (WPA) constructed this bath house in 1941-1942. Located at Lake Carlos, the facility includes a concession area, restrooms, and storage. The structure was listed on the National Register of Historic Places, along with other 4 structures, in 1987. A 1992 National Register of Historic Places Registration Form describes the formal characteristics of the Bath House: “The Bath House is a standard design utilized in many state parks with overall dimensions of 82'2" x 22'6". It consists of a split stone gable roofed central section containing a concession, restrooms, and storage areas flanked on either side by loggias which allow circulation through the building....

Quoting from a supplement issued 30 years prior, the Carlsbad Current-Argus stated in 1970: "Through the assistance of WPA the city has just completed a $50,000 improvement program at Municipal Beach park. This includes a beautiful bath house of natural rock design and complete landscaping of the park area with walks, trees and grass." The park, which was constructed during the late 1930s by the Works Progress Administration (WPA), lines a reservoir along the dammed Pecos River. Its riverwalk currently extends for miles along either side of the lake. The original "beach park" was located along the western side of the...

The Works Progress Administration (WPA) built the club house at the Lake Chabot Municipal Golf Course in 1939-40, in conjunction with the City of Oakland Parks Department. The Mission Revival style building is still intact, including most of the interior.  It has a lovely main hall with a bar and behind that, the Chabot Cafe.  The entrance hall has a closed-off fireplace and original tile work.  In front, there is a Mission-style breezeway with tiled floor. Decorative stone walls line the road, both entry paths, and the practice putting green next to the clubhouse. In 1939, the WPA was brought under the umbrella...

The Works Progress Administration (WPA) improved and enlarged every hole at the Lake Chabot Municipal Golf Course, in conjunction with the City of Oakland Parks Department.  The WPA workers also construction a two level parking area with stone walls. It is an 18-hole course that serves a diverse population from Oakland, including many African American and Asian American golfers.  A 36-hole disk (frisbee) course has been added in recent years. One claim to fame for the course is that it served the young Tony Lema, an Oakland native, who was taught by the course pros and elder statesmen.

Among the Works Progress Administration (WPA) projects identified as completed in a Abilene Daily Reporter article from June 14, 1936 was "park Improvements" in Cisco, Texas. "Lake Improvements consisted of clearing the creek channel below the dam and swimming pool, lining the channel with rock, terracing banks of the creek, and building walks, drives, and a small bridge. Twenty-five men were employed for six months. Total expenditure was $5,000." Living New Deal believes this to be a reference to Lake Cisco.

This WPA boathouse was built in 1938, and is still standing: "This boathouse is a two-story, rectangular (34' x 68') structure constructed of cut, course, and rusticated native stone. It has a parapet roof... The lower level where boats dock, contains a small room that Claremore policemen once used as a jail. The roof is now made of tin and the doorway has a partial insert of wood attached, but these alterations do not impeach the integrity of the building. This structure is now designated for boat storage."   (Oklahoma Landmarks Inventory Nomination) Additional contributor note: "Lake Claremore is located on the northeast side...

The site, originally developed in 1906 as an amusement park, was acquired by the City of Dallas in 1914. The park encompasses 44 acres and a large lake. Works Progress Administration (WPA) sponsored improvements included construction of a stone picnic shelter in 1938, roque court, retaining wall, paving, picnic units, a bridge, and extensive landscaping. Perhaps the most visible WPA features are the rose garden and pavilions, constructed 1940-1943. The pavilions and shelter were restored in 2009.

Lake Corpus Christi State Park is situated along Lake Corpus Christi southwest of Mathis, Texas. The land was leased from the City of Corpus Christi in 1934 and the 356-acre park was opened the same year. The park is currently administered by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Lake Corpus Christi State Park was developed by Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) Company 886. In 1934, the company formed Camp Kleberg, named for local Congressman Richard Mifflin Kleberg, a supporter of early New Deal programs including the CCC. The enrollees worked at Lake Corpus Christi until their transfer to Palmetto State Park in...

New Deal funds aided in the construction a dam north of Abilene on Elm Creek, resulting in the creation of Lake Fort Phantom Hill. The lake continues to be "the city’s main water source." Sources do not indicate exactly which New Deal program(s) provided the funding and/or labor for this project.

"Lake Greenwood State Recreation Area is a state park located near the town of Ninety Six in Greenwood County, South Carolina. The 914-acre (3.7 km2) park partially sits on a series of peninsulas on the 114,000-acre (461.3 km2) Lake Greenwood. The state park sits on land donated in 1938 by Greenwood County and was one of 16 built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in South Carolina. Many of the structures built by the corps are still prominent features at the present day including picnic shelters, a water fountain, a lakeside terrace and a boathouse. Activities available at the park include picnicking, fishing, boating, hiking...

This is a historic cabin located on the east side of Lake Guerin, part of the Admiralty Island Canoe Route. As reported on a registration form of the National Register of Historic Places, the cabin was in ruins as of 1995. “Civilian Conservation Corps workers built the three-sided Adirondack style Lake Guerin East Shelter Cabin as part of the Admiralty Island Canoe Route in the 1930s. It had a peeled log superstructure and shake walls and roof. The cabin is a jumble of flattened timbers and shakes, some bleached white and some moss-covered, with galvanized nails jutting from the wood....

"The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) built the Lake Guerin West Shelter Cabin as part of the Admiralty Island canoe route. It is a three-sided Adirondack style shelter. It has a peeled log superstructure and shake walls and roof. The structure is well-maintained, and it looks the same as it did when built. The sill logs on one short side wall and the back wall have been recently replaced; but the sill log on the other side wall appears to be original. Several of the vertical posts have been replaced, and all the angle braces appear to have been replaced....