Parks and Recreation Sites

Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) enrollees completed the Potawatomi Inn bathhouse in 1935.  Records are sparse, so it is unclear whether CCC workers remodeled/completed a building begun by Civil Works Administration (CWA) in 1933-34, or the CCC constructed an entirely new bathhouse. The structure has been used to house boat rentals for several decades. The style is classified as Parks Rustic, although it is a very modest example. The bathhouse is not marked as CCC. But there is now a CCC Pocket Museum with exhibits in the old gatehouse and the Nature Center has an exhibit that lists all the structures CCC enrollees worked on.    

The saddle barn at Pokagon State Park was constructed by Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) enrollees in 1938.   It still serves its original function. The structure is classified as Parks Rustic. New Deal agencies built several attractive saddle barns and extensive horse trails in most of the state parks, bringing this activity into the reach of the average visitor.  The saddle barn is not marked as CCC, but there is now a CCC Pocket Museum in the old gatehouse and the Nature Center has an exhibit that lists all the structures CCC enrollees worked on.

The Spring Shelter at Pokagon State Park was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in 1937-38.  Originally conceived as a trailside shelter next to a natural spring, the Spring Shelter was built of hewn logs.  Originally, the shelter was also used as an overnight cabin. The style of the building is classified as Parks Rustic. Substantial CCC stone work also enhanced the appearance and accessibility of the artesian well beside the shelter.  The Spring Shelter is not marked as CCC, but there is now a CCC Pocket Museum with exhibits in the old gatehouse and the Nature Center has an exhibit that...

The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) built the first toboggan slide. The original toboggan slide was built by the CCC 'boys' for their own recreational use while they were working on the park between 1934 and 1942.   It was so popular with the public that it has since been rebuilt, enlarged and remodeled several times, so the current structure is not the original nor contains any part of it. The toboggan slide is not marked as CCC, but the CCC is commemorated in other parts of Pokagon Park.  A permanent exhibit in the Nature Center lists all the structures they worked on and...

According to the park's website: "1940 Jack Zedaker leads boys from the National Youth Administration in building two shelter houses (Zedaker Pavilion and the Shelter House at “Indian Spring” near Gutknecht Entrance), four footbridges, planting of trees, construction of trail markers, improvements to trails, and the creation of a parking area. 18,000 maple trees planted, 50,000 willows along Yellow Creek for erosion control."

The CCC conducted extensive work at Ponca State Park. From the University of Nebraska-Lincoln "Virtual Nebraska" database: "Over the years the Missouri River moved at will. Eventually the town was no longer "a port." In 1934 the American Legion raised money to purchase 220 acres along the river for a park. Over 2,000 people attended the dedication. The CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps) built roads, buildings, two shelter houses, and transplanted 5,400 shrubs and trees. In the years that followed cabins were built and electric lights installed. The ferry boat, docked at the Bigley ravine, made regular trips across the river...

Description of a project undertaken by the W.P.A. in 1938: "Ponkapoag Public Golf Course; work was started in the late fall to complete the development of nine additional holes at the course. Under this project, clearing, grubbing, grading and loaming is being done, new roads with necessary drainage are being constructed and a complete fairways watering system is being installed for the entire twenty-seven holes."

The federal Works Progress Administration (WPA) began construction on "a collegiate-sized pool with underwater lighting and an adjacent bath house" in 1936 at what is now Valdosta State University. The school was completed by the state in 1938.  The exact position of the pool on the campus is unknown to Living New Deal; the pool has since been replaced.

The Works Progress Administration built a Pool and Bathhouse in Weatherford OK. Contributor note: "As originally built in 1936, this was a flat-roofed brick building, with brick pilasters flanking the entrances. A bronze plaque on the bathhouse indicates the Weatherford Municipal Pool and the year 1996. We cannot confirm, but it appears that the pool and bathhouse were renovated in that year. Today, the pool is a very active source of summer recreation for the town. It is located at 600 N. Indiana in the Means Park area. The WPA bathhouse is far different from what it looked like before. It now has a...

Originally known as the San Mateo Municipal, the course was built in 1933 by the WPA.

Developed by the CCC, this "trail connected Port Graham and Nanwalek residents to seasonal fishing camps and a cannery, providing an alternative to coastal water travel when the ocean was too rough.” It now serves primarily as an ATV trail.

A WPA press release from Dec. 1937 reported that "Foot-paths are included in ground improvements for the Port Orchard Park with $1,207." It is likely that this park is now the facility known as Veterans Memorial Park.

Portage Park is located between West Irving Park Road to the South, West Berteau Avenue to the North, North Long Avenue to the East, and North Central Avenue to the West; it occupies four city blocks and has an area of 37 acres . It was established in 1913, as a means to increase property values for the neighboring homes and provide residents with space for recreational and cultural activities. Originally, the park was essentially its own park district, one of 22 individual “districts” existing in Chicago at the time. In 1934, William Martin was elected as head of the Southwest...

"The Portal Ranger Station contains three Depression-era buildings: a residence constructed sometime before 1930, an office, and a pump house. The latter two were built by Civilian Conservation Corps enrollees from the nearby Cave Creek camp, F10A, between 1934 and 1935. CCC crews also constructed the landscape, masonry walls and posts, and stone paths. The Bungalow/Craftsman style office was designed with a veneer of river rock to blend with the surrounding rock walls of the canyon. The gabled ends of the office and porch are decorated with half timbers. The porch roof is supported by cement columns on river rock...

"Captain Lemuel Moody (1768-1846) ordered construction of this octagonal, 86-foot high tower to serve as a communication station for Portland’s bustling harbor. In 1807, ships entering the harbor could not be seen from the docks of Portland until they rounded the point at Spring Point Ledge. With his powerful telescope, Moody, sea captain turned entrepreneur, identified incoming vessels as far away as 30 miles. For a fee, he alerted subscribing merchants by hoisting signal flags identifying their vessels. He coined the phrase “signalizing” to describe the system. The Observatory was built on Munjoy Hill at the eastern end of the Portland...

The WPA worked on Portola Playground in San Francisco.

"Poso Station Cabin was constructed in 1933 near the small town of Posey to provide a residence for fire patrolmen stationed in that area. In the 1980's, the station was abandoned. The cabin is single story and consists of 1 bedroom with 2 small closets, 1 bathroom, and 1 common room/kitchen. No original light fixtures, wiring, flooring, or bath fixtures remain. The interior has been modified with paneling, modern sliding glass windows, and modern counter tops in food preparation area. The exterior is constructed of board and batten style paneling nailed to a standard wooden frame, apparently replacing the...

With financing from the Works Progress Administration, the Brazos River Conservation and Reclamation District (now the Brazos River Authority) completed Morris Sheppard Dam in 1941 creating Possum Kingdom Reservoir. The district transferred 6,969 acres of land to the State of Texas for parks around the lake. The original plans by the state included east and west units of Possum Kingdom State Park on opposite shorelines. Designers abandoned the east unit and focused on the west side. Civilian Conservation Company (CCC) Corps 2888 arrived in May 1941 and began work. The CCC enrollees provided utilities and basic services. They cleared the park...

The historic (former) post office in New Milford, Connecticut was constructed with federal Treasury Department funds in 1935. The building now houses municipal Parks and Recreation offices.

The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) engaged in landscaping work on the grounds of the then-new post office in Charlotte Amalie.

In Battle Creek, Michigan the WPA undertook a $10,000 "project for construction of a playground in back of the Post school." The status and exact location of the then-Post School and the playground are presently unknown to Living New Deal.

The Works Progress Administration (WPA) built the Potomac River Band Shell in 1938-39. Audiences would sit on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial and watch concerts taking place on the band shell, which floated on a barge. Only the band shell, not the barge, was constructed by the WPA. The Baltimore Sun (1938) mentioned that $25,000 in federal funds were allocated for a new acoustical shell and an article, "The World of Music" in The Star Press (1938) reported that: "The orchestra's acoustic shell, anchored 30 feet out, has been built by the WPA on a steel barge lent by the U.S. Navy." In 1939,...

Work on Stayman Field began in December 1932 (before the New Deal) with funding from the Reconstruction Finance Corporation (RFC). The initial construction was completed in November 1933. The stadium was named after Joseph W. Stayman, the president of Potomac State College from 1921 to 1936. In December 1933, it was reported that a crew of workers from the New Deal’s Civil Works Administration (CWA) had begun work on the expansion of Stayman Field, from its original “450 feet, by 270, to a long rectangle of 700 feet” (The Pasquino, 12-12-1933). The expansion facilitated better maintenance for the football field, and...

The Works Progress Administration (WPA) improved San Francisco's Potrero Hill Playground (the present Potrero Hill Recreation Center) in the late 1930s, when WPA relief workers built the children's play area, tennis courts and a restroom (Healy, p. 66). Both the playground and the tennis courts are still there, but have been completely redone in recent years. We did not find the restroom. It is possible that the quonset hut-style Recreation Center Field House is a later New Deal project, but we do not have confirmation of that.

A description of Works Progress Administration (WPA) work: "Potsdam Normal School was given a modern athletic field, with a baseball field, tennis courts, etc." What was then Potsdam Normal School now comprises part of SUNY Potsdam.

"St. Charles, Ill.—Plans of Robert Trent Jones, Jr., for Pottawatomie Park muny course have been approved and construction of WPA project is under way. Design makes use of Fox river on four holes. Intention is to make job ideal achievement of WPA 9-hole courses."

"Monkey Island, (converted to a bighorn sheep exhibit in the 1990s, and now removed as of 2010), was constructed by the Works Progress Administration in 1936."

Pounds Hollow was the first recreational site constructed for Shawnee National Forest. A dam, beach, bathhouse, boat dock, utility buildings, roads, and a caretakers house were constructed by CCC crews from Camp Cadiz.

In 1942, the Washington Post reported the allocation of $21,010 to the Federal Works Agency (FWA) for new construction and improvements to the Powell Recreation Center on 16th Street NW.

The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) made the first improvements to the newly-acquired Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park.  Company 1903 worked out of a CCC camp established at the north end of the 'prairie' at the present park entrance in 1933.   The first order of business was to develop Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park itself, after which teams from Company 1903 worked at other state parks along the north coast of California.  The CCC camp closed in 1937. Among the many other improvements the CCC enrollees made to Prairie Creek park was a lovely amphitheater, or what is called in this instance...

The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) made the first improvements to the newly-acquired Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park.  Company 1903 worked out of a CCC camp established at the north end of the 'prairie' at the present park entrance in 1933.  The first order of business was to develop Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park itself, after which teams from Company 1903 worked at other state parks along the north coast of California.  The CCC camp closed in 1937. According to Engbeck (2002, pp. 21-22), the CCC enrollees laid out a day-use picnic area and a new campground with tables, benches, cupboards, and stoves,...

The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) made the first improvements to the newly-acquired Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park.  Company 1903 worked out of a CCC camp established at the north end of the 'prairie' at the present park entrance in 1933.   The first order of business was to develop Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park itself, after which teams from Company 1903 worked at other state parks along the north coast of California.  The CCC camp closed in 1937. Among the many other improvements the CCC 'boys' (young men) made to Prairie Creek park was a 70-mile long network of trails for visitors...

The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) made the first improvements to the newly-acquired Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park.  Company 1903 worked out of a CCC camp established at the north end of the 'prairie' at the present park entrance.  The first order of business was to develop Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park itself, after which teams from Company 1903 worked at other state parks along the north coast of California. The most notable legacy of the CCC's presence in the park is the Visitor's Center, which originally served as the Warden's (or Custodian's) Residence. It is a single-story rustic building, somewhat modified...

The WPA constructed the first nine holes of this course in 1937.  

From 1933 to 1942, the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) developed Prescott Park on Roxy Ann Peak on the east side of Medford, Oregon for public recreation.  The CCC enrollees constructed the access road, 18 miles of trails, several picnic areas and overlooks, and drainage ditches. Much of the CCC work is above the parking area and accessible only on foot. Prescott Park covers 1,740 acres on Roxy Ann Peak, a prominent hill east of the city of Medford (a remnant of volcanism in the old West Cascades). The lower slopes are characterized by oak savanna woodland and the higher elevations by...

The Prescott Rodeo grounds at the Yavapai County Fairgrounds were constructed with the help of the New Deal in the mid-1930s. Among the improvements to what was then known as the Northern Arizona State Fairground were a large rodeo grandstand, administration buildings, an infirmary, two barracks, a bakery, a kitchen and mess hall, and two water wells.  Many of the buildings no longer exist, but the grandstand is still in use.  It is uncertain whether the stone Doc Pardee building and Danny Freeman building behind the grandstand are also New Deal in origin.  One source (World's Oldest Rodeo) is definite that they were, but...

The WPA paved roads, built rock gutters, built paths, constructed a lookout on the west wall (where the bastion was previously located). Additionally, the WPA put in a flagstaff, sprinkling system, drainage, did much of the landscaping, stuccoed the interior rooms, and built restrooms. Presido Park was a focal point of George Marston's plan for beautifying San Diego.

The WPA Federal Arts Project funded this petrochrome mural. The date and artist are unknown to us.

The Works Progress Administration (WPA) conducted improvement and restoration work in Preston Gardens in Baltimore. Work included grading, planting, and the restoration of green space in the park. Maryland WPA Project #16.

From the Priest Lake vacation website: "The Priest Lake Museum is a great place to begin any visit to the lake and a fitting showplace to remind us of the numerous influences that created the special character of Priest Lake. The museum building was constructed in 191935 by Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). It is a prime example of handcrafted oil-treated tamarack (larch) log construction. The building initially served as a residence and office for the first Ranger on what was then Kaniksu National Forest. The museum houses numerous articles and displays that depict the colorful history of the lake and...