- City:
- Seminole, OK
- Site Type:
- Parks and Recreation, Picnic and Other Facilities, Bathhouses
- New Deal Agencies:
- Works Progress Administration (WPA), Work Relief Programs
Description
Between 1937 and 1939 the WPA made improvements to Chase Park in Seminole, Oklahoma. The improvements included the construction of a wading pool and bathhouse.
The Oklahoma Historic Preservation Survey notes that “…The workers who built the bathhouse and pool were drawn from relief rolls and had lost their jobs due to the economic depression. Their labor supplied the city of Seminole with recreational facilities that have been of benefit to many children on the hot summer days of southern Oklahoma. The facilities are unique to Seminole for their type and materials. They also demonstrate the variety of construction undertaken by the WPA.”
The Waymarking site for the park points out, however, that the wading pool and bathhouse no longer exist. Today these structures remain “…only in the memory of some of the older residents of Seminole….” The site explains that “[t]he only remnants of WPA presence is a stone wall that is crumbling, a concrete bench with the WPA shield, and several WPA shields pressed into the sidewalks that surround the park,” as well as two stone pillars. It also notes that “[o]ne interesting spot on the sidewalk showed adjacent concrete sections – one marked 1937 and the adjacent one marked 1939.”
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I’m 80 yrs. old, living in Calif. My dad worked for the WPA in Seminole Ok. in August 1937. I appreciate this information & pictures. My dad came to California in 1938, looking for work. He always talked about working for the WPA. He picked cotton, like so many did. He ended up getting a job with the U.S. Steel Company, Southern California. He passed away in 1994. I can still hearing talking about him working for “The New Deal” a great legacy of working hard, knowing God, & loving his family. Thanks to your community for posting this information for all to enjoy ♥️🙏🏻