Work Relief Crews at Duniway Park improving the area from landfill to park - Portland OR
Description
Although Duniway Park was founded in 1918 to serve residents in south Portland, improvements had been limited and those who used it complained of the odors associated with the landfill that originally established the playground area. In 1934, the Oregon’s State Emergency Relief Agency (SERA) authorized funds to improve the park. SERA was funded by the Federal Emergency Relief Act (FERA) during 1934-1935. FERA operated from May 12, 1933 through 1935 when it was replaced by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) as the New Deal’s primary work relief program.
One of the city’s major newspapers, The Oregonian, reported that the SERA funded improvements included grading the baseball diamond and athletic field as well as constructing rock garden and walkways in the park. The city archive’s photographs of the project emphasized the transformation of a landfill area to an improved park and playground. At various times, the improvements gave employment to between 40 and 125 men.
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Converting Duniway Park from landfill to playground & park - Portland OR
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Crew laying drain at Duniway Park at SW Sheridan and 6th Ave - Portland OR
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Crew laying drain at Duniway Park viewed from SW Sheridan - Portland OR
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Large crew digging trenches for conversion of Duniway Park - Portland OR
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Large crew grading at Duniway Park - Portland OR
Source notes
"Duniway Park," City of Portland website, viewed December 22, 2022. https://www.portland.gov/parks/duniway-park
"Parks Being Improved: Clyde Reveals Numerous Crews at Work in SERA Project," The Oregonian. September 21, 1934.
"Park Projects Nears End," The Oregonian. January 15, 1935.
Project originally submitted by Judith T Kenny on December 23, 2022.
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