CWA workers gravelling SE Holgate at SE 32nd Avenue - Portland OR
Description
During the hard winter months of 1933-1934, the Civil Works Administration (CWA) was a work relief program that employed Portlanders on a variety of needed projects. Road work was one such project category. These men are shown graveling SE Holgate near SE 32nd Avenue on February 1, 1934.
The CWA served as a federal relief program from November 8, 1933 through March 31, 1934. When the CWA began, Oregon anticipated being able to put 21,000 men back to work on small projects involving a large amount of hand labor. The projects were submitted for approval to the CWA and the jobless were asked to apply to the administration.
The CWA was part of the Federal Emergency Relief Act (FERA). 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.
Source notes
"Large Crew Graveling SE Holgate," City of Portland Archives. Efiles - A2000-025.643 : Large crew graveling SE Holgate St (AP/88189) (portlandoregon.gov)
"Orders Received for Civil Works: Start on Projects Set for Thursday," Oregonian. November 19, 1933.
Project originally submitted by Judith T Kenny on December 23, 2022.
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