- City:
- Fort Wayne, IN
- Site Type:
- Airports, Infrastructure and Utilities
- New Deal Agencies:
- Works Progress Administration (WPA), Work Relief Programs, Civil Works Administration (CWA), Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA)
- Started:
- 1933
Description
“Federal New Deal employment programs of the Great Depression further upgraded the airfield. In 1933, the Commerce Department’s Aeronautics Branch and the Civil Works Administration (CWA) began a nationwide program of airport development. The CWA funded 13,108 man-hours of labor on Baer Field in 1933 alone, including drainage, lighting, sodding, tree removal, improved heating systems, improved parking areas, and the creation of flowerbeds. By 1934, the airport had improved the concrete runways and aprons, and in 1935 and 1936, the Works Progress Administration (WPA) funded more concrete pavement, lighting upgrades, and radio communication equipment. Old Baer Field was one of the largest WPA projects in Indiana. During this period, the airport enjoyed $311,058.42 in improvements paid for by the CWA, the Federal Emergency Relief Agency, the WPA, and the Allen County Scrip Organization.”
Source notes
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smith_Field_%28Indiana%29Site originally submitted by Evan Kalish on August 3, 2016.
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