Town of Eleanor – Eleanor WV

Description

In 1934, the Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA) provided about $400,000 for a homestead project in Putnam County, West Virginia, “Red House Farms” (soon-to-be called “Eleanor,” and not to be confused with the nearby town of Red House).  Red House Farms was one of three New Deal homestead projects in West Virginia, the others being Arthurdale and Tygart Valley Homesteads.  The goal of these homesteads was to provide a fresh start for rural Americans devastated by the Great Depression.

A United Press article described the town’s beginning in May 1934. In addition to 150 homes, “Construction of the 1,728-acre tract includes a canning factory, ten miles of roads, a community center… Homesites will be furnished with barns and pig pens and the government will also supply two pigs and a cow to each resident family. There are community orchards and a cow pasture.”

However, articles such as this frequently misstated how much the homesteaders were going to receive from the government. In the case of Red House Farms, it is very unlikely that any of the homesteaders received, for example, “two pigs and a cow.”

In 1935, the town was re-named “Eleanor,” in honor of Eleanor Roosevelt. Mrs. Roosevelt had taken particular interest in the homestead projects of West Virginia, and made periodic visits to check on their progress. Also in 1935, oversight of the town’s growth was probably transferred to the newly-created Resettlement Administration.

On the official website of Eleanor, West Virginia, the town gives a more detailed description of its early years: “Along with the Red House [the name of Eleanor’s town hall] and the 150 dwellings, the project contained a community farm and barn, public owned gas works, school (first located in the barracks), greenhouse, canning plant, carpentry shop, factory, farmers market, restaurant, filling station, garage and pool room.  The community had its own newspaper, The Melting Pot.  Homesteaders participated in local government, town-meeting style, in the Red House Association.  Employment could be found in community projects, local public works and private industry.  All wasn’t work in the community.  Women’s and men’s clubs, ball teams, 4-H, boy scouts, American Legion and Auxiliary, a harmonica band, parties, square dances, school and church all contributed to the social life of men, women and children.”

There were many critics of New Deal planned communities – those who felt that the government had no role in creating new towns, no matter how great the need.  One critic of the town of Eleanor wrote, “It will be operated on the Communist Plan, as in Russia.”  However, for many residents of New Deal homesteads, political arguments such as these were less important than their quality of life and their fond memories. Speaking to New York Times journalist Dan Barry, long-time Eleanor resident Marlane Crockett Carr recalled her childhood in the early years of the town: “[My parents] had come from nothing. They were told by Eleanor Roosevelt that it would be wonderful – and it was.”

Today, the town of Eleanor is making impressive and steady progress in preserving its history: Artifacts are being collected and displayed; wayside markers have been installed along the main boulevard; efforts are being made to apply to the National Register of Historic Places; old survey maps are being evaluated for possible digital scanning; and the town has recently purchased an original homestead, with the goal of renovating it into a museum home.