Sidewalks and Street Improvements – Martinez CA

Description

The Works Progress Administration (WPA) built sidewalks, gutters, curbs and other streets improvements throughout the city of Martinez.  There were two main projects, one starting in 1938 and the other in 1941, according to WPA project cards in the National Archives.  

The total funding was around $375,000, a considerable sum for the WPA, so there must have been a large amount of street work, as well, but this was not marked and cannot be identified. 

WPA sidewalk stamps can still be found here and there around the older parts of town. Many have been lost to curb cuts and sidewalk replacements in recent years.  Fortunately, local historian Kirsten Henderson, photographed many of the WPA stamps in the past and provided those to us to display in the gallery here.