Start Year: 1938

The seven-acre Montclair Park in Oakland was built with the aid of the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in 1938-40.  This gem of a park lies just north of Montclair Village in the Oakland hills and below Montclair Elementary School.   At the center of the park is a large, oval, stone-lined pond that is home to ducks, turtles and koi carp (giant goldfish), as well as occasional Canada geese.  The pond is an extension of the Lake Merritt bird sanctuary and therefore protected by federal wildlife laws.   The park also includes extensive rock walls and stairs, large lawns and trees, tennis courts,...

The Public Works Administration (PWA) funded the construction of the Civic Auditorium, now known as William L. White Auditorium, in Emporia KS. The structure's current usage is mostly as a basketball arena, but it also houses graduations, shows, concerts, etc.

The Works Progress Administration built the Ken Locke Athletic Field (previously called the called Knoxville WPA Athletic Field) in Knoxville IA.  

In 1938, the Works Progress Administration (WPA) constructed a barn at Warder Nursery in Cincinnati OH. The project was one of several undertaken by the WPA in the city. “Three WPA projects for park improvements at Cincinnati, Ohio, have been given approval by the council finance committee of the city,” a contemporary journalist remarked at the time. “One project provides for the erection of a service and storage building at the Warder Nursery on North Ben Road, one for the construction of roads and walks in the various parks, and the other for landscape development in some of the parks.” The WPA...

The Works Progress Administration (WPA) provided labor to improve Stockton’s Stribley Park in 1938. The improvement project was one of several WPA efforts in the City. “It is reported that $21,903 will be spent in a city-wide improvement program of municipal playground facilities at Stockton, Calif., which is under way as a WPA project,” a contemporary journalist reported in June 1938. “Two tennis courts will be constructed at Stribley Park and two at the Municipal Baths.” The park still exists today. Facilities include baseball diamonds and picnic areas. It appears as though the tennis courts mentioned above were refurbished as handball courts.

The Jefferson nickel, an essential coin in Americans' pockets for over fifty years, was designed and first minted during the New Deal. On March 6, 1938, The Sunday Star newspaper (Washington, DC) reported that, “The Section of Painting and Sculpture, Procurement Division, Treasury Department, announces a competition for a design for a new 5-cent coin, to be known as the ‘Jefferson Nickel.’” The award was $1,000 (about $20,000 in 2021 dollars). The judges of the competition were: Nellie Tayloe Ross, director of the U.S. Mint; Sidney Waugh, creator of several New Deal artworks; Albert Stewart, whose sculptures adorn the San Francisco Mint;...

In 1938, the Works Progress Administration (WPA) constructed improvements at, and helped beautify, De Mores Memorial Park in downtown Medora ND. The city park improvement project was one of several beautification initiatives around Medora that depended on WPA work crews. “WPA labor is being used with Ben Lantz acting as landscape architect,” a journalistic commentator remarked at the time. “Scoria walks are being built through the park. A fountain will be constructed and the whole area nclosed with a stone wall fence, surmounted by iron grill work.” The park remains an attraction and site of leisure and recreation for town residents.

The visitor center at Diamond Lake, across from the campground, was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in 1938. It is a typical rustic-style building of the northwest forests, with stone foundation and stairs, wood siding, and tree designs cut into the shutters. It was probably originally built as a Forest Service ranger station or office. The whole Diamond Lake recreation area was still closed for winter when we visited in May 2022.  That meant that the sign and all information panels were still covered in black plastic and we could not see if the site is marked as CCC.

Wichita Municipal Beach Swimming Pool was built in 1938 as a Works Progress Administration (WPA) project. The pool replaced an earlier municipal pool built in 1923. The new pool cost $50,000 to construct. At 240 feet long and 125 feet wide, the pool sloped from a depth of two to nine feet. It also contained 38 underwater flood lights of 1000 watts each. In addition to the main deck, there were two smaller pools nearby designed for children. The Municipal Beach Swimming Pool was the crown jewel of the Wichita parks and recreation system. It opened to a deluge of residents during...

The National Youth Administration provided labor to beautify the park for African Americans in Belton in 1938. They constructed a native rock speaker stand and four picnic tables with benches. Twenty-three youth, including both White and African American, were employed on the work. The entrance gate was also made of natural rock, and a the park was surround by a low fence. Five natural rock flower beds were constructed. The speakers stand held a plaque indicating construction by the NYA. The park is located between N. Smith and N. Alexander streets north of the Harris Community Center (former school).