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  • Post Office Mural - Horton KS
    "The Horton Post Office was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1989. The two murals on the Walls, "Picnic in Kansas" and "Changing of Horses for the Pony Express" were painted by Colorado artist, Kenneth Evett in 1938 and 1939 respectively. The latter is thought to be the only painting of the Pony Express in any Post Office in the United States."
  • Post Office Mural - Hutchinson KS
    “Threshing in Kansas” painted by Lumen Martin Winter in 1942. "Threshing in Kansas" Medium: oil on canvas
  • Post Office Mural - Kingman KS
    "In the Days of the Cattlemen's Picnic" (1942) Medium: fresco: tempera on plaster Jessie S. Wilber, painter
  • Post Office Mural - Lindsborg KS
    The post office contains a Section of Fine Arts mural entitled "Smoky River" painted by Birger Sandzen in 1938. Smoky River was painted close to Linsborg, KS with the style that he was well known for with strong brush strokes. At the time this work was completed, Sandzen was 67 years old and the brush strokes are not as energetic as his earlier work, but still have a similar quality. Birger Sandzen was born in Sweden and studied under Anders Zorn in Sweden at what became the Artists League. He studied in Paris under Aman-Jean, a contemporary of Seurat who introduced Sandzen...
  • Post Office Mural - Neodesha KS
    New Deal mural "Neodesha's First Inhabitants" painted by Bernard J. Steffen in 1938
  • Post Office Mural - Oswego KS
    The post office contains a Section of Fine Arts mural "Farm Life" painted by Robert E. Larter in 1940. This depicts 2 seasons of farm work with the man on the left chopping wood with a hat and coat, the man on the right feeding hogs, though the trees in the background have no leaves. Robert Larter studied at Choate School and Yale University school of Fine Arts. He taught art at Washburn, University from 1938. There is another mural by Larter in Philadelphia.
  • Post Office Mural - Russell KS
    The post office contains a Section of Fine Arts oil-on-canvas mural entitled "Wheat Workers" painted in 1940 by Martyl Schweig. This is a classic regionalist portrayal of wheat workers in the fields during the transition from hand work to a mechanized harvest. The motion and hard work is palpable and in the background are the oil derricks that western Kansas is also known for. Martyl was born to Aimee Schweig, a well-known artist in St. Louis and one of the organizers of the Ste. Genevieve artist colony that thrived from 1930-1940. Martyl was a prodigy, studying with her mother and the other...
  • Post Office Mural - Sabetha KS
    The post office in Sabetha, Kansas houses an example of New Deal artwork: ""The Hare and the Tortoise," a mural by Albert T. Reid. The work was completed in 1937.
  • Post Office Mural - Seneca KS
    "New Deal mural entitled "Men & Wheat" painted by Joe Jones in 1940. Mr Jones also painted murals for the post offices in Charleston & Dexter, MO; Anthony, KS and Magnolia, AR. All the murals depict a harvest scene and all but Dexter depict wheat harvesting."
  • Post Office Mural (relocated) - Olathe KS
    The 1940 New Deal mural, "The Mail Must Go Through," was created by Albert T. Reid. Commissioned by the Treasury Section of Fine Arts, the 6' x 13' oil-on-canvas work was originally installed in the former Olathe post office on South Cherry Street. Per on-site plaque: "The mural depicts the harrowing undertaking of delivering the mail in the time of the stagecoach. The solitary driver pushes his horses from his seat on the stagecoach as snow and wind pummel them and slow their progress. Artist Albert T. Reid skillfully illustrates the spirit of determination and perseverance which is the keystone of...
  • Post Office Relief - Columbus KS
    This Section of Fine Arts funded terra-cotta relief entitled "R.F.D." created by Waylande Gregory in 1940 was originally installed in the Columbus post office on South Pennsylvania Ave. It is now in a local community center. The work is an unusual, large terra cotta bas relief showing a rural postman delivering the mail to a post box in the country with a group of horses in the field across the fence in the foreground. Waylande Gregory studied at the Kansas State Teacher’s College in Pittsburg, KS, the Kansas City Art Institute, the Cranbrook Foundation, and the University of Chicago. His best know...
  • Post Office Scultpure - Burlington KS
    The historic post office in Anthony, Kansas houses an example of New Deal artwork: a stone carving entitled "Boy and Cult," created by Robert Kittredge under the auspices of the Treasury Section of Fine Arts in 1942.
  • Post Theater - Fort Leavenworth KS
    Among the numerous projects conducted by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) at Fort Leavenworth was the construction of a theater. The project, sponsored by the Commanding Officer of Fort Leavenworth, cost $25,000. WPA Project No. 713-2-26
  • Prairie Dunes Golf Course - Hutchinson KS
    The WPA constructed the first nine holes of this course in 1937.  
  • Prairie Grade School (demolished) - Prairie Village KS
    The grade school in Prairie Village was constructed during the Great Depression with the assistance of federal Public Works Administration (PWA) funds. An article at the Johnson County Museum described the Prairie School dedication ceremony, which was attended by the local PWA chairman. The PWA building has since been largely demolished, though Prairie Elementary School operates in a new building on the same site. The city of Prairie Village did not exist in the 1930s. (Prairie School was considered a rural schoolhouse.) Prairie Village grew up around the school and incorporated in the 1950s. So while Prairie School would be considered...
  • Ray Tripp Athletic Field - Herington KS
    This WPA athletic field was originally built for Herington High School, now Herington Elementary School. "Rising from a concrete slab the field house building has random-range, quarry-faced ashlar limestone walls and a composition shingle roof. The end gables are parapeted above the rooflines. The entrance passage from Hawley Street to the field is marked by parapeted pointed arches on both sides of the building. Small 3-light metal windows with cast stone sills are placed high on the exterior walls and tucked directly below the eave line. The passage ceiling is beadboard... A handful of windows and doors have been sympathetically in-filled with...
  • Republic County Courthouse - Belleville KS
    The Public Works Administration funded the construction of the Republic County Courthouse in Belleville KS. According to the Society of Architectural Historians, "The Commissioners of Republic County prepared plans for a replacement courthouse and received funds from the Public Works Administration (PWA). The PWA’s hope was to support important public projects and to relieve the employment crisis of the Depression years. The relatively labor-intensive process and durable nature of reinforced concrete made it a favored building material for many federally supported projects."
  • Restroom Building - Abilene KS
    "The WPA restroom building is a small rectangular structure oriented east-west near the northwest corner of Poplar and 4th  streets. Like the other WPA park buildings, random range quarry-faced ashlar limestone clads the walls of this building. "
  • Riverside Park - Iola KS
    The Works Progress Administration (WPA) conducted numerous projects at Riverside Park in Iola, Kansas. "It wasn't until the WPA projects were built that Riverside Park received the beautiful football stadium, pool, pool building, community building, shelters, and one baseball diamond."
  • Riverside Park Community Building (former) - Iola KS
    The Works Progress Administration (WPA) constructed the gorgeous (original) Community Building at Riverside Park in Iola, Kansas. It is now known as the Iola Recreation Center & Little Theatre. GetRuralKansas.com: "The community building was built by the WPA program for the national guard armory. By 1941, it was changed to a basketball court and a small theater which was used by the school system for many years, as well as clubs, organizations and citizens of the community. After the school district built their own gymnasium, the community building is being used for indoor exercising, pick up basketball, and an area that's available for...
  • Riverside Park Stadium Grandstand - Iola KS
    The Works Progress Administration (WPA) constructed a stunning grandstand / municipal stadium in Riverside Park in Iola, Kansas, which features a running track and football field. The project was likely completed in 1939.
  • Riverside Park Swimming Pool - Iola KS
    The Works Progress Administration (WPA) constructed the striking municipal pool house and pool Riverside Park in Iola, Kansas. GetRuralKansas.com: "The WPA pool was one of the largest pools in Kansas, and because of its size, a new swim meet regulation size pool and a zero entrance, along with many other modern amenities, were built inside of the old pool."
  • Road F Culvert - Americus KS
    The Civil Works Administration (CWA) constructed a culvert carrying Road F north of Americus over Pester Creek in Lyon County, Kansas. "The project at this point involved a channel change, which eliminated the necessity for an extra bridge."
  • Road Improvements - Atchison KS
    Multiple road paving and improvement projects in Atchison, Kansas were undertaken during the Great Depression with the aid of federal Public Works Administration (PWA) funds. Work on these projects started in 1933 and ended in 1936. (PWA Docket No. KS 980, 983, 1002, 1056, 1137, 1442)
  • Road Improvements - Iola KS
    The Works Progress Administration developed a road "3 miles west and 1 mile south" of Iola, Kansas. It is described in a letter to the editor in The Iola Register: NEW ROAD APPRECIATED To the Editor: I want to thank the United States Works Progress Administration of Kansas for the wonderful piece of work they have just completed on project No. 817, 3 miles west and 1 mile south of Iola. It consisted of 1 and 3/4 miles of grading, building culverts and surfacing with gravel. This road is on the north side of my farm going west. This hard surfaced road is...
  • Road Improvements - McCune to Monmouth KS
    The Work Projects Administration (WPA) undertook a project in southwest Crawford County, Kansas to improve 4.5 miles of road starting at the west edge of the village of Monmouth, down half a mile (along South 90th Street), and west four miles (along West 510th Avenue) to McCune. The project entailed removing hedges and growth and widening the roads. The project provided 60 laborers work for five months.
  • Road Improvements - Rice County KS
    "SAND 83 MILES Lyons, Jan. 17. A CWA project for sanding 83 miles of roads in this county has just been approved at a cost of $21,230. Labor for which the government will pay totals $17,500."
  • Rossville High School (former) - Rossville KS
    Sometimes mis-attributed to the Works Progress Administration, the former high school in Rossville, Kansas was constructed with the assistance of Public Works Administration (PWA) funding. The PWA supplied a $38,004 grant for the project, whose total cost was $85,724. Construction occurred between Decembet 1936 and September 1937. PWA Docket No. Kan. 1095 The building was used for as a high school until 1979. The location and status of the building is presently unknown to Living New Deal.
  • Ruppenthal Middle School - Russell KS
    A three story Art Deco style limestone school building with auditorium and gymnasium. This building was built as the new Russell High School: "Originally built at a cost of $253,000 and with assistance from the Work Projects Administration (WPA) in 1938, the three-story limestone structure was constructed for high school students and continues to support and house education in the Russell community... The building was built with cooperation from the Federal Public Works Administration where workers were paid 60 cents an hour. Between 400 and 500 men built the building in 14 months."   (https://www.krsl.com)
  • Russell High School - Russell KS
    A three story Art Deco style limestone school building with auditorium and gymnasium, it was completed by the Federal Works Agency (FWA) between 1935 and 1938. It is now the site of the Ruppenthal Middle School.
  • Russell Springs Bridge - Russell Springs KS
    The Works Progress Administration (WPA) constructed a bridge in Russell Springs, Kansas during the 1930s. The location and status of the project are currently unknown to Living New Deal.
  • S Kansas Avenue Dead End Wall - Salina KS
    In 1939, a dead-end wall was constructed at the south end of Kansas Avenue in Salina, Kansas by youths who were employed by the National Youth Administration (NYA). The NYA was a division of the Works Progress Administration (WPA) that focused on training, employing, and educating young people between the ages of 16 and 25. Chris Cotten, Parks and Recreation Director of the City of Salina, Kansas tells us that "n April 1939 the Salina Journal reported that 35 NYA youths, working part time and using rubble masonry, were hired to construct 'ten dead-end walls' on streets that terminated at the Smoky Hill River....
  • S Penn Avenue Dead End Wall - Salina KS
    In 1939, a dead-end wall was constructed at the south end of Penn Avenue in Salina, Kansas by youths who were employed by the National Youth Administration (NYA). The NYA was a division of the Works Progress Administration (WPA) that focused on training, employing, and educating young people between the ages of 16 and 25. Chris Cotten, Parks and Recreation Director of the City of Salina, Kansas tells us that "n April 1939 the Salina Journal reported that 35 NYA youths, working part time and using rubble masonry, were hired to construct 'ten dead-end walls' on streets that terminated at the Smoky Hill River....
  • Sanitary Privies - Admire KS
    The Works Progress Administration (WPA) built a substantial number of privies in Admire, Kansas. According to The Hutchinson News, Admire had "more privies built within its limits than any other city in the country," on a per capita basis. "There have been enough of them to accommodate the entire community without crowding. They have been things of beauty as well as utility, neatly painted and tastefully trimmed with stars and moons carved in their doors. Erected on heavy concrete foundations, they have been built for the ages." In fall 1937 men using horses and ropes conducted a prank in which most of...
  • Sappa Park Dam and Shelter House - Oberlin KS
    The Works Progress Administration built the Sappa Park dam and shelter house - Oberlin KS in 1935. WPA crews built the park's dam and shelter house. The park was developed by the National Park Service, with the Works Progress Administration. 
  • Saw Hill Park - St. Francis KS
    The Works Progress Administration built the Saw Hill Park in St. Francis KS.      
  • Schermerhorn Park Improvements - Galena KS
    Although Schermerhorn Park dates to the 1920s, Works Progress Administration workers made significant improvements in the 1930s and 1940s. including terraced walls and a nature center still in use.
  • Schlanger Park - Pittsburg KS
    "Mature evergreen and deciduous trees dot the grassy park. Two concrete bridges with limestone-faced side walls carry the concrete path across a stream. Wood frame picnic shelters have gable roofs and rest on concrete slabs. Lights attached to large wood poles illuminate the path and playground areas. Tennis courts have lights mounted on metal poles. A circular, mortared stone element, approximately 2 1/2 feet tall and 5 feet in diameter, is located in the southeast quadrant of the park. It is unclear what function it originally served... Only the two foot bridges and circular stone element are extant. The tennis courts...
  • School - Cimarron KS
    A school construction project in Cimarron, Kansas was undertaken in 1934 with Public Works Administration (P.W.A.) funds. The P.W.A. provided a $33,404 grant for the project, whose total cost was $117,563. The exact location and status of the facility is presently unknown to Living New Deal. P.W.A. Docket No. Kansas 1388
  • School - Garden City KS
    A school construction project in Garden City, Kansas was undertaken in 1936-7 with Public Works Administration (P.W.A.) funds. The P.W.A. provided a $40,500 grant for the project, whose total cost was $96,342. The exact location and status of the facility is presently unknown to Living New Deal. P.W.A. Docket No. Kansas 1249
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