Waterville Sites

Founded in 1813, Colby College is one of the oldest liberal arts colleges in the United States. It moved to its current location in the 1930s with significant help from the New Deal: Former Colby student Leonard C. Cabana (class of 1933) wrote recently that "by the time the Great Depression was sweeping the country, 'the new Roosevelt administration began implementing a hail of New Deal agencies to create jobs for the unemployed. It was my privilege to work under one of these, the Works Progress Administration (WPA). It poured in a million dollars (worth probably over $20 millions today) into...

According to the 1933 and '34 town reports, the Civil Works Administration (CWA) and Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA) were involved in: "REPAIRS TO HOUSES The CWA laid the last section of flooring in the Central Station and built a new hose drying rack and also painted and papered the interior of Hose No. 4 house. Hose No. 3 house interior was painted last spring by the driver there. Previous to the CWA work only minor repairs were attempted." "The construction of fire prevention pools in the rural section" (1934) REPAIRS TO HOUSES "A concrete wall was put under the west side of Hose 4...

In 1933, acting under the leadership of Mayor Thayer, the local C.W.A. administrator, various actions were taken to stabilize the finances of the town and reemploy as many people as possible. Reconstruction Finance Corporation Grant Received during 1933: $19,820.75 Among the various project launched: 1-H Sewing project "supervised by Mrs. Blye Drew. Clothing of all kinds has been furnished, through the Poor Department, for the relief of needy persons. More than 400' mackinaws have been made and distributed to minimum paid 'Civil Works employees engaged in outdoor work, in this, the most severe winter we have experienced in a generation." (Thayer) No. 1 J -...

Streets got some help from the New Deal as part of the cities effort at tackling the pervasive unemployment in the city. Only 1933 and 34 town reports were available. 1933 Road Commissioner "On account of frost ruining many of our streets and roads for the lack of proper ditches or drainage the entire city was ditched by the relief crews. I feel that there will be some relief from heaving of our thorofares by so doing." Spring Street, and Water Street were constructed with concrete. Gilman Street was extended up to the area of Mayflower Hill that Colby College was being built on. Project...

The Robert LaFleur Airport is a small general aviation airport in Waterville. It was originally opened in 1931. A 2011 history of the airport explains the federal involvement in its development. In a 1933 town report, Mayor Thayer explains that: "In order to secure improvement for the airport— a very desirable improvement for the community—the City has entered into an agreement of lease, with option to purchase, with the owners of the airport, this condition being precedent to any activity by the Civil Works Administration. This contract will not involve any expense to the City of Waterville but will result in...

During 1933 and 1934 much-needed repairs were undertaken to the school system. From the annual reports of the city of Waterville: 1933 "School Superintendent: Through the efforts of the city officials, funds from the Federal government have been made available for much needed work in the building that would otherwise have remained undone for many years. During the summer months the corridor, auditorium, and gymnasium walls and ceilings were cleaned and refinished with washable paint. Early in the fall the balcony was removed from the end of the gymnasium. This permits of a regulation basketball surface, 60 ft. long and 3-5 ft....

"During June, 1934, a project for concrete sidewalk construction was started in Waterville. This project was self-sustaining and cost the ERA nothing except for labor and trucks. From June until the last of October, 6,671 lineal feet of 4'0" and 6'0" sidewalk was built. Of this amount 823 feet of 4'0" walk was constructed on Winter and West Winter Streets, completing both sides from beginning to and making the first street in the city to be so beautified. On Burleigh Street 1,509 lineal feet of 5'0" walk was constructed. This construction of concrete sidewalk was continued at the beginning of the summer...

"The Gilman Street Bridge, since named “Thayer Memorial Bridge” , which was undertaken as a C. W. A. project in 1933 was completed under F. E. R. A. early in 1934. Although the cost of this project exceeded the estimate by several thousand dollars, due to a sharp advance in the price of materials after construction started and to difficult working conditions because of extremely cold weather, it is a beautiful, well constructed and useful memorial to the vision and ability of the late Mayor Thayer to plan and bring to pass this project which will be an everlasting benefit...

The Ticonic bridge is a 575 Foot concrete and steel I beam structure that carries route 201 over the Kennebec River and connects Waterville and Winslow. The bridge was one of 26 bridges that were badly damaged or destroyed by a 500 year flood in March 1936. A large piece of ice hit one of the stone piers causing two of the bridge spans to crash into the river. A state highway commission report notes that the reconstruction of these bridges were U.S. Works Program Flood Relief projects and were handled under the jurisdiction of the Bureau of Public Roads, U.S....