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  • Montana State University-Northern: Donaldson Hall - Havre MT
    The PWA assisted in the construction of a dormitory on the campus of Northern Montana College (now Montana State University-Northern) in 1936 (docket #2294). From the MSU-N website's "History" page: "The third building on campus was a girls' residence hall later named Donaldson Hall (1949) in honor of a deceased NMC English instructor. Constructed atop the hill just north and west of Pershing Hall, the building occupied a dominant position on campus. It was designed and constructed under a Public Works Administration self liquidating load fund. Furnished and occupied in 1936, it provided rooms for 116 women, and was a social...
  • Mountain View Cemetery Improvements - Big Timber MT
    Big Timber's Pioneer newspaper reported in 1936 that the "improvement of Mountain View cemetery" southwest of town was one of several completed projects in the community that was attributable to the New Deal.
  • Municipal Improvements - Alberton MT
    The WPA allocated $6,512 in late 1938 for street, sidewalk, and alley improvements in Alberton, Montana.
  • Municipal Jail and Fire House - Polson MT
    Montana's Big Timber Pioneer newspaper reported in 1936: "Work on PWA projects in Polson is well under way. Construction of a new jail and fire house has started, adjacent to the new city hall which was constructed with a grant of federal funds last year. C. J. Loveland who was superintendent for the construction of the new city hall is again in charge."
  • Municipal Sewer Extension - Glendive MT
    The WPA allocated $1,031 for an extension to the municipal sewer system in Glendive, Montana in August 1938.
  • Municipal Sewer Extension - Philipsburg MT
    The WPA allocated $17,394 toward a "sanitary sewer extension" for the town of Philipsburg, MT in July 1938.
  • Municipal Sewer System - Big Sandy MT
    The WPA allocated $3,822 for the development of a "sanitary sewer system" in Big Sandy, Montana in 1938.
  • Municipal Sewers - Harlowton MT
    Montana's Big Timber Pioneer newspaper reported on two WPA sewer projects in Harlowton between 1935 and 1938. The WPA contributed $5,978 toward a 5,000-foot-long eight-inch sewer with 15 manhole covers, and $18,446 toward a 9,800-foot extension with 26 manhole covers.
  • Municipal Water System - Browning MT
    The WPA allocated $7,062 for development of Browning, Montana's water system, in August 1938.
  • Municipal Waterworks - Big Timber MT
    Big Timber Pioneer reported in 1934 that the town of Big Timber had obtained sizable PWA funds toward the construction of a $140,000 "water works system." In January 1936, the paper reported that the project had been completed at a cost of $147,000.
  • Municipal Waterworks - Columbia Falls MT
    WPA labor contributed to a municipal waterworks project in Columbia Falls, MT.
  • Municipal Waterworks - Eureka MT
    Big Timber Pioneer reported in early 1935: "Contract for construction of a water system at Eureka, a public works project, has been awarded to Lease & Leigland of Great Falls on a bid of $25,827, it was announced by D. A. McKinnon, state PWA engineer."
  • Municipal Waterworks - Fort Benton MT
    Big Timber Pioneer noted in 1934 that the PWA had allotted $45,000 toward the improvement of the waterworks in Fort Benton.
  • Municipal Waterworks - Miles City MT
    In early 1934 Big Timber Pioneer reported that the PWA allotted $3,900 for the improvement of Miles City waterworks.
  • Museum of the Plains Indian - Browning MT
    In 1938, the Public Works Administration (PWA) provided $150,000 (about $2.8 million in 2020 dollars) for the construction of a museum in Browning, Montana, for the Blackfeet and other plains tribes. At the time, it was “the largest Government project… undertaken to aid native groups in reviving their crafts and to furnish them an outlet for the marketing and sale of their goods” (Indians at Work, July, 1941). The building was dedicated on June 29, 1941. The Museum of the Plains Indian is managed by the Indian Arts and Crafts Board (a unit of the U.S. Department of the Interior) which...
  • Napi Elementary School - Browning MT
    A large allocation of WPA funds for school construction and improvement projects was issued in late 1938. Among the projects provided for in Montana was a new school building in Browning, Montana. The structure, which has since been extended eastward, comprises part of what is now Napi Elementary School.
  • National Guard Armory (former) - Bozeman MT
    Saved from the wrecking ball after being slated for demolition in 2007, Bozeman's Daily Chronicle writes that current plans (as of 2013) for the building call for the construction of an eight-story 'boutique' hotel on top of the existing structure. The armory was designed by Fred Willson, who was also the architect behind the new WPA courthouse and multiple school construction projects in Bozeman. The Daily Chronicle writes: "The armory was built in 1941, complete with a rifle range, soundproof room and thick floors capable of accommodating military trucks." W.P.A. Official Project Numbers: 65‐91‐6550; O.P.: 265‐1‐91‐6. Details: "Complete the construction of armory building," total...
  • NYA Campground - Livingston MT
    The Montana newspaper Big Timber Pioneer reported in early 1937 that "Eighteen miles from Livingston on the road to Gardiner NYA workers have transformed a wooded area into a five-acre camping spot. Rustic tables and benches were built and placed in the area, channels were dug to change the course of the creek and make water available for irrigation of grass plots at the picnic sites. Two springs were developed and 300 yards from the camp a woodland swimming pool. 50 by 120 yards, with an average depth of four feet, has been built."
  • NYA Skating Rink - Deer Lodge MT
    Montana's Big Timber Pioneer newspaper discussed recent accomplishments of the National Youth Administration in Montana. Among the projects discussed: "In the center of Deer Lodge a skating rink has been provided and will be maintained by the NYA."
  • NYA Winter Recreation Projects - Anaconda MT
    Montana's Big Timber Pioneer newspaper discussed recent accomplishments of the National Youth Administration in Montana, among which: "Two skating rinks have been provided in Anaconda. The project was sponsored by the city. The NYA also has taken over the ski slide, reconditioned it and put it in shape for use."
  • Old Fort Park Improvements - Fort Benton MT
    The Big Timber Pioneer newspaper reported in 1938: "City officials are improving the tourist park near Old Fort park. WPA workers have put a new cement floor in the building used for cooking; water has been piped in, casings, windows and doors installed new and the grounds improved."
  • Old Hardin Highway - Lockwood MT
    "Practically every two-lane highway in Eastern Montana was built with the help of WPA funds, said Jon Axline, a historian with Montana's Department of Transportation. A prime example around Billings is the Old Hardin Highway, which was improved in the 1930s, Axline said. The road climbs out of Lockwood, clinging to the hillside in a series of tight curves. In the 1930s, roads were built to fit the landscape. The interstate highway took the opposite approach, molding the landscape to fit the road's design."
  • Overpass - Laurel MT
    "The WPA also funded the Mossmain railroad overpass at the East Laurel exit. The design was meant to be aesthetically pleasing as well as functional, Axline said. The bridgework remains pleasing to the eye, despite the removal of its decorative concrete guard rails, he said."
  • Pest Control - Lewistown MT
    The Big Timber Pioneer newspaper reported in January 1937 that a rat eradication project was being undertaken by the WPA in the Montana town of Lewistown: "A ton of rat poison and 1,500 traps arrived in the city as the first step in a campaign to rid the city of its overabundance of the pests. The extermination will be carried on as a WPA project, in co-operation with city and county authorities." Later the same year, the same paper reported that: "WPA officials have informed County Agent Ralph Stuckey the cricket and grasshopper control project will be carried on in Fergus county during...
  • Pictograph Cave State Park - Billings MT
    Formerly known as 'The Indian Caves' or 'The Indian Ghost Caves' around Billings, MT, this pre-historic site has become one of the most visited state parks in Montana. Artifacts dating back several thousand years were found here in 1937. A professional excavation was overseen by William Mulloy and Larry Loendorf with work performed by the Works Progress Administration workers. Over 30,000 artifacts were recovered, but many of them lost as the site was abandoned by the WPA in 1941. Pictographs are what the site is known for today; of the 106 originally recorded images, about 10-20 are visible today. The...
  • Pioneer Park Lily Ponds (demolished) - Billings MT
    "The same year the WPA crew worked on the tennis courts, they dug three lily ponds along the creek through Pioneer Park. The beautification project cost $3,537, with the city picking up just $137 of the total cost. ...  While the lily ponds have vanished, other New Deal projects remain in daily use."
  • Pioneer Park Tennis Courts - Billings MT
    "At Pioneer Park, a Works Progress Administration crew created tennis courts north of the wading pool in 1935."
  • Pondera County Road Improvements - Conrad MT
    In addition to specific improvements within the town of Valier, the WPA worked to improve roads throughout Pondera County, Montana. The agency allocated $55,356 for such projects during July 1938.
  • Post Office - Deer Lodge MT
    Constructed in 1938 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
  • Post Office - Dillon MT
    The post office in Dillon, Montana was built by the Treasury Department in 1935. It is still in use and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. There is a New Deal mural inside.
  • Post Office - Glendive MT
    The historic post office building in Glendive, Montana was constructed with federal Treasury Department funds. The building, which was constructed in 1935, is still in use today.
  • Post Office - Hamilton MT
    The historic post office in Hamilton, Montana was constructed with federal Treasury Department funds in the amount of $100,000.  Construction began in 1940 and was completed in 1941.   The style of the building is standard design for post offices at the time, a sort of cross between Federalist and Moderne, with flat roof and white trim around windows and the front entrance. We doubt is that the architectural plan came from the Public Works Administration, as stated on the historic marker in front; the Treasury Department's Procurement Division had its own team of architects, led by Louis Simon. A New Deal...
  • Post Office (former) - Sidney MT
    "The former site of the Sidney post office, now known as the Donald G. Nutter Building (named for a former Montana governor). The post office moved to a new building in 1987." The Treasury cornerstone is visible in the lower left hand corner of the photo.
  • Post Office and Courthouse - Glasgow MT
    Constructed in 1938-39. Still in use as both a post office and a courthouse.
  • Post Office Mural - Deer Lodge MT
    "New Deal mural entitled "James and Granville Stuart Prospecting in Deer Lodge Valley—1858" painted by Verona Burkhard in 1939. She also painted murals for the Powell WY and Kings Mountain, NC post offices."
  • Post Office Mural - Dillon MT
    Elizabeth Lochrie painted an oil-on-canvas mural, entitled "News from the States," which was installed in the Dillon, Montana post office in 1938. The mural was commissioned by the Treasury Section of Fine Arts. Lochrie also painted murals for the post offices in St Anthony and Burley, Idaho 
  • Post Office Mural - Glasgow MT
    Oil on canvas entitled "Montana's Progress" painted by Forest Hill in 1942.
  • Post Office Mural - Hamilton MT
    The historic post office building in Hamilton, Montana houses an oil-on-canvas mural entitled "Flat Head War Party" by artist Henry Meloy. It is one of only six New Deal murals in Montana post offices. The federal Treasury Department Section of Fine Arts funded the work, which was installed in 1942. The subject matter of the Meloy mural is a bit unusual: the formation of a "war party" of Shoshone preparing to go fight Blackfeet intruders. It depicts the natives as strong, fighting men, but why the White observer? The information sheet by the mural explains that such internecine warfare among tribes was...
  • Post Office Mural - Sidney MT
    Oil on canvas entitled "General Sully at Yellowstone" by J. K. Ralston (1942).
  • Post-Flood Rehabilitation - Havre MT
    Montana's Big Timber Pioneer newspaper reported in 1938 that the WPA "began work of rehabilitating Havre" on June 24. WPA laborers "will clean streets, rebuild walks and bridges and remove debris," and would eventually "aid in repairing and replacing several bridges on ounty roads, swept away or damaged by the flood."
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