In November 1935, federal Public Works Administration (PWA) Administrator Harold Ickes allotted $237,200.00 to the Hastings State Hospital for three units in the institution’s building plans. Together with the $290,000.00 provided by the state legislature, the allotment raised the total… read more
The city of Juniata was given a Works Progress Administration (WPA) grant in the amount of $8,014.00 for park improvements.
In June 1934, the PWA presented a grant to the Kearney School Board for a $7,000.00 addition to the existing high school. Architect John P. Helleberg was hired to prepare specifications for the project, which would include rearranging the building… read more
Construction of the concrete “stadium” at the Kearney High School athletic field on West 21st Street was designed primarily to provide dressing rooms for the high school athletes, but also provides seating for a large number of sports fans. It… read more
In May 1938, a storage yard and highway shed was under construction on 33rd Street between 1st and 2nd Avenues. Utilizing Works Progress Administration (WPA) labor, the building and completed site was estimated to cost $8000. One and one quarter… read more
In November 1937, the State Board of Control decided to proceed with construction of a new men’s hospital building at the State Tuberculosis Hospital in Kearney. The building was estimated to cost $125,000.00, the bulk of which would be funded… read more
The Kenesaw auditorium was originally a Civil Works Administration (CWA) project that eventually morphed into a Works Progress Administration (WPA) project with the termination of the CWA. The WPA portion of the project began in November 1935. The town of… read more
A Public Work Administration (PWA) grant was given to the Kearney School Board for the erection of Kenwood Elementary School, announced in late June, 1934. Architects McClure and Walker submitted plans and specifications to the PWA engineer’s office in Omaha… read more
“June, 1936, city water was taken to the cemetery, W.P.A. Labor laying the pipes, 8 3/4″ freezeless hydrants were placed. Two rows of trees were planted from the highway to the cemetery gates …”
As a result of the drought and the Great Depression in general, many farmers were financially unable to send their children to adjoining towns to high school. During normal times, parents would have been able to provide a high school… read more
In July 1935, the Laurel School Board sponsored a proposal for a new athletic field adjacent to the school grounds. The land had been used as a school “park”, but since the school had no athletic field to speak of,… read more
The Civil Works Administration (CWA) constructed a one-room library in Beemer, Nebraska. Built with CWA and city funds, the former library was located on Main St., near Highway 8. The structure had “built-in shelves, coat closets, fuel, and closets for… read more
In September 1935, the Kearney City Council voted unanimously to approve plans drawn by Hugh McClure for an addition to the library. The plans, together with an application for Public Works Administration (PWA) funds, were then forwarded to Lincoln for… read more
Omaha’s Logan Fontenelle Housing Project was constructed as a federal Public Works Administration (PWA) project during the Great Depression. Located from 20th to 24th Streets, and from Paul Street north, the project was demolished in 1995. PWA Docket No. H-2001
The Long Pine School project was begun and left unfinished by the Civil Works Administration (CWA) and the Emergency Relief Agency (ERA). As a result, the school’s roof leaked and the heat did not work. Because the school district’s finances… read more
The Public Works Administration (PWA) built a Water Treating Plant. The structure is currently still used as a utility shed for the City of Lyons.
In 1937, architects McClure and Walker of Kearney were hired to draw plans for a new men’s dormitory on the campus of the Kearney State Teachers College. Planned to house 120 to 140 men, the brick building was planned to… read more
In 1939, an athletic field was added to the high school facilities. Funded by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in the amount of $3,190.00, workers completed the construction of game fields, bleachers, drives and fences. Landscaping and tree plantings were… read more
In September 1935, the village of Primrose was notified that it had been given a grant of $7,363.00 from the Public Works Administration (PWA) for the purpose of building a municipal auditorium and gymnasium. The total project cost was estimated… read more
The historic Alliance Municipal Building was constructed between March 1936 and April 1937 with the aid of federal Public Works Administration (PWA) funds. The PWA provided a $78,189 grant for the project, whose total cost was $178,625. PWA Docket No…. read more
In late 1934, Wauneta had a substantial fund saved from the earnings of its municipal water system. Plans were drawn by a local architect for a building measuring fifty feet by twenty-five feet to provide space for the municipal offices,… read more
In 1935, Congress was considering legislation that would provide Works Progress Administration (WPA) funds for the construction of National Guard armories for communities whose National Guard units were currently renting space. If communities would provide a square block of land,… read more
An economic account of Kearney is given in The Kearney Daily Hub paper of November 19, 1935, reporting facts disclosed at a joint Buffalo County Board and Kearney City Council meeting. Board Chairperson Martin Slattery reported that “There were nearly… read more
"A utility cooperative is a type of cooperative that is tasked with the delivery of a public utility such as electricity, water or telecommunications to its members. Profits are either reinvested for infrastructure or distributed to members in the form… read more
On November 9, 1933, President Roosevelt signed an Executive Order creating the Civil Works Administration (CWA) and providing $400 million from the Public Works Administration funds for the new organization. The goal of the Executive Order was to put four… read more
According to the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, “Niobrara State Park opened to the public after work by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in 1934 and 1935.”
In 1937, a new school was completed for Decatur costing $76,000.00, accomplished in part due to the cooperation of the PWA on the project. The school was built on the site of the former school, which was razed just prior… read more
The Oak Ballroom is situated near the bank of Lost Creek in the city of Schuyler’s Community Park (CX06-003). It was built as a Works Progress Administration (WPA) relief project between 1935 and 1937 at a cost of $37,000. The… read more
VisitNebraska.com: “A community landmark, Ohiowa Auditorium was completed in 1940 and preserved in near original condition. It is one of many Nebraska buildings constructed by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) during the Great Depression.” The auditorium is located at the… read more
The historic Otoe County Courthouse in Nebraska City, Nebraska was constructed in 1936 with the aid of federal Public Works Administration (PWA) funds. The PWA supplied $24,781 for the project, whose total cost is $58,200. PWA Docket No. NE [W]1081
A street paving project in Dodge, Nebraska was undertaken with the assistance of federal Public Works Administration (PWA) funds. PWA Docket No. 1600
A street paving project in Fremont, Nebraska was undertaken with the assistance of federal Public Works Administration (PWA) funds. PWA Docket No. 5590
A street paving project in North Platte, Nebraska was undertaken with the assistance of federal Public Works Administration (PWA) funds. The PWA supplied a $29,123 grant for the project, whose total cost was $56,171. PWA Docket No. [W]1313
The Plainview Band Shell was built by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in Plainview NE. According to the Architectural Foundation of Nebraska, “The land for the park in which the band shell would be located was purchased in 1935 by… read more
A special election to decide the question of passing a bond for a new school in Pleasanton was held on October 15, 1935. Although the project had not been given any preliminary approvals by the Public Works Administration (PWA), the… read more
The CCC conducted extensive work at Ponca State Park. From the University of Nebraska-Lincoln “Virtual Nebraska” database: “Over the years the Missouri River moved at will. Eventually the town was no longer “a port.” In 1934 the American Legion raised… read more
The post office in Auburn was constructed with funds provided by the Treasury Department in 1936. It is also the site of Ethel Magafan,’s 1938 mural, “Threshing,” painted with funds provided by the Treasury Section of Fine Arts and viewable… read more
"The Crawford US Post Office is located at the northwest corner on 2nd and Main Streets in the commercial district of Crawford, Nebraska. It was built in the Moderne style in the late 1930s from standardized blueprints. Included in the… read more
The post office in David City, Nebraska was constructed with federal funds. The building, which opened in 1935, is still in use today. In 1933, as a part of President Roosevelt’s New Deal, the federal government appropriated $16,678,675 to build… read more
