New Hampshire Sites

From 1933 to 1934 the CWA was involved in taking up track within the city from the defunct interurban electric trolley, the Bay State Railway Company. The BSRC went bankrupt in 1919, but sections still survive today in the MBTA transportation system. In his report summary of 1933, local Mayor Alvin Lucier wrote: "CAR TRACK REMOVAL AND STREET REPAIRS. This contemplated complete repair of over six miles of streets now occupied by car tracks, as well as a complete rebuilding of the southwesterly end of Allds Street; this project further provided for covering Commercial Street, at present roughly paved, with a hot top...

Federal Works Progress Administration (WPA) labor conducted road repair work in Kensington, New Hampshire during the Great Depression. 1936 "We were faced last spring by badly damaged roads due to rains of flood propensities that ruined nearly every hill and damaged other roads generally. We were fortunate in securing aid from the State to help repair this damage. We have had a lack of snow this winter but the damage done to the roads by abnormal rainfall would make the snow much cheaper to have had. We will however repair some of these damaged roads much better than they were before, through a...

The town road agent Clifford Davis reported in the annual town report for 1937 that: "Work Accomplished on W. P. A. Project 378 Graveling, Widening, Culverts, Ditching and Bush Cutting on the Hackelborough, MacElroy, Pickard, Morrill, Concord, Colby, Asby, & Wheeler Roads."

Municipal reports for the city of Concord report extensive New Deal road work throughout the 1930s. In 1933, the PWA contributed almost $5,000 to improvements on South Main St., South State St., Pleasant St., Warren St. and School St. The same year, CWA funds were used for the construction of Runnells Road, Snow Pond Road, Sylvester St. and other work, including the removal of "about 500 hitching posts." This sort of road work continued in 1934. A 1938 town report describes extensive WPA help with municipal road projects. In 1939, the report explains more specifically that "the city received 468,000 man-hours of...

In 1940, the WPA helped construct a new wading pool at Rolfe Park. A municipal report from that year reported that: "This pool, which has a depth ranging from three and one-half to four feet, meets a long felt need in the Ward One section of the city."

Municipal reports for the town of Concord document New Deal improvements to the park throughout the late 1930s and early 1940s. In 1935, the CWA funded a stone wall along Broadway, enlarged the park's wading pool and removed dead trees and stumps. In 1936, the PWA completed a new bathing pool in Rollins Park. A further 75 foot addition was added to the old pool in 1941. In 1939, acres of land were graded at the park. In 1940, 400 feet of ashlar wall was constructed and a new baseball diamond was developed. Rollins Park bleachers were relocated.

The Public Works Administration funded the construction of the Rollinsford Grade School. The structure was built in 1936, and consists of a large T-shaped two story gabled roof building in the Colonial Revival style. The town-wide school was grades 1-8. At present it is grades K-6.  

The federal Public Works Administration helped to finance a large jetty construction project in Rye Harbor, New Hampshire. The PWA provided a $126,000 grant toward the project, whose construction occurred between 1938 and 1939. (PWA Docket No. NH 1090.) A local 1939 newspaper reported that: "A meeting of the Rye Harbor Development Commission was held yesterday... Matters were taken up pertaining to dredging operations at Rye Harbor and the National Guard encampment in preparation for a bill which will be placed before the legislature. It was brought out at the meeting that this project is one of the few undertakings being...

The original Sarah Mildred Long Bridge was constructed as a federal Public Works Administration (PWA) project. It was a "lift bridge that carries the US 1 Bypass over the Piscataqua River between Portsmouth, New Hampshire and Kittery, Maine. The bridge a double deck truss bridge, with the U.S. 1 Bypass road deck above and a railroad bed below ... Completed in 1940, the bridge the second to carry motor vehicle traffic between Maine and New Hampshire at Portsmouth, and replaced a river crossing dating from 1822. The bridge was the direct result of the work of the Maine-New...

In the 1935 municipal Town Report, the School Superintendent reports on WPA assistance: "It seemed right that if we were to have music again in the schools we should have a special room and equipment; the W.P. A. offer was too valuable to refuse; and we placed extra coal in the schools this year to be prepared... "Late in the fall W. P. A. projects were begun at the Village Schools. Mr. Fred Huntley supervised the work and Mr. Fred Hutchins had charge of the paint work. The inside of the Primary building including the music room has been painted three coats,...

The PWA was involved in construction of a seawall along the Atlantic coast of New Hampshire, in particular, the Hampton Beach resort area. Up to the advent of the New Deal, the condition of the very popular Hampton Beach area was in rather dilapidated condition due to storms, tides, river currents, erosion, and piecemeal work by the local authorities which resulted in a loss of property of half a million dollars due to its nature as a sand barrier island. In 1932 under the Hampton Beach Development Commission & engineer and planner Warren Manning, and the transfer of control from local...

The federal Work Projects Administration (WPA) put seven men to work ca. 1940 constructing sewers in Allenstown, New Hampshire. Sewer Construction — $1,462.76 Balance W.P.A. Project $60.06 $1,522.82 7 men employed

The 1936 Selectmens report mentions W.P.A. assistance to the town of Farmington: "With respect to Article 3 of the Warrant covering budget items 10 and 11-a, we suggest a small appropriation of $1350.00 to cover our 'Sponsor's Contribution' for the completion of the W. P. A. project for the reconstruction of the filtration system at the sewage disposal plant. The $670.02 thus far expended by the town on this project has come from a surplus in revenues other than taxes and other balances accruing during the year but we think it advisable to make this provision for its completion."

According to limited annual town reports available, major improvements were constructed to the sewer system with the help of the New Deal in this historical port town and maritime manufacturing center that begins from the early 1600's up to it's crucial role in every single war that this nation has been involved in. The former system, built in the 1800's, simply dumped raw sewage into the bay. 1933 In November an application for a United States Government loan and/or grant was filed with the Public Works Administration for a Sewer Project for the amount of $132,000.00, Subsequently, approval of this application was made subject...

Up until 1933, the sewer system of Hampton Beach was simply a system built by the Hampton Beach Improvement Company which piped raw sewage directly into the ocean. Under threat from state health officials due to "deplorable conditions" that would have resulted in quarantine and shut down of the beach, "the federal government awarded a $160,000 funding package to the town in September. Some $40,000 of the grant was a gift; the balance was to be paid back with a bond issue." After some noisy opposition from local officials that defeated a proposal and threats from the state, "the...

Annual reports for the city of Concord from 1933-1942 show extensive New Deal work on the municipal sewer system during the Depression. In 1933-1934, the reports discuss PWA work on storm sewers and "combined systems" on Prospect Street, Walker Street, South Street, Concord Manor and Plains. In 1936, the WPA laid pipes on Joffre St., Penacook, Elm St. Cross St., West Concord, Clark's Field Outlet, Franklin Terrace, Redwood Ave., Downing St., Plains, and Prescott St. In 1937, the WPA and the PWA continued work on the city's water system, building 4,345 feet of sewers and 2,878 feet respectively. Work included the following locations:...

A local WPA sewing project between 1935 and 1937 supplied clothing for the needy.

The Civilian Conservation Corps built a shelter and picnic facilities at Mount Kearsarge between 1933-1942.

Rochester, New Hampshire's historic Spaulding High School was constructed with the aid of federal funds during the Great Depression. The building is still in use today. "Spaulding High School, which opened in 1939, is considered one of the most beautiful high school facilities in New England. With the addition of the Richard W. Creteau Regional Technology Center in 1990, the original building was extensively renovated." "RESOLUTION FROM CITY COUNCIL FOR APPLICATION TO FEDERAL EMERGENCY ADMINISTRATION FOR GRANT FOR NEW HIGH SCHOOL BUILDING Resolved by the Mayor and City Council of the City of Rochester: Application Resolution—Resolution No. A resolution authorizing the City of Rochester,...

The Annual Town Report for 1939 notes Works Progress Administration  & National Youth Administration activity in the town. Welfare Department 22. WPA allotments $1697.46 "Highway Agent When the special WPA appropriation was exhausted, this department purchased all tools, shovels, striking hammers and picks needed to carry on this work. It has paid the blacksmith bills for sharpenings and repairs and furnished a truck for one crew. The department has purchased 550 pounds of dynamite and necessary exploders to clear boulders and banks along the highways, which were a hazard to safety and will be a big help in snow removal. Planning Board The outcome of this...

The 1934 town report under town appropriations says that $1500.00 was spent on "Wharf C.W.A. Fed. project" It is located behind the hardware store and is used by the the town fire department according to a recent selectmen report. A playground and small beach for residents are at the location also.

In 1935, the Works Progress Administration (WPA) funded a series of street improvements in Keene, NH. This work included removing Keene Electric Railway tracks from West and Main Streets and Central Square and repaving the effected streets.

"Tuckerman Ravine is a glacial cirque sloping eastward on the southeast face of Mt. Washington, in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. Although it draws hikers throughout the year, and skiers throughout the winter, it is best known for the many "spring skiers" who ascend it on foot and ski down the steep slope from early April into July." Wiki October 9, 1934: "…eight new ski trails, which will be open for the first time this season. Tuckerman Ravine Ski Trail is the major opus and showpiece of CCC activities carried on under the direction of the Federal and State forestry...

"The Twin Mountain Hatchery dates back to President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal of the 1930s. After members of the Whitefield Fish and Game Club read about the creation of a hatchery in Chester County, Pennsylvania, they presented the idea (for a similar project in Twin Mountain) to the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department. As a result, the Twin Mountain Hatchery was initiated as a Works Progress Administration project in 1934. The facility was built on this site because the springs forming Carroll Stream, which flows through the hatchery grounds, provide a continuous source of oxygen-rich water."   (www.twinmountain.com)

"Three New Hampshire artists were hired to paint a series of murals for the University Library . These murals were painted under direction of Omer T. Lassonde, State Supervisor of the New Hampshire WPA Art Project. Today, the one remaining mural is in Room 141 of Hamilton-Smith Hall" (https://www.izaak.unh.edu). Each artist also wrote about his or her own work on the murals. Selections from these texts follow: The mural "Farming in New Hampshire" by George Lloyd was in the reserve room. Lloyd wrote: "This is a mural on farming in New Hampshire, It deals with the four seasons of the year—...

"The recreational area known as Lewis Fields at the University of New Hampshire was begun in December of 1933 and finished in September of 1936. It was named for President Edward M. Lewis. The facility was built using funds from the various federal relief agencies set up to help alleviate unemployment during the Great Depression of the 1930's."  (https://www.izaak.unh.edu) Lewis Fields includes "six fields for football, soccer, and lacrosse, four baseball diamonds, a cinder track with a 220-yard straightaway, pits and runways for jumping and vaulting, fourteen composition and six clay tennis courts, concrete bleachers seating 1,750 spectators at baseball games...

This outdoor, one acre, "flow-through" pool was constructed by the WPA in 1937-38 on the UNH campus near the center of town. It has been a popular site ever since. This summer, the university announced plans to close the pool, but there is an ongoing, and growing effort to preserve this historic site.

The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) "onstructed road and water holes, fought forest fires, and restored local roads and bridges after the 1936 flood and the 1938 hurricane."

Municipal reports from Nashua's local governments documented extensive New Deal work on the cities water and sewer systems during the 1930s: 1933 Mayor Alvin Lucier reported: "As we take over the reins of government today, we do so with abiding faith that it shall continue its progress. Such is the pledge that we make to the people who have chosen us as their representatives. Although he was against mortgaging our city's future by bond issues, Mr. Sullivan saw a duty to co-operate with President Roosevelt's program started last summer, when the federal government provided over three billion dollars for public works in...

The federal Public Works Administration provided grants to the town of Charlestown, New Hampshire for the development of its water system through the construction of water mains. The BOARD OF WATER COMMISSIONERS in the 1936 town report noted: PWA WATER PROJECT Receipts From Town of Charlestown $12,000.00 U. S. Government July 17, First Grant 5,454.50 U. S. Government Oct. 23, Second Grant 2,181.80 Water Dept. advance in anticipation of Final Grant 1.550.00 $21,196.30 Expenditures 15,802 ft. 6" cast iron pipe @ 74^ less freight $10,445.02 Freight on above and other freight charges 1,286.39 Pay roll 5,955.94 Trucking 75.43 Hydrants and valves 1,406.25 Cast iron fittings 193.19 Copper pipe and fittings 549.26 Lead, jute, and misc. pipe...

In the town reports of Rochester, the town resolutions of 1933 and 1934 talk about federal help for the construction of a standpipe and pump. "RESOLUTION TO APPLY SINKING FUND TO NOTES PAYABLE ACCOUNT AND MAKE APPLICATION FOR FEDERAL LOAN Resolved by the City Council of the City of Rochester: That the Finance Committee be authorized to transfer the sinking fund to the Notes Payable Account, making the amount available for this purpose $70,000.00 and application be made to the Federal Government for a loan for Improvement of Water Works System for a sum not to exceed $300,000.00. Said loan to be placed and...

The Civilian Conservation Corps built facilities at the Wellington State Beach. The work included several structures, picnic facilities, and the landscaping of the beach. Brief history of the park, from NH State Parks: "One dollar; what will it buy today? In 1931, for one dollar and the generosity of an ecologically-minded summer visitor from New York City, the state of New Hampshire obtained the deed to Wellington Reservation. It was "to be forever kept as a public forest reservation, to be used for the development of a bird sanctuary, for public recreation, . . and for any purpose tending to the promotion...

White Lake campground is located on a National Natural Landmark of 72 acre Pitch Pine Stand, surrounding a glacier formed lake. The 117th Co. S53, CCC based out of Tamworth NH, was involved in the building of bath houses, beach improvements, and camp ground development.

"In 1934, Wylie Apte accepted their offer and became the manager of the airport operations at the White Mountain Airport. Wylie persuaded the White Mountain Airport Corporation to clear away the trees so that he could taxi near the highway, and in 1935 a WPA project cleared off the stumps and enlarged the runway to 1,500 feet (460 m)." The WPA also constructed a hangar at the airport. No longer in operation, the airport is no longer extant.

Municipal reports for the town of Concord document extensive New Deal improvements in White Park. In 1935, the entrance to White Park at the corner of Center and High streets was remodeled. In 1936, the PWA completed a cement bathing pool in White Park. In June of 1937, the WPA completed a new administration building for the park, "furnished and equipped so at the end of the year the City of Concord has the foundation for one of the best service bureaus in tree surgery, insect control, tree and flower preservation and propagation in this section of the country. The new...

This project was undertaken by the 156th Company of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). In 1933, CCC supervisor Robert Monahan wrote his parents about this work:  "My job the past two days has been to supervise some 78 men in the task of beautifying the bank of the Wild River, which the Forest Service road parallels for nine miles. As you may have noticed the banks of many of our streams have been lined for years with debris deposited there by the 1927 flood. It was a stupendous task to restore the appearance of these stream banks but with 80 men at one's disposal,...

  Wildcat Mountain Ski Area, near Jackson, NH, in the Mt. Washington Valley, is one of the best-known alpine skiing resorts in New England, with lifts from the base on NH Rt. 16 in Pinkham Notch 2,112 feet (644 m) up to the summit ridge. The area has 49 trails on 225 acres (91 ha), including the 2.75-mile (4.43 km) Polecat Trail — the longest ski trail in New Hampshire." (Wiki)   July 17, 1933: "'Inspected ski trail locations with Charlie Proctor. Started work on 1 1/2-mile ski trail climbing 2,000 vertical feet to Summit E with Ed LeBlanc in charge'….Ed LeBlanc was...

A 1939 Town report notes efforts at unemployment relief. REPORT OF OVERSEER OF THE POOR It is gratifying to us all, to know that unemployed men and women of Candia are put to work as soon as possible through the kind co-operation of the W.P..A. staff in Manchester. W.P.A. PROJECT NO. 2010 Candia Motor Sales $13.34 J. Munroe, axe handle .50 Robert Crosby, kerosene .80 Total $14.64 W.P.A. PROJECT NO. 1834 (Highways & Bridges) S. I. Markson, Foreman $138.63 John Brown 11.00 Frank Dockendorff 5.85 Total $155.48

The 1936 Town report mentions Flood repair from the 1936 flood as a WPA project employing 8 men with $1,231.50 contributed and a WPA sewing project for the making of clothing for the poor as costing $246.70 and employing employing 11 people.

A 1937 municipal report describes the usefulness of WPA projects to the city: "We have had several employed on W.P.A. projects in nearby towns which has been much help to all. As we locally can not furnish from our relief rolls a sufficient number of men who can qualify for this federal work and thereby acquire a project of our own we are appreciative of what has been done for Chester through this out of town work. We are asking for $1,200.00 this year as we are not sure what the state will do following June as the present relief law...