Texas Sites

The mural "Founding and Subsequent Development of Robstown," installed in the lobby of the Robstown, Texas post office, was painted by Alice Reynolds in 1941.

The historic post office in Rockdale, Texas houses an example of New Deal artwork: a Treasury Section of Fine Arts-commissioned oil-on-canvas mural entitled "Industry in Rockdale."

The historic post office in Rusk, Texas houses an example of New Deal artwork: a Section of Fine Arts-commissioned mural, titled "Agriculture and Industry at Rusk," completed in 1939.

The mural "Comanches" was painted with Treasury Section of Fine Arts funds in 1942.

The historic Smithville post office houses an example of New Deal artwork: "The Law—Texas Rangers" (1940), an oil-on-canvas mural by Minette Teichmueller. The work was commissioned by the Treasury Section of Fine Arts.

This 10' x 3.5' mural "Cattle Roundup" by Thomas M. Stell Jr. was completed with Section of Fine Arts funds in 1940.

The historic post office in Trinity, Texas houses an example of New Deal artwork: "Lumber Manufacturing," a mural by Jerry Bywaters. The work was commissioned by the Treasury Section of Fine Arts and was completed in 1942.

"Settlers in Collingsworth County" (1940) by Bernard Arnest The artist wrote that he wanted to "show settlers on the Texas Plains engaged in fundamental activities of opening and using new land: building shelter, sowing, planting."  

The historic former post office housed an example of New Deal artwork: "Local Industries," a 1937 fresco by Paul Ninas. The work was commissioned by the Section of Fine Arts. Unfortunately it has since been destroyed.

The historic post office in Rosenberg, Texas housed an example of New Deal artwork: by William Dean Fausett. The mural, entitled "La Salle’s Last Expedition," was commissioned by the Treasury Section of Fine Arts. Completed in 1941, the work had been installed in the post office lobby. Unfortunately, the mural has since been destroyed.

The mural entitled "Gathering Pecans," painted by Otis Dozier in 1941, is an example of New Deal artwork. It was created for the historic former post office in Arlington, Texas, which is now privately owned. Dozier was a painter, printmaker and teacher who was a charter member of the Dallas Artists League. "By the mid-1930s he had tightened up his brushwork and muted his palette to the earthy grays, beiges, greens, and browns favored by regionalist artists. Several of his major works from this era focused on the plight of farmers dispossessed by the Great Depression."   (https://www.tshaonline.org)

The Works Progress Administration built an arched stone bridge over a small creek near the intersection of Pou Avenue and N. 13th Street. The bridge consists of two arches. Located along the side of the bridge is a rock wall that appears in need of repair. The marker is on the end of the wall nearest N. 13th Street, and it bears the dates 1935-1937.

"Funding from the WPA was also granted to North Texas State Teacher’s College. Some of the smaller projects included the construction of tunnels that connected the power plant on the college campus to the larger buildings such as the library, the Education Building, and the Science Building." The power plant was located just east of what is now Curry Hall. The status of the tunnels is unknown to Living New Deal.

Prairie Creek, Texas "was a farming community north of State Highway 64 and nineteen miles southeast of Canton." (TSHA) The community possessed "a tiny country school of the Prairie Creek Common School District in Van Zandt County, Texas, costing $2,695" (Ickes); this school was constructed with the aid of Public Works Administration funds.

The Work Projects Administration constructed a new school for Prairie Hill, Texas and improved the grounds after their school burned in 1939. Work started in 1940 and was completed in 1941. The school was consolidated with the Coolidge School district fall of 1962. A map from 1957 suggests that the facility was located on the north side of Farm-to-Market Road 73, east of its intersection with U.S. 84, and that the facility is no longer extant.

In 1937, the Works Progress Administration (WPA) rebuilt a portion of the Presidio de San Saba, but due to poor workmanship, it soon fell into ruins. A WPA project rebuilt a portion of the fort for the Texas Centennial in 1936, and today it is open to the public. The restored Presidio we see today is from 2011, not 1937 (per information board photo #5).

Text From the state historical marker reads: Kilgore's first public library opened in 1933 under the direction of two local women's clubs. With funding from the Federal Public Works Administration, support from the city, and labor from the Works Progress Administration, this structure was completed in 1939. Designed in a style reminiscent of cottages in the French province of Normandy, it stands as a visible reminder of Kilgore's depression-era progressivism and continues to serve local citizens. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1990

Fort Worth's first library opened in 1901 thanks to a $50,000 donation from wealthy philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. By the late 1920's the need for additional space became critical, but a bond issue for a larger library failed. When funds became available through the Public Works Administration in 1933, library supporters pushed to secure money for a new building. After years of wrangling with the city council and the PWA, the Carnegie Library was demolished, and the new library project was completed in June 1939 at a construction cost of $370,688 and a project cost of $390,861. A new central library opened...

On April 26, 1933, the City of Jacksonville issued a charter to the Jacksonville Library Association to reestablish the Jacksonville Public Library, which had closed in the mid 1920s. The City Commission granted use of space vacated by removal of the Jacksonville Building & Loan Association to its new location, and on July 10, 1933, there was once again a Jacksonville Public Library. In 1936, by vote of the people of Jacksonville, the library became city-supported. On October 11, 1939, citizens passed a bond package for sufficient expenditures to build a public library and also granted permission for it to be...

The library contains four murals by Jerry Bywaters completed under the Public Works of Art Project (PWAP) in in 1934: "Rebuilding Paris," "The 1916 Paris Fire--3rd Worst in American History," "John Chisum," and "Davy Crockett.  

This public market structure was built with Works Progress Administration funds in order to relieve traffic congestion around the courthouse square where the farmer's market had been held. "The new market is entirely fireproof, constructed of heavy pipe welded in position with corrugated metal roof and tile stucco front...floor is concrete, the building is open on all sides, and roll awnings give sun protection" (Weatherford builds a $13,000 public market place, 1940, p. 7).  

WPA grant was obtained in 1939 to build a school. Three low-water dams on the Paluxy River, several local school buildings, and a canning plant were built with Work Projects Administration money.

The Commissioner's court minutes of 1939 show that the Kendalia RCSD#14 was authorized to issue $2500.00 of school bonds to build a new school building. In 1940 the old frame school house was replace with a 3 room native rock school constructed by the WPA (Works Progress Administration) for $2500.00 and classes were held in the new building starting in the fall of 1940. The Kendalia Mother's Club was responsible for the fund raising and construction of a small cafeteria that served the students of the new rock school building. The new Kendalia school was a modern school building and over...

School and landscaping around the school done with PWA funding in 1940. Abilene Reporter-News 1940: "Working orders for the PWA project for the Rule Public schools was issued Thursday. The contract calls for the building of an eight room grade school building, a bus shed, bleachers stand on football ground and landscaping of the school grounds. The grade building will face highway 16. The project will cost approximately $45,000.00."

The completed project, including the local funds and Works Progress Administration money, totals around $37,000. The structure is built of native stone, it contains eight class rooms, study hall, library, office, text book room and auditorium. Hardwood floors were used throughout. Class rooms included a Home Economics equipped with cabinets, work tales, stoves and machines and a Vocational Agricultural room with a trophy cabinet. Heating provided by seventeen new butane heaters, and a 1,000 gal butane storage tank. The auditorium has a seating capacity of 500, with room for still more seats. A large stage with dressing rooms, inclined floor and good...

The Public Works administration funded the construction of the public school in Trent TX. There is a metal plate with 1937 mounted on the facade, but it only mentions the Board of Trustees. Metal walls have been added to the building. Excerpt from the Abilene Reporter-News, 01 Dec 1937: "TRENT. Dec. 1. (Spl) -Contract for construction of Trent's new- school plant--a $26,000 project with half of that amount a Public Works administration grant--was awarded here yesterday to the Balfanz Construction company of Abilene. The contract went to the Sun Electric company, also of Abilene, and the heating contract to the Don Lacv Heating company...

The no-longer-existent town of Pyron received a $20,316 in PWA grants toward construction of a new school. Consolidated in 1948, the school and its gymnasium are presently abandoned.

Among the Works Progress Administration (WPA) projects identified as completed in an El Paso Times article from June 7, 1936 was "Completion of addition to Chemistry Building at College of Mines"—now known as Quinn Hall at the University of Texas at El Paso.

The Kansas City, Mexico and Orient Railway and Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway Overpass is a two-lane reinforced-concrete highway bridge that conveys West Broadway Street over railroad tracks in downtown Sweetwater. The Texas Highway Department in cooperation with the United States Bureau of Public Roads provided the design and financing for the bridge in 1935. The design includes ornate detailing in concrete along the railings and concrete light standards along each side of the bridge, The bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as a contributing structure to the Sweetwater Commercial Historic District on June 7, 1984.

"This bridge across the Neches River, connecting Orange with Port Arthur, has a total length with approaches of approximately 7,750 feet. The main span is 680 feet from pier to pier and the clearance of the bottom chord at mean low water is 177 feet. It provides two traffic lanes and two sidewalks and has cut the distance from Orange to Port Arthur from 44 to 24 miles. It was completed in August 1939 at an estimated construction cost of $2,473,083 and a project cost of $2,713,294."

"The Ratcliff Lake Recreation Area, built in 1936 by the Civilian Conservation Corps, surrounds a 45- acre lake. The lake was once a log pond and source of water for the Central Coal and Coke Company Sawmill which logged the area from 1902 to 1920. The area offers recreation visitors camping, picnicking, a swimming beach and bathhouse, concession stand, an amphitheater, an interpretive forest trail, showers, boating and fishing in a beautiful forest setting featured in regional magazines" (fs.usda.gov).

Among the Works Progress Administration (WPA) projects identified as in progress in an El Paso Times article from June 7, 1936 was the "construction of a recreational center at Fabens." The location and status of this project are presently unknown to Living New Deal.

The Works Progress Administration built the Recreation Center in Stephenville between 1936-1939. The two story white rock building has basketball courts and a stage. A metal plaque on the front notes the date 1938-1939, while a marble cornerstone has the date 1936-1938.

In 1916, the Pecos Valley of Texas Water Users Association (which consisted of the Porterville, Farmers Independent, Cedarvale/Imperial, Barstow, Big Valley-Grandfalls, Imperial and Zimmerman irrigation districts) filed a petition with the U.S. Secretary of the Interior to request that a dam be constructed across the Pecos River to provide irrigation for farmlands from Red Bluff to the town of Grandfalls. The Public Works Administration (PWA) provided a $2,206,000 loan and $722,000 grant for the project, whose total cost was $2,982,895. The project was identified as a power and water project in a PWA report. TAMU: "In 1934, construction of the Red Bluff...

A Works Progress Administration grant of $71,325 was allotted Refugio County, to be matched by $87,175 of the county bond money, for the hospital project, with the total amounting to $158,500.

The WPA did extensive work in this Dallas park as part of "an extensive parks beautification program intended to make the city a showplace. For Reverchon, this meant the introduction of a series of stoneworks, including the floral amphitheater known as the Iris Bowl, a fountain entry and a picturesque bridge over Turtle Creek. The masterstroke of the project was Hillside Terrace, a trail network of meandering stone stairwells, lookouts and seating spaces that cling to the park’s bluff, providing shade, privacy and views. The paths and their furniture are all constructed of rough-cut Milsap stone that runs a spectrum from...

Among the Works Progress Administration (WPA) projects identified as underway in an El Paso Times article from June 7, 1936 was "the County Farm building program, which will provide 13 permanent structures." NPS.gov: "The facility, established as the El Paso County Poor Farm in 1916, continued in that function until 1964. In the midst of the Great Depression, the Texas Transient Bureau began construction of a multi-building labor camp on part of the poor farm grounds in 1935. The Transient Bureau soon ceased operations. Works Progress Administration (WPA) completed the previously planned construction in 1936, intending the new buildings for expanded poor...

"Rita Blanca Lake’s heyday began when the Works Progress Administration came to town in 1939. The W.P.A. was formed by the government on the heels of the Great Depression to help create jobs for the unemployed in communities around the nation. The Rita Blanca Lake Project was established in 1939 and newly hired workers began again on fortifying the spillway and dam in order to create that lake that had long been a dream of W. J. Blair so many years ago. According to “A Tale of Two Counties”, the dam was of compacted earth-fill to contain the rainfall runoff...

Construction of the San Antonio River Walk was undertaken during the Great Depression by the Works Progress Administration (WPA), and is one of the agency's most iconic accomplishments. During the late 1800’s citizens of San Antonio became concerned about preserving and protecting the winding little river that ran through the center of their town. In 1929 Robert H.H. Hugman had presented his master plan using an Old World theme to enhance and maintain the natural setting of the river while allowing commercial development.  In 1938 after funding was obtained through the WPA Hugman was hired as the architect of the San...

Among the Works Progress Administration (WPA) projects identified as underway in a Abilene Daily Reporter article from June 14, 1936 was the following: "At Gorman, four blocks of surfacing and 3,000 feet of street repairs are 70 per cent complete. Eighteen men are on the job."