• City Hall (former) Improvements - Tacoma WA
    A WPA press release from Dec. 1937 stated: "To provide employment for needy persons on relief rolls an allotment of $6,900 has been made ... for labor in cleaning and renovating public buildings in Tacoma, such as the city hall, library, and others... The work includes cleaning walls, woodwork, furniture and washing and repairing furnishings and drapes. This project employs mostly women and the funds will curry it until about June 1, 1938. Tacoma as sponsor is supplying materials needed with $740."
  • Fort Nisqually - Tacoma WA
    Established in 1833, Fort Nisqually was the first European settlement on Puget Sound and was sold to the Du Pont company in 1904. Efforts to preserve the fort were begun in 1933 and taken over by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) from 1935 to 1940. WPA laborers relocated the fort to Tacoma's Fort Defiance Park and "re-created several others to present Fort Nisqually as it was in 1855." (metroparkstacoma.org)
  • Main Library Improvements - Tacoma WA
    A WPA press release from Dec. 1937 stated: "To provide employment for needy persons on relief rolls an allotment of $6,900 has been made ... for labor in cleaning and renovating public buildings in Tacoma, such as the city hall, library, and others... The work includes cleaning walls, woodwork, furniture and washing and repairing furnishings and drapes. This project employs mostly women and the funds will curry it until about June 1, 1938. Tacoma as sponsor is supplying materials needed with $740."
  • Puget Creek Natural Area Improvements - Tacoma WA
    A WPA press release from Dec. 1937 stated: "Construction of bridle paths, rustic bridges and general landscaping in Puget Park, Tacoma, is scheduled under a WPA allotment of $7,416. The project started operating this week."
  • Sewer Improvements - Tacoma WA
    "Federal approval of Tacoma's city-wide WPA sewer improvement project providing employment for more than 560 men, was announced today by Don G. Abel, state WPA director. The WPA allotment accounts to $95,776 to which the city of Tacoma will add $13,208. Further allotments involving a total of $172,122. to which the city of Tacoma is adding $18,966 and which will employ more than 900 additional workers taken from relief rolls is awaiting Federal approval which is expected momentarily, Abel stated. The district in which the approved projects will begin as soon as conditions will permit are Garfield Park trunk sewer, East...
  • Street Improvements - Tacoma WA
    One WPA project involved "considerable work to be done in Tacoma on Tacoma Avenue and Cleveland and Hendricks streets," a project which was "allotted $41,892 of WPA funds and will provide employment fer about 179 men to be taken from relief rolls."
  • Tacoma County Bridges - Tacoma WA
    One of many PWA and WPA projects in Washington state: "$314,768 was allocated for the replacement and repairing of 11 bridges in Tacoma/ Pierce County. All of the bridges were either already shut down or were scheduled to be shut down for safety reasons. The structures were needed to maintain normal flow of traffic in Tacoma."
  • Tacoma Narrows Bridge (former) - Tacoma WA
    "The bridge connects Tacoma to areas such as Gig Harbor on the Kitsap Peninsula. Funded by the Public Works Administration (PWA), it was 2,800 feet between the two the two towers. “Everyone marveled, at the gossamer of a structure so long”, Murray Morgan said the bridge. It was indeed a long and skinny structure, but that was the problem. In 1940 the bridge was hit with bad cross winds and after some violent twisting and shaking it broke. It took ten years to get the bridge back, partly due to the limited resources because of WWII. The rebuilt bridge stands...
  • Tacoma Water Supply - Ravensdale WA
    " Tacoma Water Supply Program for 1937 The Water Division of the City of Tacoma has plans completed for a construction program during 1937 amounting to $1,566,000. An application for a $705,000 PWA grant on this project has already been made. This program includes: construction of a 160x244 foot reinforced concrete building for stores and shops; reconstruction and metering of 21,160 flat-rate water services; construction of a Tide Flat trunk main extension consisting of 10,800 feet of 36 inch steel pipe, 1200 feet of 28 inch steel pipe, and 3625 feet of 24 inch steel pipe, with all appurtenant equipment; and...
  • Wapato Park - Tacoma WA
    “Wapato Park was the site of a major WPA work project. Sherman Ingalls, Metropolitan Park District Supervisor at Wapato directed the project and designed the park improvements. The WPA built bridges, boat and bathhouse, modern kitchen with hot and cold water; installed electrical outlets; graded, leveled and seeded the park; built modern ball fields, a sandy bathing beach, and a stone entrance; cleared roads and pathways, and developed Alpine gardens and a lily pond.” ("History of Wapato Park.")