WPA Output
WPA Poster
WPA Output
Projects, Accomplishments, & Statistics
(National Figures)
See data chart and hyper-linked table of contents below!
Below is a data chart of WPA projects, outcomes, and statistics. There are 31 main categories of projects and topics (e.g, “Public Buildings,” “Environmental Work,” “Employment”) and over 350 different types of projects and accomplishments under those main categories (e.g., schools built, miles of firebreaks created, number of people employed). I have provided hyperlinks for the main categories, so you can jump down to the sections you want to see.
There are two columns of information. In the left-hand column are descriptions of the projects and topics, and in the right-hand column are usually one or more of the following: (a) A cumulative statistical amount, (b) a statistical amount for a described period of time, (c) the letters “EVU,” for “exact volume unknown” (“EVU” means that I—personally—do not know the exact volume of work; the exact volume may be known by someone, or perhaps can be ascertained by archival research or exploration of academic materials). Sources of information are also noted in the right-hand column.
The majority of information & statistics comes from the “Final Report on the WPA Program, 1935-43” created by the Federal Works Agency and published in 1946, and is noted in the right-hand column as (for example) “p. 133 FR.” Importantly, the information & statistics in the chart below are not just from the appendices in the back of the WPA report, but from the entire text. I have pulled information from the entire report and put it into one cumulative chart. (You can view or download a copy of the Final WPA report from the Library of Congress here.)
A small amount of information & statistics comes from other sources, and those sources are also noted in the right-hand column of the chart.
I hope this data chart serves five functions: First, I hope it will serve as a useful research guide to anyone interested in the WPA, or the New Deal, or labor history, etc. Second, I hope it will raise awareness and interest about the enormous amount of work product of the WPA. Third, I hope the chart will help dispel the myth that our jobless elders & ancestors were lazy, or merely “shovel-leaners” or “leaf-rakers.” Fourth, I hope the chart inspires someone to expand upon it with research at the National Archives. And fifth, I hope all this information and data will show that there are better methods to handle the problem of unemployment than our current methods of apathy, inaction, and perpetual armchair speculation & forecasting.
As a final note, I tried to be as meticulous as possible (and double-checked my work), but remember that this chart was made by one person, and that mistakes are always possible with such a vast amount of information. That is why I cited sources for every project and topic. If you are working on an important project, you can go back to the source material and make sure that the information in the chart is accurate. And please let me know if you see any errors or if you have additional information that I can put in the chart (wpatoday@gmail.com).
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(libraries, schools, hospitals, firehouses, etc., but not including airport and utility buildings)
3. Outdoor Recreational Facilities
(stadiums, parks, athletic fields, tennis courts, etc.)
4. Recreation Projects
(various recreational programs designed, supported, and marketed by local communities, e.g., arts & crafts, photography)
(electric power plants, storage tanks, sanitary privies, mosquito control, etc.)
(landing fields, runways, hangars, lighting, etc.)
(fences, tunnels, dams, water channels, etc.)
(boundary, geodetic, maps, water, and underground)
(fish hatcheries, firefighting, oyster planting, retaining walls, etc.)
(landscaping, ornamental pools and fountains)
(strengthening levees, delivery of emergency food & supplies, emergency repairs,post-disaster clean up, etc.)
(airports, buildings, utility plants, combat training areas, etc., certified as national defense projects by the Secretary of War or the Secretary of the Navy)
(garments for men & women, garments for children, diapers, military articles, etc.)
(housekeeping for low-income families during times of illness or emergency)
(nursery schools for working parents)
(health organizations operated & assisted, mobile health services,
(monuments & historic markers, historic site restoration,
(nation-wide historical record survey, social & economic studies,
(history & visitor guides for every state, local histories, folklore compilations,
(concerts, radio broadcasts, music libraries, music teaching, etc.)
(Index of American Design, murals, sculptures, art instruction, etc.)
(plays, marionette shows, circuses, light operas, etc.)
(food canning & drying, school lunches, summer food program, gardening)
(mattresses, converting books into Braille, artificial legs for the disabled, toy-repair & lending, etc.)
(libraries operated & assisted, library outreach services to rural areas)
(books rebound, missing & damaged pages restored, cleaning)
(legal assistance to low-income Americans)
(for recreation programs, nursery schools, adult education, engineering, and school lunch services)
(adult education classes, vocational training, household worker training,
(direct hiring, indirect job creation, WPA-to-private sector transitioning)
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Highways, roads, and streets |
651,087 miles of total new or improved highways, roads, and streets, p.131 FR |
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Bridges and viaducts |
124,011 bridges and viaducts (77,965 new bridges and viaducts / 46,046 reconstructed or improved), p. 131 FR |
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Culverts |
1,178,933 culverts (1,052,612 new / 126,321 reconstructed or improved), p. 131 FR |
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Roadside drainage ditch and pipe |
162,873 miles (78,526 new miles / 84,347 reconstructed or improved miles), p. 131 FR |
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Sidewalks and paths |
30,579 sidewalks and paths (23,607 new / 6,972 reconstructed or improved), p. 131 FR |
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Curbs |
28,514 curbs (25,073 new / 3,441 reconstructed or improved), p. 131 FR |
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Gutters |
6,228 gutters (5,428 new / 800 reconstructed or improved), p. 131 FR |
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Guardrails and guardwalls |
4,911 guardrails and guardwalls (3,367 new / 1,544 reconstructed or improved), p. 131 FR |
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Road and street lighting |
100,030 light standards (e.g., light poles) along 2,479 miles of road (30,556 new light standards / 69,474 reconstructed or improved light standards), p. 131 FR |
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Traffic signs erected |
937,282 signs, p. 131 FR |
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Traffic lines painted |
5,269 miles of traffic lines painted, p. 131 FR |
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Roadside landscaping |
58,209 miles of landscaping, p. 131 FR |
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Car and railroad track removal |
2,555 miles of track removed, p. 131 FR |
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Total |
125,110 buildings worked on (35,064 new buildings constructed / 4,792 additions / 85,254 reconstructions or improvements), p. 131 FR |
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Libraries |
1,074 worked on (151 new libraries built / 67 additions / 856 reconstructions or improvements), p. 131 FR |
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Schools |
39,397 worked on (5,908 new schools built / 2,173 additions / 31,316 reconstructions or improvements), p. 131 FR |
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Recreational buildings (e.g., auditoriums, gymnasiums) |
15,252 worked on (8,696 new recreational buildings constructed / 657 additions / 5,899 reconstructions or improvements), p. 131 FR |
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Office and administrative buildings |
6,383 worked on (1,536 new buildings constructed / 323 additions / 4,524 reconstructions or improvements), p. 131 FR |
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Hospitals |
2,550 worked on (226 new hospitals built / 156 additions / 2,168 reconstructions or improvements), p. 131 FR |
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Penal institutions |
762 worked on (181 new penal institutions built / 38 additions / 543 reconstructions or improvements), p. 131 FR |
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Dormitories |
7,483 worked on (1,473 new dormitories built / 59 additions / 5,951 reconstructions or improvements), p. 131 FR |
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Firehouses |
2,709 worked on (325 new firehouses built / 72 additions / 2,312 reconstructions or improvements), p. 131 FR |
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Garages |
4,789 worked on (2,522 new garages built / 231 additions / 2,036 reconstructions or improvements), p. 131 FR |
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Storage buildings |
6,297 worked on (2,368 new storage buildings built / 179 additions / 3,750 reconstructions or improvements), p. 131 FR |
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Armories |
910 worked on (357 new armories built / 65 additions / 488 reconstructions or improvements), p. 131 FR |
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Barns and stables |
6,176 worked on (1,930 new constructions / 81 additions / 4,165 reconstructions or improvements), p. 131 FR |
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Other public buildings |
31,328 worked on (9,391 new buildings constructed / 691 additions / 21,246 reconstructions or improvements), p. 131 FR |
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Stadiums, grandstands, and bleachers |
3,228 worked on (2,302 new constructions / 129 additions / 797 reconstructions or improvements), p. 131 FR |
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Fairgrounds and rodeo grounds |
337 worked on (52 new constructions / 5 additions / 280 reconstructions or improvements), p. 131 FR |
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Parks |
8,192 worked on, covering 542,361 acres (1,668 new parks created, covering 75,152 acres / 189 additions, covering 7,214 acres / 6,335 reconstructions or improvements, covering 459,995 acres), p. 131 FR |
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Playgrounds (at schools and other locations) |
12,773 worked on (3,085 new playgrounds constructed / 107 additions / 9,581 reconstructions or improvements), p. 131 FR |
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Athletic fields |
5,551 worked on (3,026 new athletic fields constructed / 68 additions / 2,457 reconstructions or improvements), p. 131 FR |
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Handball courts |
1,974 worked on (1,817 new handball courts constructed / 157 reconstructions or improvements), p. 131 FR |
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Horseshoe courts |
2,414 worked on (2,261 new horseshoe courts constructed / 153 reconstructions or improvements), p. 131 FR |
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Tennis courts |
13,156 worked on (10,070 new tennis courts created / 3,086 reconstructions or improvements), p. 131 FR |
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Swimming and wading pools |
2,073 worked on (1,653 new pools constructed / 420 reconstructions or improvements), p. 131 FR |
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Ice skating areas |
1,185 worked on (1,101 new ice skating areas constructed / 84 reconstructions or improvements), p. 131 FR |
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Ski trails |
369 miles of ski trails worked on (310 new miles constructed / 59 miles reconstructed or improved), p. 131 FR |
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Ski jumps |
80 worked on (65 new ski jumps constructed / 15 reconstructions or improvements), p. 131 FR |
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Bandshells |
302 worked on (228 new bandshells constructed / 74 reconstructions or improvements), p. 131 FR |
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Outdoor theaters |
170 worked on (138 new outdoor theaters constructed / 32 reconstructions or improvements), p. 131 FR |
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Golf courses |
632 worked on (254 new golf courses constructed / 378 reconstructions or improvements), p. 131 FR |
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Recreation projects/initiatives developed & sponsored by local community committees included group dancing, indoor games, musical activities, photography, sketching, amateur dramatics, puppet shows, arts & crafts work, wildlife clubs, discussion groups, play centers for preschool children |
EVU, p. 60 FR |
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Electric power plants |
237 worked on (49 new electric power plants constructed / 17 additions / 171 reconstructions or improvements), p. 132 FR |
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Incinerator plants |
202 worked on (137 new incinerator plants worked on / 2 additions / 63 reconstructions or improvements), p. 132 FR |
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Pumping stations |
1,773 worked on (1,394 new pumping stations built / 17 additions / 362 reconstructions or improvements), p. 132 FR |
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Sewage treatment plants |
1,505 worked on (1,021 new sewage treatment plants constructed / 69 additions / 415 reconstructions or improvements), p. 132 FR |
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Water treatment plants |
455 worked on (276 new water treatment plants constructed / 18 additions / 161 reconstructions or improvements), p. 132 FR |
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Water mains and distribution lines |
19,775 miles worked on (16,117 miles of new water lines installed / 3,658 miles reconstructed or improved), p. 132 FR |
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Water consumer connections |
882,275 worked on (419,737 new connections installed / 462,538 reconstructions or improvements), p. 132 FR |
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Water wells |
5,939 worked on (3,985 new water wells constructed / 1,954 reconstructions or improvements), p. 132 FR |
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Storage tanks, reservoirs, etc. |
3,764 worked on, with a capacity of 26.4 billion gallons of water (3,026 new tanks, reservoirs, etc., constructed, with a capacity of 2.3 billion gallons / 738 reconstructions or improvements for 24.1 billion gallons of storage capacity), p. 132 FR |
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Storm and sanitary sewers |
27,635 miles of sewer worked on (24,271 miles of new construction / 3,364 miles of reconstruction or improvements), p. 132 FR |
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Sewerage service connections |
638,583 connections worked on (595,675 new connections made / 42,908 reconstructions or improvements), p. 132 FR |
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Manholes and catch basins |
1,238,302 worked on (815,292 new manholes and catch basins constructed / 423,010 reconstructions or improvements), p. 132 FR |
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Sanitary privies |
2,349,137 worked on (2,309,239 new sanitary privies constructed / 39,898 reconstructions or improvements), p. 132 FR |
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Mosquito control drainage (ditch and pipe) |
37,840 miles worked on (15,268 miles of new ditch & pipes / 22,572 miles of reconstructions or improvements), p. 132 FR |
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Telephone and telegraph lines |
6,256 miles worked on (3,904 miles of new lines installed / 2,352 miles of reconstructions or improvements), p. 132 FR |
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Police, fire alarm, and traffic signal systems |
3,456 miles worked on (1,606 miles of new lines installed / 1,850 miles of reconstruction or improvements), p. 132 FR |
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Electric power lines |
4,601 miles worked on (3,358 miles of new electric lines installed / 1,243 miles of reconstructions or improvements), p. 132 FR |
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Pipe lines, other than sewer and water |
848 miles worked on (727 miles of new pipe lines installed / 121 miles of reconstructions or improvements), p. 132 FR |
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Landing fields |
953 worked on, covering 167,284 acres (353 new landing fields constructed, covering 64,124 acres / 131 additions, covering 11,772 acres / 469 reconstructions or improvements, covering 91,388 acres), p. 132 FR |
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Runways |
5,925,000 linear feet worked on (4,763,000 linear feet of new runways constructed / 1,162,000 linear feet of reconstructions or improvements), p. 132 FR |
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Airport buildings--Total |
4,199 worked on (1,192 new airport buildings constructed / 180 additions / 2,827 reconstructions or improvements), p. 132 FR |
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Administrative and terminal buildings |
286 worked on (142 new admin. and terminal bldgs. constructed / 29 additions / 115 reconstructions and improvements), p. 132 |
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Hangars |
624 worked on (244 new hangars constructed / 16 additions / 364 reconstructions or improvements), p. 132 FR |
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Other airport buildings |
3,289 worked on (806 new airport buildings constructed / 135 additions / 2,348 reconstructions or improvements), p. 132 FR |
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Taxi strips |
1,129,000 linear feet worked on (1,076,000 linear feet of new taxi strips constructed / 53,000 linear feet of reconstructions or improvements), p. 132 FR |
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Aprons |
4,765,000 square yards worked on (4,240,000 square yards of new apron constructed / 525,000 square yards of reconstructions or improvements), p. 132 FR |
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Turning circles |
1,365,000 square yards worked on (1,229,000 square yards of new turning circles constructed / 136,000 square yards of reconstructions or improvements), p. 132 FR |
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Airport drainage |
Drainage systems worked on at 348 airports (new drainage systems constructed at 266 airports / reconstructions or improvements at 82 other airports), p. 132 FR |
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Airport drainage ditch and pipe |
10,448,000 linear feet worked on (9,724,000 linear feet of new ditch and pipe work / 724,000 linear feet of reconstructions or improvements), p. 132 FR |
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Landing areas floodlighted |
Floodlight work at 110 airports (new floodlights installed at 88 airports / reconstructions or improvements of floodlight systems at 22 other airports), p. 132 FR |
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Boundary lights—light standards (e.g., light poles) |
21,150 standards worked on (17,889 new light standards installed / 3,261 standards reconstructed or improved), p. 132 FR |
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Sea plane ramps and landing platforms |
30 worked on (27 new sea plane ramps and landing platforms constructed / 3 reconstructions or improvements), p. 132 FR |
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Airway markers |
17,269 worked on (13,857 new airway markers installed / 3,772 reconstructions or improvements), p. 132 FR |
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Airway beacons |
108 worked on (90 new airway beacons installed / 18 reconstructions or improvements), p. 132 FR |
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Drainage, other than road, airport, and mosquito control |
24,639 miles of ditch and pipe (6,691 miles of new ditch and pipe work / 17,948 miles of reconstructions or improvements), p. 132 FR |
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Fencing |
40,515 miles of fence (17,217 miles of new fence / 23,298 miles of reconstructions or improvements), p. 132 FR |
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Tunnels—Total |
1,215 worked on (1,057 new tunnels constructed / 158 reconstructions or improvements), p. 132 FR |
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Tunnels—vehicle tunnels |
26, p. 53 FR |
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Tunnels—pedestrian tunnels |
193, p. 53 FR |
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Tunnels—railway, sewer, or cattle tunnels |
800, p. 53 FR |
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Dams |
EVU, p. 53 FR. The WPA created and worked on a lot of dams, but the final report, surprisingly, seems to omit a statistical count |
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Docks, wharves, and piers |
728 worked on (364 new docks, wharves, and piers constructed / 364 (not a typo) reconstructions and improvements), p. 132 FR |
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Artificial channels, other than irrigation and drainage (one example of this might be the inlet/channel at Ocean City, Maryland, known to locals as the Ocean City Inlet. It’s a channel that connects Sinepuxent Bay to the Atlantic Ocean. A powerful storm created a rough opening/connection in the early 1930s, and the WPA assisted in converting the opening to an actual, functioning sea channel which required widening, dredging, and rip-rapping) |
297 miles of channels (98 new miles of artificial channels constructed / 199 miles of reconstructions or improvements), p. 132 FR |
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Boundary Surveys |
EVU, p. 54 FR |
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Geodetic Control Surveys
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EVU, p. 54 FR
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Maps
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EVU, p. 54 FR
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Riparian, Stream, and Hydrographic Surveys
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EVU, p. 54 FR
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Surveys of Underground Structures
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EVU, p. 54 FR
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Fish hatcheries |
455 worked on (161 new fish hatcheries constructed / 135 additions / 159 reconstructions or improvements), p. 132 FR |
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Construction of bird shelter houses, feeding stations, and sanctuaries
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EVU, p. 54 FR
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Destruction of noxious weeds
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EVU, p. 54 FR
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Protection of trees and crops from insects and diseases
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EVU, p. 54 FR
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Ranger station construction
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EVU, p. 54 FR
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Fire look-out tower construction
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EVU, p. 54 FR
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Firebreaks |
7,251 miles worked on (6,337 miles of new firebreaks constructed / 914 miles of reconstructions and improvements), p. 132 FR |
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Firefighting (cross-listed in disaster relief category) |
EVU. For example, see: “WPA Workers Called To Fight Forest Fires,” Associated Press article, in the Baltimore Sun, April 26, 1942, p. SS11. Also see Nick Taylor’s book “American-Made,” pp. 330-337 (2009 paperback edition). |
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Trees planted--reforestation |
176,636,000 trees planted, p. 132 FR |
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Oyster planting |
8,210,967 bushels of oysters planted, p. 132 FR |
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Levees and embankments |
1,674 miles worked on (591 miles of new levees and embankments constructed / 1,083 miles of reconstructions or improvements), p. 132 FR |
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Jetties and breakwaters |
200 miles worked on (193 miles of new jetties and breakwaters constructed / 7 miles of reconstructions and improvements), p. 132 FR |
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Bulkheads |
228 miles worked on (169 miles of new bulkheads constructed / 59 miles of reconstructions and improvements), p. 132 FR |
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Retaining walls and revetments |
1,955 miles worked on (1,820 miles of new retaining walls and revetments constructed / 135 miles of reconstructions or improvements), p. 132 FR |
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Riprap (large stones and rubble used to protect shorelines) |
19,314,000 square yards of surface worked on (17,323,000 square yards of new riprap laid down / 1,991,000 square yards of reconstructions or improvements), p. 132 FR |
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River bank and shore improvement |
4,419 miles improved, p. 132 FR |
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Streambed improvement |
8,262 miles improved, p. 132 FR |
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Erosion Control, various activities
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EVU, p. 54 FR |
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Irrigation systems (pipe and flume installation) |
6,690 miles worked on (1,351 miles of new pipe and flume installed / 5,339 miles of reconstructions or improvements), p. 132 FR |
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Sealing Old Mines
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EVU. 187,000 mines sealed in Penn. and Ohio alone, pp. 53-54 FR |
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Landscaping, other than roadside and parks (this probably means around public buildings and public areas like hospitals, schools, government administration buildings, cemeteries, etc.) |
211,240 acres, p. 132 FR |
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Ornamental pools and fountains (probably at parks, government buildings, airports, etc.) |
905 worked on (819 new ornamental pools and fountains constructed / 76 reconstructions or improvements), p. 132 FR |
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Construction of dykes and strengthening of levees
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EVU, p. 55 FR
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Delivery of food, clothing, and bedding for people in disaster area
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EVU, p. 55 FR
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Emergency repairs to infrastructure (e.g., roads and bridges)
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EVU, p. 55 FR
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Evacuation of people and property
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EVU, p. 55 FR
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Post-disaster clean up
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EVU, p. 55 FR |
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Rescue operations
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EVU. For example, see “Troops Act To Avert Looting In Flood-Torn Cumberland,” by Ralph L. Wallace, Baltimore Sun, March 19, 1936, p. 1 |
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Temporary reestablishment of utilities (e.g., water, electricity)
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EVU, p. 55 FR
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Firefighting (cross-listed in “environmental work” category) |
EVU. For example, see: “WPA Workers Called To Fight Forest Fires,” Associated Press article, in the Baltimore Sun, April 26, 1942, p. SS11. Also see Nick Taylor’s book “American-Made,” chapter “WPA Fights the ‘Ferocious Fire Demon,’” pp. 330-337 (2009 paperback edition). |
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Emergency clothing from sewing projects |
EVU, p. 67 FR |
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Access roads, strategic highways, and other transportation facilities certified as national defense projects |
EVU, p. 85 FR |
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Airports certified as national defense projects —landing fields |
378 worked on (141 new airports—landing fields constructed / 76 additions / 161 reconstructions or improvements), p. 86 FR |
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Airports certified as national defense projects —runways |
450+ miles of new or improved runways, p. 85 FR (linear feet shown on p. 86 FR) |
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Airport buildings certified as national defense projects —Total |
2,363 worked on (623 new airport buildings constructed / 80 additions / 1,660 reconstructions or improvements), p. 86 FR |
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Airport buildings certified as national defense projects —administrative |
98 worked on (49 new administrative buildings constructed / 6 additions / 43 reconstructions or improvements), p. 86 FR |
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Airport buildings certified as national defense projects —hangars |
136 worked on (39 new hangars constructed / 6 additions / 91 reconstructions or improvements), p. 86 FR |
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Airport buildings certified as national defense projects —other |
2,129 worked on (535 new buildings constructed / 68 additions / 1,526 reconstructions or improvements), p. 86 FR |
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Airport—seaplane ramps and landing platforms certified as national defense projects |
1 new construction, p. 86 FR |
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Airport—landing areas floodlighted certified as national defense projects |
29 (24 newly floodlighted and 5 reconstructions or improvements), p. 86 FR |
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Airport—boundary lights (light standards) certified as national defense projects |
9,630 worked on (8,309 new light standards / 1,321 reconstructions or improvements), p. 86 FR |
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Buildings certified as national defense projects, other than airport or utility plant buildings—Total |
14,493 worked on (2,716 new buildings constructed / 408 additions / 11,369 reconstructions or improvements), p. 86 FR |
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Administrative buildings certified as national defense projects |
394 worked on (63 new administration buildings constructed / 16 additions / 315 reconstructions or improvements), p. 86 FR |
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Hospitals and infirmaries certified as national defense projects |
414 worked on (45 new hospitals and infirmaries constructed / 48 additions / 321 reconstructions or improvements), p. 86 FR |
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Garages certified as national defense projects |
588 worked on (187 new garages constructed / 24 additions / 377 reconstructions or improvements), p. 86 FR |
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Storage buildings certified as national defense projects |
1,674 worked on (308 new storage buildings constructed / 42 additions / 1,324 reconstructions or improvements), p. 86 FR |
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Armories certified as national defense projects |
278 worked on (102 new armories constructed / 20 additions / 156 reconstructions or improvements), p. 86 FR |
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Equipment maintenance shops at military installations certified as national defense projects |
212 worked on (31 new equipment maintenance shops constructed / 7 additions / 174 reconstructions or improvements), p. 86 FR |
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Officers’ residences certified as national defense projects |
2,941 worked on (77 new officers’ residences constructed / 12 additions / 2,852 reconstructions or improvements), p. 86 FR |
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Barracks certified as national defense projects |
3,003 worked on (470 new barracks constructed / 10 additions / 2,523 reconstructions or improvements), p. 86 FR |
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Dining halls, mess halls, etc. certified as national defense projects |
1,726 worked on (438 new halls constructed / 154 additions / 1,134 reconstructions or improvements), p. 86 FR |
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Barns and stables certified as national defense projects |
112 worked on (23 new barns and stables constructed / 3 additions / 86 reconstructions or improvements), p. 86 FR |
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Other military buildings (e.g., guardhouses, latrines, tent floor & frames, range houses, observation posts) certified as national defense projects |
3,151 worked on (972 new buildings / 72 additions / 2,107 reconstructions or improvements), p. 86 FR |
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Electric power plants certified as national defense projects |
23 worked on (6 new electric power plants constructed / 2 additions / 15 reconstructions or improvements), p. 86 FR |
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Incinerator plants certified as national defense projects |
31 worked on (21 new incinerator plants constructed / 10 reconstructions or improvements), p. 86 FR |
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Heating plants certified as national defense projects |
32 worked on (6 new heating plants constructed / 2 additions / 24 reconstructions or improvements), p. 86 FR |
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Pumping stations certified as national defense projects |
61 worked on (41 new pumping stations constructed / 1 addition / 19 reconstructions or improvements), p. 86 FR |
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Sewage treatment plants certified as national defense projects |
23 worked on (18 new sewage treatment plants constructed / 1 addition / 4 reconstructed or improved), p. 86 FR |
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Water treatment plants certified as national defense projects |
11 worked on (7 new water treatment plants constructed / 1 addition / 3 reconstructions or improvements), p. 86 FR |
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Miscellaneous constructions certified as national defense projects —firing zones, target ranges, parachute landing fields, gun emplacements, combat training areas, trails, service roads, sidewalks & curbs, recreational areas, tunnels, sandbag revetments, barbed-wire fencing, alarm systems |
EVU, pp. 85-86 FR |
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Malaria control around military bases certified as national defense projects (e.g., draining swamps & ponds, clearing underbrush that obstructed draining, spreading larvicide) |
EVU, p. 86 FR |
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Engineering survey(s) certified as national defense projects |
EVU, p. 86 FR |
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Salvage activities certified as national defense projects —collecting metal and rubber |
EVU. “In the period from April 21, 1942 through March 2, 1943, WPA workers collected from agricultural and urban sources more than 376,000 tons of scrap metal and 10,000 tons of rubber.” p. 86 FR |
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Salvage activities certified as national defense projects —equipping salvage yards with cartways, inspection facilities, observation towers, electric lighting, and water lines |
EVU, p. 86 FR |
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Salvage activities certified as national defense projects —collecting abandoned streetcar rails |
148,000 tons, pp. 86-87 FR |
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Miscellaneous projects to serve military needs certified as national defense projects —education classes of various types (e.g., literacy), assistance with records, library services, sewing projects, various recreational activities, concerts performed, art projects (e.g., posters, maps, models, charts, other visual aids, camouflage experiments, decorations in military buildings), collecting weather statistics, health care services, nursery schools |
EVU, p. 87 FR |
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Garments and articles—Total |
500,550,000+, p. 133 FR |
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Men’s garments |
76,407,000+, p. 133 FR |
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Women’s garments |
86,425,000+, p. 133 FR |
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Boys’ garments |
67,325,000+, p. 133 FR |
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Girls’ garments |
78,117,000+, p. 133 FR |
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Infants’ garments |
45,344,000+, p. 133 FR |
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Diapers |
29,138,000+, p. 133 FR |
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Other articles (e.g., household articles, hospital gowns, military articles like canteen covers and blankets) |
117,794,000+, pp. 67-68, 133 FR |
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Visits made (housekeeping by WPA workers was provided to needy families during times of illness or emergency) |
32,171,000+ visits, pp. 69, 133 FR |
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Nursery schools. The WPA operated nursery schools for the children of working parents. This became especially important during the early years of the war, as many people entered the armed forces or defense industries. Many nursery school programs were continued by local communities after the WPA was terminated. |
EVU. 1,255 schools operated, with 35,299 children enrolled, for the selected statistical month of January 1942, p. 133 FR
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Health agencies operated |
EVU. 99 during the selected statistical month of January 1942, p. 133 FR (see pp. 69-70 FR for types of health care provided) |
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Mobile health services for schools and rural areas |
EVU, p. 69 FR |
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Tests and immunizations (e.g., vision tests, hearing tests, immunizations for diphtheria/typhoid fever/whooping cough/other diseases, cardiac tests for children |
EVU. 73,570 during the selected statistical month of January 1942, p. 133 FR |
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Health institutions assisted |
EVU. 225 during the selected statistical month of January 1942, p. 133 FR |
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Custodial institutions assisted |
EVU. 66 during the selected statistical month of January 1942, p. 133 FR |
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Clinics assisted |
EVU. 314 during the selected statistical month of January 1942, p. 133 FR |
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Other health agencies assisted |
EVU. 501 during the selected statistical month of January 1942, p. 133 FR |
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Dental exams for children |
EVU, p. 69 FR |
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Health and medical services for children and WPA nursery schools |
EVU, p. 61 FR |
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Monuments and historic markers |
1,385 worked on (1,238 new monuments and historic markers constructed / 147 reconstructions or improvements), p. 132 FR |
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Special federal project to preserve historic sites and structures (not much information is given in the Final Report on the WPA, but examples in Maryland include the Charles Carroll Mansion, Fort McHenry, and Antietam National Battlefield) |
EVU, p. 52 FR |
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Archaeological excavations |
EVU. See Nick Taylor’s book “American-Made,” chapter “Kentucky Archaeology,” pp. 368-374, 2009 paperback edition (there is also a photo of WPA workers at an archaeological dig site in Mr. Taylor’s book, in the second set of photos, courtesy of the National Archives) |
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Oral histories of former slaves (the “Slave Narratives,” cross-listed in the “writing projects” category) |
A WPA Federal Writers’ project, now stored at the Library of Congress Manuscript Division (no cite for this information, popularly known collection) |
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History writing/compilation: The WPA’s federal writers’ program wrote history and visitor guides for every state, as well as folk, and local histories for some areas (cross listed in the “writing projects” category) |
EVU, p. 65 FR and various other sources |
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Museum assistance, e.g., dioramas, models, maps, lantern slides, other visual aids, exhibit creation, classification and indexing |
EVU, p. 63 FR |
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Historic American Buildings Survey: “started under the (Civil Works Administration), was continued by the WPA under the sponsorship of the Department of the Interior, with the technical assistance of the National Park Service, and with the guidance of the Library of Congress and the American Institute of Architects. This work consisted of making photographs, measurements, and standard architectural drawings of buildings of historic importance for transmission to the Fine Arts Division of the Library of Congress.” |
EVU, p. 67 FR |
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Historic Records Survey: “The work of this project consisted of locating, arranging, and cataloging historical records; of preparing and publishing inventories of these records for the use of historical and other students; and of transcribing, photographing, or otherwise preserving records of special historical value that were in danger of loss or destruction. These records were chiefly the archives of State, county, city, and town governments; but they also included church archives and other manuscript materials and early American imprints (books and newspapers).” (Cross-listed under “research & records projects” category) |
EVU. “More than a thousand volumes of inventories of Federal, State, county, city, town, and church archives were published,” p. 67 FR |
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Historic American Marine Survey: “measured drawings of early American vessels from original plans, models, and remains, supplementing these with photographs and historical material. This record of the development of American marine architecture was deposited with the National Museum (Smithsonian Institution).” |
EVU, p. 67 FR |
| Index of American Design plates (the Index of American Design “was a series of portfolios of faithful drawings, in color, illustrating the rise and development of the decorative and applied arts in (America), form earliest colonial times to the end of the nineteenth century.” Cross listed in the "Art" category |
21,765+, pp. 64, 133 FR |
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Nation-wide Historical Records Survey project (see description under “history & historic preservation” category; cross-listed there) |
EVU, pp. 59, 60 FR |
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Research and records projects, e.g., surveys and studies (social science, economics, health, housing, land use, industrial accidents, diseases, juvenile delinquency, vehicle traffic, governmental organization), research assistance in state universities (technical, clerical, & manual assistance, scholarly research), land records, indexing deeds and mortgages, mapping, tax records, fingerprint files, codifying municipal ordinances, selecting safe routes for children going to school in conjunction with the traffic surveys |
EVU, pp. 59, 65-67 |
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Writing projects included history and tour guides for every state, local histories, local folklore compilations, science readers for children, and “various other types of books and pamphlets,” e.g., American Wildlife Illustrated and A Guide to the United States Naval Academy (cross-listed in the “history & historic preservation” category) |
EVU, p. 65 FR and various other sources. 276 full-length books and 701 pamphlets, see Nick Taylor’s book “American-Made,” p. 524, citing scholarly and news sources (2009 paperback edition) |
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Oral histories of former slaves (the “Slave Narratives,” cross-listed in the “history & historic preservation” category) |
A WPA Federal Writers’ project, now stored at the Library of Congress Manuscript Division (no cite for this information, popularly known collection) |
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Concerts performed |
5,974 concerts performed, and 2,423,217+ persons attending, during the selected statistical month of January 1942, p. 133 FR. 225,000 total concerts performed for 150 million audience members, See Nick Taylor’s book “American-Made,” p. 523, citing scholarly and news sources (2009 paperback edition) |
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Radio broadcasts |
EVU. 112 broadcasts during the selected statistical month of January 1942, p. 133 FR |
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Music projects, e.g., symphony orchestras, small orchestral ensembles, string quartets, chamber music ensembles, opera concerts, vocal ensembles, solo vocalists, dance orchestras, theater orchestras, music teaching, copying of music, music libraries, music tours, radio programs, new compositions and performances by young musicians, performances for the armed services, music therapy experiments in psychiatric hospitals |
EVU, pp. 63-64 FR |
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Index of American Composers and Compositions (not completed, but information sent to Library of Congress) |
EVU, p. 64 FR |
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Index of American Design plates (the Index of American Design “was a series of portfolios of faithful drawings, in color, illustrating the rise and development of the decorative and applied arts in (America), form earliest colonial times to the end of the nineteenth century.” |
21,765+, pp. 64, 133 FR |
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Easel works |
108,099+, p. 133 FR |
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Fine print designs |
11,285+, p. 133 FR |
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Murals |
2,566+, p. 133 FR |
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Sculptures |
17,744+, p. 133 FR |
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Various other art projects, e.g., graphic arts, plastic arts, handicraft work, posters, art exhibits for educational work, art instruction, oil paintings, water colors, etchings, sculptures, mosaics, stained glass, decorating public buildings (schools, libraries, hospitals, etc.), murals in public buildings, lithographs, woodcuts, galleries & exhibitions, and decorative tapestries, curtains, rugs, ceramics, ironwork, and furniture |
Almost 475,000 total works of art (including the above works of art). See Nick Taylor’s book “American-Made,” p. 524, citing scholarly and news sources (2009 paperback edition). Also see p. 64 FR. |
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Theater Projects included regular theater plays, marionette shows, circuses, musical comedies, light operas, African American productions, foreign language productions |
EVU, p. 65 FR. Performances for 30 million people, See Nick Taylor’s book “American-Made,” p. 524, citing scholarly and news sources (2009 paperback edition). |
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Food canning |
84,987,000+ quarts of food canned, p. 133 FR |
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Food drying |
11,448,000+ pounds of food dried, p. 133 FR |
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School lunches served |
1,237,133,000+, p. 133 FR |
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Schools serviced |
EVU. During the selected statistical time period July 1, 1942 through December 31, 1942, 79,281,000 school lunches were served to students at 17,533 schools, p. 133 FR |
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Lunches for malnourished school children during summer break |
EVU, p. 68 FR |
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Gardening for food production: Gardens were created for needy families to grow their own vegetables |
EVU, pp. 59, 68 FR |
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Cotton surplus used to create mattresses for needy families |
EVU, p. 68 FR |
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Copying books into Braille
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EVU, p. 68 FR |
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Artificial legs for needy persons |
EVU, p. 68 FR |
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Furniture designed for children enrolled at WPA nursery schools |
EVU, p. 68 FR |
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Surplus commodity distribution: “Surplus supplies of food, clothing, and other commodities donated or purchased by Federal, State, or other agencies were transported, warehoused, and distributed through the assistance of WPA projects to needy persons, public institutions, or other WPA projects.” |
EVU, p. 69 FR |
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Toys for the children of low-income families: The WPA made toys, repaired toys, created toy-lending libraries, and periodically gave away toys |
EVU, p. 70 FR and various other sources. A 1940 Associated Press article reported that WPA workshops would distribute 2 million toys to underprivileged children for Christmas. “WPA To Distribute Toys,” Baltimore Sun, December 15, 1940, p. 11. |
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Other welfare services: Shoe-repair, matron service for schools, cleaning and renovating buildings |
EVU, p. 70 FR |
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Library service systems operated |
EVU. 270 during the selected statistical period of April 1, 1942 through June 30, 1942, p. 133 FR |
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Library service system units operated |
EVU. 1,253 during the selected statistical period of April 1, 1942 through June 30, 1942, p. 133 FR |
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Independent libraries operated |
EVU. 1,669 during the selected statistical period of April 1, 1942 through June 30, 1942, p. 133 FR |
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Libraries assisted (e.g., clerical work, cataloging, indexing, bibliographical work) |
EVU. 4,383 during the selected statistical period of April 1, 1942 through June 30, 1942, pp. 62, 133 FR |
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Library service to rural areas, by bookmobile and horseback |
EVU, p. 60 FR; also see Nick Taylor’s book “American-Made,” chapter “Kentucky’s Packhorse Library,” pp. 221-227 |
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Books repaired (e.g., rebinding, missing & damaged pages restored, cleaning) |
94,706,000+, pp. 62, 133 FR
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“…free legal advice was given by lawyers to relief clients and to other persons who could not afford to pay for such services; advice was given on attachment and garnishment, the rights of landlord and tenant, civil rights, and other legal matters exclusive of trial work.” |
EVU, p. 70 FR |
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Recreation program and professional standards developed |
p. 59 FR |
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Nursery schools standards developed |
p. 59 FR |
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Adult education methods developed |
p. 59 FR |
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New engineering techniques and equipment developed in WPA programs |
p. 54 FR
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Standards developed for operating school lunch rooms (e.g., sanitation) |
p. 68 FR |
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Literacy and naturalization classes |
EVU. 98,646 persons enrolled during the selected statistical month of January 1942, p. 133 FR |
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Vocational training classes, e.g., business English and arithmetic, accounting, bookkeeping, stenography, typing, office machine use, carpentry & woodworking, tool making, welding, radio & telegraphy, mechanical drafting, electrical work |
EVU. 55,412 persons enrolled during the selected statistical month of January 1942, pp. 90, 133 FR |
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Correspondence classes |
EVU. 8,700 persons enrolled during the selected statistical month of January 1942, p. 133 FR |
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Homemaking and parent education classes |
EVU. 87,218 persons enrolled during the selected statistical month of January 1942, p. 133 FR |
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Other classes (e.g., workers’ education, biology, economics, literature, public speaking, parliamentary procedure) |
EVU. 165,746 persons enrolled during the selected statistical month of January 1942, pp. 61, 133 FR |
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Lectures and forums |
EVU. 59,985 persons enrolled during the selected statistical month of January 1942, p. 133 FR |
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Special instruction to institutionalized and handicapped persons |
EVU. 6,719 persons enrolled during the selected statistical month of January 1942, p. 133 FR |
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Special instruction to isolated persons |
EVU. 103 persons enrolled during the selected statistical month of January 1942, p. 133 FR |
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Music instruction |
EVU. 174,917 persons enrolled during the selected statistical month of January 1942, pp. 63-64, 133 FR |
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Art instruction |
EVU. 25,068 persons enrolled during the selected statistical month of January 1942, p. 133 FR |
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Education in avocational and leisure-time activities |
EVU. p. 61 FR |
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Placement in appropriate WPA jobs: Where possible, the WPA tried to assign workers to jobs that would maintain their existing skills |
EVU. p. 90 FR |
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Foreman and supervisor training: Sometimes the WPA would hire foreman and supervisors from the general public, and not from the relief rolls. Other times, WPA workers would be promoted to foreman and supervisor jobs. For the latter group, training was provided to teach them project planning skills, safety standards, measurements techniques, etc. |
By 1939, 46,000 WPA foremen had completed such training, p. 90 FR |
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Household worker training, to teach cooking, cleaning, child care, etc. |
From July 1, 1935 through March 31, 1942, 22,000 people had completed the WPA household workers’ training, and 17,000 found private sector jobs, p. 90 FR |
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National defense-type job training, e.g., automobile services, aviation services, construction, drafting, electrical services, forge, foundry, machine shop, pattern making, radio services, riveting, sheet metal, ship & boat building & repair, welding, woodworking |
“In the period from July 1, 1940 through December 15, 1942, more than 330,000 WPA workers received training on the vocational training school projects…”, p. 91 FR |
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In-Plant preemployment training: WPA workers were placed in factories, producing items such as parachutes and Diesel engines, for job training; and many were hired by the factories after their training period was over |
EVU, p. 92 FR |
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Women trained for national defense work: As demand for labor increased, women were trained to operate various machinery (e.g., lathes, drill presses, tool grinders), electrical assembly, motor testing and repair, blueprint reading |
EVU. As of August 18, 1942, “more than 8,200 women were employed on WPA training projects,” p. 92 FR |
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The physically disabled were trained for national defense work, e.g., machine operation, sheet metal work |
EVU, p. 92 FR |
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Airport servicemen training, e.g., maintenance of airports, hangar care, servicing or airplanes and airport equipment, aircraft and engine mechanics |
2,000+ WPA workers rec’d training in this program, p. 92 FR |
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Hospital training, e.g, ward helpers, orderlies, housekeeping, kitchen work, first aid, care of children, care of the aged, care of the mentally disabled |
EVU, p. 93 FR |
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Employment—direct |
8.5 million different Americans obtained work in the WPA between 1935 and 1943, p. III FR |
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Employment—indirect |
EVU. Many times, the WPA hired private contractors to assist with certain projects. Also, there was increased demand for local building products, since the WPA’s policy was to purchase construction materials from local businesses. Further, since people employed in the WPA now had paychecks, they could buy more goods and services (assuming, of course, that their paychecks were higher than any relief payments they may have been getting before). In sum, the hiring of private contractors, and the increased demand for construction supplies, and the increased demand for consumer goods and services led to some degree of increased hiring. This is basic labor economics. This is also evidenced by the fact that the unemployment rate—even excluding Americans in work programs (mainly the WPA and CCC)—dropped every year of the WPA’s existence (compared to the previous year) except for 1938, when the federal government prematurely reduced funding for the WPA (the so-called “Roosevelt Recession”). In any event, the amount of indirect job creation by the WPA is not currently known. |
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Employment—WPA-to-private sector transitioning. By various methods (see category “education & job training”) the WPA assisted its workers in finding private sector employment. |
EVU, pp. 90-93 FR |
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I chose 1930 as the start year, to show some economic numbers after the Stock Market Crash of 1929. I chose 1940 as the end year—the year before war production really “kicked-in” and started to boost the economy in an exaggerated manner.) |
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Unemployment rates Key happenings:
************************************** 1929: Stock market crash
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Data from Robert A. Margo, “Employment and Unemployment in the 1930s,” Journal of Economic Perspectives, Vol. 7 No. 2 (Spring 1993), pp. 41-59. Counting people in government work programs as employed: 1930: 8.7% 1931: 15.3% 1932: 22.9% 1933: 20.6% 1934: 16.0% 1935: 14.2% 1936: 9.9% 1937: 9.1% 1938: 12.5% 1939: 11.3% 1940: 9.5%
1930: 8.7% 1931: 15.9% 1932: 23.6% 1933: 24.9% 1934: 21.7% 1935: 20.1% 1936: 16.9% 1937: 14.3% 1938: 19.0% 1939: 17.2% 1940: 14.6% |
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Gross Domestic Product (% increase or decrease from the previous year, in current dollars) Key happenings: 1929: Stock market crash
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Data from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, http://www.bea.gov
1931: –16.1% 1932: –23.2% 1933: –3.9% 1934: +17.0% 1935: +11.1% 1936: +14.3% 1937: +9.7% 1938: – 6.3% 1939: +7.0% 1940: +10.0% |
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Dow Jones Industrial Average Key happenings: 1929: Stock market crash
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Data from Dow Jones & Co., http://djaverages.com
1931: 78 1932: 60 1933: 99 1934: 104 1935: 143 1936: 181 1937: 122 1938: 154 1939: 150 1940: 131 |
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Post-war economy |
After World War II America experienced an economic boom. Private businesses made use of (among other things) WPA built roads, bridges, and airports to expand operations and move goods & services. WPA-educated citizens helped provide a productive workforce for America. WPA-built schools helped educate successive generations of Americans. WPA-created parks, stadiums, and athletic fields provided a steady flow of customers to nearby businesses. Like the pre-war economy there were numerous factors affecting the economy, but certainly the work of the WPA played a substantial role in America’s post-war prosperity. |
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