Lake Maxinkuckee Its Intrigue History & Genealogy Culver, Marshall, Indiana

Culver WPA Projects



The Works Progress Administration (WPA; renamed in 1939 as the Work Projects Administration) was an American New Deal agency that employed millions of jobseekers (mostly men who were not formally educated) to carry out public works projects, including the construction of public buildings and roads. It was set up on May 6, 1935, by presidential order, as a key part of the Second New Deal.

The WPA supplied paid jobs to the unemployed during the Great Depression in the United States, while building up the public infrastructure of the US, such as parks, schools, and roads.

The WPA was a federal program that ran its own projects in cooperation with state and local governments, which supplied 10–30% of the costs. Usually, the local sponsor provided land and often trucks and supplies, with the WPA responsible for wages (and for the salaries of supervisors, who were not on relief).

It was liquidated on June 30, 1943, because of low unemployment during World War II.

Local WPA Projects Getting Under Way

    Sidewalk, Curb, Street Lights and Park Work Started by Town Board

    Culver's WPA program was launched Tuesday morning when 27 men reported for duty and were assigned to various squads, covering the building of sidewalks and curb and gutters, trimming of trees, street grading, erection of boulevard light poles, and im-provement of Vandalia Park.

    The first street work is the building of a retaining wall at the foot of Baker street to stop washouts.

    The placing of the light poles started this morning and will continue until the 60 poles are in place. It is expected that the cable will arrive this week and the placing of the wires will also be handled by this crew.

    Removing Large Tree

    The tree trimmers are removing the large tree at the postoffice corner that was recently split by lightning. A boulevard light will be placed there instead.

    Work on improving the park will be started this week with the building of a roadway from the foot of Washington street into the park so that trucks will not have to cross the railroad tracks.

    Then dirt will be moved from the town property on Bunker Hill to fill in the lake front and low spots in the park.

    Sidewalk and curb and gutter construction will also get under way as soon as property owners agree to have the work done. The following price scale has been set: four inch depth sidewalks at 8 cents per square foot, and combination curb and gutter at 17 cents per lineal foot. These figures cover cost of material only as the labor is furnished by WPA, allowing property owners to make these improvements

    at a great saving.

    The board points out that while the projects are the town's the board has no voice in the hiring of workmen as all of this is done by the district relief office at South Bend.


1936 - Dec 16 - WFA Men to be Shifted From Town to Airport
    The two crews of WPA work men who have been under foremen Harry Menser and Charles Asper have been assigned to work on the airport project, effective December 28th.

    These men have ben working on the Bunker Hill parking area, improving streets, and laying curbs and sidewalks. The reduction of WPA workmen on town projects will not affect the bath house construction work