WPA Drainage Areas are Historic Landmarks

You may not know much about history, but Emmaus Patch is going to help change that. Every Friday in July, you're invited to join Peggy Heminitz for a brief history lesson. Peg will share a local photograph and some historical fact about the place we call home. We promise there won't be any tests!

This week, we're focusing on the drainage areas built through the Works Projects Administration:

One of several drainage areas built during the eight-year Work Projects Administration (WPA) program located along Churchview Road in Old Zionsville. These areas are considered historical landmarks in the township.

The WPA was the largest and most ambitious New Deal agency to offer work to the many unemployed United States citizens between 1935 and 1943. Nearly eight million workers carried out public works projects, including the construction of public buildings and roads. Most communities in the United States had a park, bridge or school constructed by WPA.

By June 30, 1943, when the WPA was officially terminated, more than 8.5 million people were employed on 1.41 million individual projects, and about $11 billion was spent.

During its eight-year history, the WPA built 651,087 miles of highways, roads, and streets and constructed, repaired, or improved:

• 124,031 bridges
• 125,110 public buildings
• 8,192 parks
• 853 airport landing fields.