WPA PROJECTS CONTRIBUTED GREATLY TO CAPE GIRARDEAU, NATION

Today, May 6, is the 57th anniversary of the establishment of the Works Progress Administration, better known as the WPA. The agency was established by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt not long after he was elected.

The country was suffering from a depression and massive unemployment. The agency, a brain child of Franklin's, was to assist in putting able-bodied men to work without breeding a dole system.

Until Roosevelt, with the backing of Congress, created the WPA, nothing but discouragement faced the unemployed in 1935.

The Great Depression began when the stock market crashed on Oct. 29, 1929. It lasted 10 years, until the outbreak of World War II, when war preparations opened new jobs for both skilled and unskilled workers and gave work to women as well as men. It was a turning point in the lifestyles of Americans.

Those who lived through the Great Depression recall Roosevelt's fireside chats that always began with his greeting, "My Friends...." Tour groups at the White House today are shown the room and fireplace where Roosevelt sat when he addressed the nation during those trying years, when pulling together was important.

In announcing creation of the WPA to solve the unemployment problem, Roosevelt said the agency would be directed by Henry L. Hopkins. It would give work to able-bodied men who would help the nation by working on needed projects throughout the country. The work would be done by semi-skilled and unskilled labor, and would not interfere with private enterprise. That meant WPA projects would involve construction of public facilities.

When WPA went into effect, unemployment was put at 3.5 million people, although the figure actually was twice that. Wages were very low. It is hard to believe, but a railroad track-walker earned $1 and a "button" (a dime) a day, and the scale of other unskilled labor ranged from 25 cents to 50 cents a day. Food was cheap. Bread was five cents a loaf and coffee 25 cents a pound or less.

Hopkins set up divisions in every state and sought local sponsors for the work. Matt Murray was in charge of Missouri. Charles Blanton, publisher of the Sikeston Standard, was in charge of the Sikeston-Cape Girardeau-Jackson District, and individuals were in charge of certain projects in each city.

The average wage per month for labor was $54.33. WPA worked because people pulled together.

One of the WPA projects involved helping George Naeter develop the Ten Mile Rose Garden between Cape Girardeau and Jackson in the 1930s. With the help of the special road district and garden clubs, WPA workers planted 9,000 Paul Scarlet roses, 1,317 evergreens and some 14,000 other specimens along the right of way. A citizens committee raised $110,000 for what was the most extensive beautification work in Missouri.

The Ten Mile Garden came about through a united effort. The same was true in developing Arena Park, the fourth site of the Southeast Missouri District Fair, and the A.C. Brase Arena Building in the park, on which the WPA and PWA (Public Works Administration) supplied labor.

A 14.83-acre tract was purchased from Mrs. Iska Carmack, 19 acres for the park entrance from Mr. and Mrs. Lee James, 13.02 acres from Charles W. Nothdurft, and one-half acre from Jesse Millikan. That original 47 acres has been enlarged to almost 100 acres today.

WPA labor constructed the race track, the 3,000-seat grandstand, and a 125-by-170-foot community arena, which was a prefabricated quonset hut that has been modernized several times. The late A.C. Brase was so interested in the building, as well as Arena Park, that the Arena Building is named in his memory.

WPA labor in Cape Girardeau also extended North Main, did levee work, added to parks, made roads improvements, rebuilt Civil War Fort D for special groups, razed old Lorimier school that was built in 1872, and assisted in building new Lorimier school with $57,000 from a PWA matching grant. The Lorimer school building serves as City Hall, having been sold in January 1976 to the city.

WPA also removed most of the old street car tracks for scrap-iron for use in World War II ammunitions.

Throughout Southeast Missouri, the agency's contributions were manifold in road construction; park improvements; art work such as the mural in the Jackson Post Office; writers projects on "Guide to Missouri;" sponsorship of cooking, sewing, canning, weaving and school-lunch programs; and drawing, painting, and adult-education classes.

The Salvation Army supplied thousands of meals to residents of the city who needed assistance.

On July 1, 1939, Roosevelt established the Federal Works Agency by consolidating five agencies: Public Buildings Administration, Public Roads Administration, WPA, PWA, and the U.S. Housing Authority.

During its eight years, WPA nationally employed about 8.5 million people at a total cost of $11 billion.

WPA's contributions were well done and remain today as permanent additions in the area and throughout the United States.