Dallas District Four - Works Progess Administration

The stock market crash of 1929 began an unprecedented economic decline in the United States. It precipitated a business depression that closed factories, put millions of people out of work, ruined many banks, and tested the collective will of the country as the "Roaring Twenties" gave way to the "Depressing Thirties."

With several million men and women looking for work, with jobs not to be found, the federal government intervened. Under the leadership of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Congress laid the legislative groundwork for the New Deal, a program aimed at the Three R's: relief, recovery, and reform. In 1935, the Works Progress Administration (WPA) began to put people back to work.

During it's eight-year existence, the WPA provided jobs for nearly nine million people at a cost of $11 billion for blue and white collar workers, both skilled and unskilled.

In the State of Texas, twelve districts ultimately were designated to coordinate and manage the WPA activities. The Fourth District of Texas, referred to as Dallas District Four, comprised fourteen counties, including Collin, Cooke, Dallas, Delta, Denton, Fannin, Grayson, Hopkins, Hunt, Kaufman, Lamar, Rains, Rockwall, and Van Zandt.

Development and implementation of the multiple works of the District were effected through programs of this Division of Professional and Service Projects, including:

(1)District-wide projects: Public Records, Adult Education, Library Service, Nursery Schools, School Lunch, Recreation, Housekeeping Aide, Sewing Rooms, and the distribution of Surplus Commodities; and:

(2)Local projects: Population and Mobility Survey, Water Meter Records and Water Rate Study, Municipal Tax Research, Building Manual, Vital Statistics, Technical High School Records, Museum Service, Music, Shoe Repair, Matron Service, Household Worker Training, Occupational Research, and Writing.

For skilled craftsmen and common laborers, as well as many engineers and draftsmen, there was no lack of work for which they were suited. Almost every city was clamoring for roads and sewers, schools and public buildings, parks and playgrounds for which there were no adequate local funds to meet the labor cost. Many construction projects, through WPA's Public Works, were quickly and easily set up.

However, the Public Works did not provide for an almost equally large class of unemployed workers, including clerks, stenographer, bookkeepers, teachers, artists, writers, musicians, handicraftsmen, seamstresses, and housewives. This class head suffered from the depression almost as much as mechanics, laborers, and engineers. It was for them that the Division of Profession and Service Projects was created.

From the guide to the WPA Records - Dallas District Four MA91. 3., 1935-1942, (Texas/Dallas History & Archives, Dallas Public Library)