Under, j»he authorizations of CohgreSsT"the orgahTiatUon of WPa in
Illinois began on J\ily 1, 1935* The first workers went to work on WPA projects on
August 16, 1935. Something of the gravity of the conditions WPA wus intended to
relieve is indicated by the fact that during the month of May 1934» 13-5^ of the
total population of the State of Illinois, according to the 193^ census, or
1«033.527 persons, received public relief. During the intervening three yeurs,
the number of persons at work has vuried from the small number who went to work in
late August of 1935 to the 24919&3 persons who were actually at work during the
week ending August 31• 1938.
Some measure of the achievements that these WPA workers have realized
during the intervening months is indicated by the following condensed summaries
taken from the official records recently forwarded to Washington, ending as of
June 30, 1938.
SERVICaS TO AVIaTION
Under the general direction of the United States airway officials and
local airport engineers, WPA workmen have put in many improvements affecting avi¬
ation throughout Illinois. These improvements have included the development of
fifteen air markers, repairs and improvements on ten airports, including the
Chicago airport, and the laying of 582,987 square yards of runways. In addition,
one new airfield has been built at Moline, and 89,382 square yards of new runways
have been placed.
IMPROVEMENTS TO CITY STREETS
AND SIDEWALKS
Local officials throughout the state have used WPA workmen to improve
streets and public sidewalks. The records show that 1,133 miles of new streets
have been built, which would reach from Chicago to Portland, Maine. In these im¬
provements, 1,583,457 linear feet of new curbing have been installed, and 200,976
linear feet of new paved gutters have been placed. The records show that WPA
workmen have laid l6,194»244 square feet of public paved walks ai„. have developed
1,867,872 square feet of public unpaved walks.
FARM-TO-MARKET ROADS
County and township road officials in hundreds of townships throughout
the state have made good use of WPA workmen to carry out improvements on rural
di*t roa-da. The records show that repairs, such as drainage, grading, and resur-
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iual to eiu
der at South
Beloit to Cairo. In the course of these improvements , WPA workmen have put in
improvements on 2,l6o existing bridges and have constructed 1,895 new bridges.
They have also installed 25.189 culverts and have dug 12 ,218,866 linear feet of
open roadside ditches in efforts to get rid of surface waters along these roads.
In an effort to protect autoists at dangerous points along these rural roads, 1/VPA.
workmen have repaired 1+6,218 linear feet of guard rails and guard walls, and have
erected 87.760 linear feet of new guard rails and guard walls.
BETTER DRAINAGE & SEWER FACILITIES
Many local officials in towns and villages throughout the State have
utilized WPA workmen to achieve improvements in their drainage and sewer systems.
In the course of these improvements, WPA workmen have installed 1,386 .355 linear
feet of trunk line sewers and 1 ,268,404 linear feet of lateral sewers. They have
also completed 13,^72 new service connections and have constructed 16,385 new
man holes. In order to reduce the incidence of fly-born diseases, WPa workmen
have erected and placed on site 19.197 fly-proof sanitary toilets. In the efforts
to prevent flooding of villages and towns, local officials have used WPA workmen
to raise and improve 283»9°9 linear feet of existing levees and embankments, and
have constructed, with the aid of WPA workers, 81,652 linear feet of new levees
and embankments.
IMPROVED WATER SUPPL'/ SYSTEMS
In scores of towns and villages the local officials have secured im¬
provements to their water supply systems by utilizing the work of WPA labor gangs. .
In the course of these improvements, they have placed 1,312,439 linear feet of
new water mains. They have completed 7.555 new consumer connections, and have
also completed repairs and improvements on 5.475.414 linear feet of water mains,
and have repaired 41.972 existing consumer connections.
INCREASED RECREATIONAL FACILITIES
The officials of Park Boards, recreation commissions, and public
schools have developed many parks, athletic fields, playgrounds, and other re¬
creational facilities with the aid of WPA workmen. The records show that 75 new
athletic fields have been developed and 67 new parks, with a total of 2,669 acres.
The improvements on these parks and athletic fields consist of 15 school playgrounds,
36 park playgrounds ,27 new swimming pools ,206 new tennis courts, 4gymnosiums, 92 closed
x'ioIds 'ffikci
BETTER LIBRARY SERVICES
Under the guidance of the State Library Board and with the backing of
many local library bourds, WPA workera have improved library service throughout
the State. Something of the detail of these services follows: 172 additional
reading rooms have been made available with a total of 14 ,403 new volumes for the
readers. 34^ new branch libraries have been established, with the aid of WPA
librarians and through them a total of 107»783 volumes have been made available to
readers. In the rural districts, 23 new traveling libraries have been developed
and operated carrying 73»408 additional books to the reading public in rural dis¬
tricts. 1/VPa workers, mostly women, have cleaned, repaired, re-backed, and rebound
a total of 748»508 school books and 1 ,001 ,190 library books, thus increasing the
use of these books to the reading public.
DIRECTED RECREATION ACTIVITIES
In a period when leisure was greatly increased, the problem of public
recreation pressed in practically every community throughout the state for attention.
The state officials of the YlipA recreational program have trained 4,037 young men
and women from various communities throughout the state to carry on and direct
recreational activities in their communities# These workers have operated 515
community centers with a daily average attendance of 320,220 persons. They have
also been able to interest thousands of youths ana children in arts and handicraft
classes, and the records show a total of 6,768,932 participants in the various
athletic games and contests. Many of these, of course, participating in several
games or contests in the course of the months.
SERVICES TO RELIEF FAMILIES
Much has been done by WPA women workers to ease the distressed con¬
ditions in families who have been depressed by several years of unemployment and
dependence on public relief grants. The housekeeping aide program has proven very
effective in helping relief families. These aides are competent women from relief
families who would otherwise be dependent on local relief funds, who are employed
and trained. To June 30, 1938, the housekeeping aides nave made a total of
574»3l6 visits to 61,676 different relief families. Doctors are unanimous in
their praise of the results of these visits of the housekeeping aides. They see
and approve the lasting benefits derived by families aided through the instruction
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-preparing Tu. st meals, in the proper care of children and sick and old people,
and in household and personal cleanliness and sanitation is proving valuable to
the families served, not only at the present time, but to the future generations.
A very interesting form of assistance to relief families has been
developed through the WPA sewing rooms. In these sewing rooms, women wage earners
from relief families, who otherwise would be dependent on public relief funds,
have been employed and trained to make clothing for distribution among relief
families. Many relief families, after several years of unemployment and living on
short relief funds, have been facing a real shortage of decent clothing. This
has been especially hard on children and youth going to high school. The women in
the WPA sewing rooms have produced garments from surplus goods purchased £rom
distressed manufacturers. They are well made, stylish, and very useful in relief
families. Up to June 30, 1938, these WPA women workers, with a few men heJfQ and
there working as cutters or laborers, produced 1,249 ,678 men's garments, 2,777,120
women's garments, 1,075,389 boys' garments, 1,747,779 girls' garments, 1,614,333
articles of infants' clothing, and 2,028,763 small household articles, such as
sheets, pillowcases, towels, etc.
The garments thus produced have been turned over to local relief
authorities in communities throughout the state for distribution to relief families
and persons known to be in need of clothing and without funds to buy from local
merchants.
In reviewing this partial list of achievements of 'WPA workers in
Illinois, one finds that the WPA activities have not only realized their original
purpose of providing work and security wages for families who would otherwise be
dependent on local relief funds, but are leaving tangible and useful improvements
in every community in the state whose local officials have been far-seeing, enough
to realize the position of their local unemployed and to sponsor useful ajjd needed
projects.