There is a stretch of sidewalk which I use on my daily run. Each three-foot slab of concrete which makes up the sidewalk is stamped with the letters “WPA”. I learned about the WPA in junior high school yet, in the few years between Junior High and today, I had forgotten what the letters stood for. So, I researched it.
The “Works Progress Administration” or “WPA”, was part of the New Deal of Franklin D. Roosevelt created in 1935. This government agency employed millions of Americans who were unemployed due to the affects of the Great Depression. The goal of the WPA was to employ those who were out of work until the economy recovered. People who were employed by the WPA ranged in age from 16 to 65 years of age.
Workers’ wages were based upon three factors which included an individual’s skill level. Wages ranged and varied from $19.00 per month to $94.00 per month. The average wage a worker was paid was approximately $52.50 per month. That wage is roughly $1,200 per month in 2024.
The WPA is mostly known for building up the public infrastructure of the United States in such ways as the creation and building of public parks, schools and roads. Research reveals most of the jobs were in construction, building more than 620,000 miles of roads and over 10,000 bridges. Additionally, construction included housing and many airports across the nation. My grandfather worked for the WPA clearing trees to make may for new runways in the expansion of what is now known as the Albany International Airport in Colonie, New York.
Once the United States entered World War II, many men and women were employed in various ways and means to support the war effort, effectively ending the high unemployment levels experienced during the Great Depression.
President Roosevelt wrote in December 1942 “Seven years ago, I was convinced that providing useful work is superior to any and every kind of dole. Experience had amply justified this policy”.
With no funds found in the federal budget and the national economy somewhat recovered, the WPA ceased to exist on June 30th, 1943.
This means the slab of sidewalk near my home is approximately 90 years old and in reasonably good shape, as of this writing.
Can you think of anything that is created or manufactured in the present day that would last 90 years or more? I find it inspiring how the hard work of many gifted and caring people created a lasting product nearly a century ago. Compare that to the modern day harsh and unacceptable reality of “intentional functional obsolescence” that has been implanted in products and consumer goods by modern businesses and manufacturers that has been tacitly accepted by the American consumer.
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