Springerville Post Office and Art
The Springerville Post Office, funded by the Public Works Administration and constructed in 1937, houses a bas-relief sculpture by Robert Kittredge illustrating the Apache chiefs, Geronimo and Vittorio.
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The New Deal in Arizona: Connections to Our Historic Landscape is a "We the People" Project
funded by the Arizona Humanities Council and the Vance Foundation.
J.J. Lamb: Project Manager, Writer, Researcher
Robin Pinto: Lead Writer, Researcher, Photo Management
Joy Mehulka: Cartographer, Graphic Design
Robert Leighninger, Jr.: Researcher, Writer
Peter Booth: Project Support, Writer
Michael Smith: Project Support
Robin Pinto; J.J. Lamb; H. Anderson Photography; Robert Leighninger, Jr.; Michael Smith; Michael Quinn, NPS; Chuck Park; Gerald Lamb; Vail Preservation Society; Megan Lamb; Bureau of Reclamation; Bureau of Land Management Safford Office.
Our sincere gratitude for the support of family, friends, and colleagues who have contributed to the New Deal in Arizona: Connections to Our Historic Landscape: William Collins, Arizona State Historic Preservation Office; Paula J. Wolfe, University of Arizona Libraries; Betsy Fahlman, Arizona State University; Marlene Bachmann; The Pima County Parklands Foundation; and Pima County Natural Resources, Park and Recreation.
The New Deal in Arizona Chapter of the National New Deal Preservation Association
Our sincere gratitude to Paula J. Wolfe for all her help with this project. This website is hosted by the University of Arizona Libraries.
The Springerville Post Office, funded by the Public Works Administration and constructed in 1937, houses a bas-relief sculpture by Robert Kittredge illustrating the Apache chiefs, Geronimo and Vittorio.
The Navajo Nation Council Chamber was funded by the Public Works Administration and built by Navajo enrollees under the Civilian Conservation Corps – Indian Division. It houses 12 murals entitled "The History and Progress of the Navajo Nation" by Navajo painter, Gerald Nailor.
To portray "beauty, toil and simplicity" was the goal of artist, R. Phillips Sanderson, when he designed the "Copper Miner." The statue stands in front of the Cochise County Courthouse in Bisbee.
The Cochise County Courthouse contains several examples of New Deal art including six bas-relief panels that line the entryway and illustrates the history of Bisbee.
With a grant from the Works Progress Administration, the city built many of its concrete public stairs in 1938. These stairs link parallel streets and provide access to Bisbee's upper and lower neighborhoods.
The Civilian Conservation Corps built this Bungalow/Craftsman style Forest Service building. A veneer of river rock makes the building blend with the surrounding rock walls of Cave Creek canyon.
Civilian Conservation Corps enrollees constructed Monument buildings to sit low and close to the landscape and to mimic the surrounding boulder environment.
The Custom House at Naco was constructed in 1936 with funds from the Public Works Administration. The two-story building is an outstanding example of the Pueblo Revival Style.
The first nine holes at the Turquoise Golf Course were constructed with funds from the Works Progress Administration. They remain largely unchanged — still challenging — since their completion in 1936.
The Geronimo Surrender Site commemorates the final surrender of the famous Chiricahua Apache Chief, Geronimo. The monument was constructed by the City of Douglas on Highway 80 as a point of interest for automobile tourists.
The Public Works Administration specialized in the construction of community schools. In 1934 the Flagstaff school board with funds from the PWA constructed this elementary school for its black and Hispanic children.
The US Treasury Department's Section of Fine Arts commissioned this artwork in 1939 for the new Flagstaff post office. The artwork is now on display at the Coconino County Courthouse.
Grand Canyon National Park received more development funds and labor from the Civilian Conservation Corps than any other location in Arizona. This handsome two-story, wooden Community Building was funded by the Public Works Administration and built by the CCC between 1934 and 1935.
Grandview Lookout Tower stands over 80 feet in height. The tower was constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1936 in order to locate forest fires in their early stages before they became conflagrations.
The Tusayan Ranger Station contains six buildings constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps and is one of the most historically intact Forest Service administration complexes in Arizona.
Archeological excavations and restoration of the Sinagua prehistoric settlement at Wupatki National Monument were funded by the Civilian Works Administration and completed by Civilian Conservation Corps enrollees.
Civilian Conservation Corps enrollees constructed the original Walnut Canyon visitor center using local timber and stone from a nearby quarry.
Williams Ranger Station contains five historic buildings: two residences, horse barn/garage and corral, shed, and small garage that were constructed by Civilian Conservation Corps enrollees in the Bungalow/Craftsman style in 1934.
With funding from the Federal Emergency Relief Administration and later from the Works Progress Administration, the Besh-Ba-Gowah archeological ruins were excavated and reconstructed. Workmen excavated over 200 rooms and 350 burial sites.
Apache Civilian Conservation Corps-Indian Division enrollees excavated and reconstructed Kinishba Ruins between 1934 and 1939. Kinishba also served as a field training school for future southwestern archeologists.
The Salt River Canyon Bridge spans one of the most dramatic canyons in Arizona. It was funded by the Public Works Administration and completed in June 1934. Its Art Deco superstructure shines in the sunlight and is still one of Arizona's most visibly striking, engineered structures.
The Safford Post Office was funded by the Public Work Administration and built in 1941. It houses six murals painted by Seymour Fogel that relate the history of the Gila River Valley.
Civilian Conservation Corps enrollees constructed the Noon Creek Picnic Area and the Wet Canyon Bridge on the Swift Trail Road in the Pinaleño Mountains.
The Sanchez CCC campsite was established by the Soil Conservation Service to restore the natural resources and to stop the dramatic loss of soil and grasslands in the Upper Gila River Valley.
The Black Hills Back Country Byway offers both outstanding scenery in the Peloncillo Mountains and some great examples of erosion control devices constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps.
Parker Dam on the Colorado River was funded by the California Metropolitan Water District and the Public Works Administration. Today its reservoir provides water for the California Aqueduct and the Central Arizona Project.
In 1934 the Division of Subsistence Homesteads built a public housing community for low-income residents and where homeowners could develop subsistence gardens and husband small farm animals.
The Phoenix Federal Building and Post Office was built in 1936 in the Spanish Colonial Revival style. Two large murals on the east and west ends of the building were funded by the US Treasury's Fine Arts Section and depict the early history of Arizona.
Public Works Administration funds were used to construct the State Capitol Annex Building in 1938 and to hire Jay Datus to paint a series of murals depicting Arizona history. Themes include Native Americans, miners, explorers, missionaries, and pioneers.
South Mountain Park was the focus of 4,000 enrollees in two Civilian Conservation Corps camps. These enrollees built the erosion control structures, roads and trails, ramadas and lookout shelters between 1933 and 1940 that are still used by visitors today.
The Arizona State Fairgrounds provided a temporary place to stay for unemployed workers during the Great Depression. These transients provided labor to build the stadium and race track.
The old National Guard Arsenal is the second largest adobe building in continuous use in the United States. Funded by the Works Progress Administration in 1936, it was part of the recreation development of Papago Park, an expansive, designed landscape.
Encanto Park was developed for recreation for Phoenix residents with funds from the Public Works Administration. A club house, boat house and lagoon, tennis courts, and other recreation facilities still serve the city.
The Public Works Administration funded the first six buildings on the new campus of Phoenix College in 1939.
Construction of the massive Hoover Dam began under President Hoover in 1931. An additional 38 million dollars of Public Works Administration funds were allocated to hasten completion of the project by 1936.
Civilian Conservation Corps enrollees built Hualapai Mountain Park including 17 rustic stone or wood cabins still available today for rent by vacationers.
The Kingman Gym was funded by the Public Works Administration and constructed in 1936. Its arched roof is supported by a lamellar ceiling designed to span the large open space without supports.
The Painted Desert Inn is largely recognized as a masterpiece of Pueblo Revival style. The building, its furniture and interior decorations were constructed by Civilian Conservation Corps enrollees between 1937 and 1940.
The Winslow Clubhouse features many interesting architectural details including hand-painted tiles and mosaic insets in the stonework. It was funded by the Works Progress Administration and constructed in 1937.
Civilian Conservation Corps enrollees built check dams, water tanks, roads, and recreational facilities in what is now Tucson Mountain Park and Saguaro Nation Park West.
Colossal Cave was the only cave development project undertaken by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the West. The walkways, handrails, and lighting inside the cave and the picnic area outside were completed between 1934 and 1937.
The Tucson Plant Material Center was one of 48 nurseries established by the Soil Conservation service after 1935 to study and propagate plants for erosion control. Today the Center is still involved with propagation of native plants beneficial to conservation efforts.
In 1934 University of Arizona President Homer Shantz requested funds from the Public Works Administration for a major building program on the university campus. Seven of those buildings are still being use by thousands of students today.
The development of the Sabino Canyon recreational area was one of the highest priorities for the City of Tucson and Pima County during the Depression; funds were assembled from a variety of New Deal federal agencies to support construction of the road, bridges, dam, lake, and recreation facilities.
The Civilian Conservation Corps built many roads in the Coronado National Forest including Redington Pass, Montezuma Pass, Pinery Canyon, Geronimo Trail, and Box Canyon Roads to link outlying forest and ranching communities to more populated areas.
At Boyce Thompson Arboretum Civilian Conservation Corps enrollees developed a plant nursery to produce grasses and shrubs for range and forestry revegetation.
Excavation of the historic mission, construction of Tumacácori's Museum, furnishings and landscaping were funded by numerous New Deal agencies.
Funded by the Public Works Administration in 1934 and constructed in 1935 in the Spanish Eclectic style, the imposing U.S. Custom House is a reminder of the importance of Nogales as a primary port of entry from Mexico along the Arizona border.
Sculptor Kathleen Wilson was funded by the Federal Art Project to create 12 three-foot statues representing historic priests. Local teenagers were hired with National Youth Administration funds to build the shrine structures for the "Camino de los Padres" along Arizona roadways.
The archaeological excavations and reconstructions and the construction of the museum and visitor center were funded through numerous New Deal agencies. As a result of the fine restoration work, development of facilities, and the enthusiastic support of the local community, Tuzigoot was granted National Monument status in 1939.
Prescott community organizers requested funds from the Civil Works and Federal Emergency Relief Administrations. The Smoki Museum was constructed in 1935 using local fieldstone and flagstone.
The Prescott Armory Historic District is an example of a community working together to provide public buildings, recreational spaces, and jobs for skilled and unskilled laborers. The Prescott Chamber of Commerce and the Rotary and Kiwanis Clubs were instrumental in obtaining funding from the Civil Works Administration, the Federal Emergency Relief Administration, and the Works Progress Administration.
Civilian Conservation Corps enrollees constructed a forest ranger residence and barn in 1940. Recently restored, the historic cabin is part of the Forest Service rental program and available to the public for overnight stays.
Named for the historic mining district, the Crown King Ranger Station includes numerous structures and buildings built by the Civilian Conservation Corps between 1934 and 1938. Horsethief Basin facilities were funded by the Public Works Administration as part of a large recreation project for Phoenix residents.
The Cottonwood Civic Center was partially funded by the Works Progress Administration and completed in 1939. Local citizens raised the matching funds through bake sales and other grassroots fundraising efforts.
The Bureau of Reclamation utilized the manpower of two Civilian Conservation Corps camps to create a system of irrigation canals for the farming community of Yuma. Between 1939 and 1941 enrollees cleared 59 miles of right-of-way along canals, constructed canals, laterals, and headgates, performed rodent control, and landscaping.