Description: This is a photograph of men working on road construction in Eaton, Ohio. This construction was most likely a part of the Works Progress Administration project, a government office that hired unemployed Americans to work on various government projects from April 8, 1935 to June 30, 1943. In the first six months that the WPA existed, more than 173, 000 Ohioans, including both men and women, found employment through this program. More than 1, 500 unemployed teachers in Ohio found work through the WPA teaching illiterate adults how to read. In twelve separate counties, primarily in southeastern Ohio, more than twenty-five percent of families had at least one member working for the WPA during the late 1930s. By the end of 1938, these various workers had built or improved 12, 300 miles of roads and streets and constructed 636 public buildings, several hundred bridges, hundreds of athletic fields, and five fish hatcheries. WPA employees made improvements to thousands of more buildings, roads, and parks within Ohio. WPA artists also painted a number of murals in Ohio post offices. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B12F03_003_001
Subjects: Streets--Ohio; Dirt roads--Ohio; Road construction workers; Road construction; Ohio--History--Pictorial works; Federal Writers' Project
Places: Eaton (Ohio); Preble County (Ohio)
 

Description: Reverse reads: "Building New Street -Krick Road North of Third St. Dayton, Ohio May 15 1936 FOR OFFICE FILE ONLY DO NOT REMOVE FROM FILE 6-8x10 prints for Mr.Derivan Sept.30,1936" Krick Road can not be found today. However, the photo was probably taken facing east, back into the city of Dayton. Part of the city is visible on the horizon. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B09F05_023_001
Subjects: Dayton (Ohio); Road construction; Road construction workers
Places: Dayton (Ohio); Montgomery County (Ohio)
 

Description: Dated September 1937, this photograph shows Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) boys working on a new parking area in John Bryan State Park near Yellow Springs, Ohio. A note on its reverse reads "Camp Bryan - S.P. 16 - Co. 553. Yellow Springs, Ohio. September 1937. Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) boys working on new parking area in John Bryan State Park near Yellow Springs. Work includes grading, draining, seeding, planting, and building roads. Photo by Federal Writers' Project Office Copy" The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was a work relief program established as part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal that employed young men, ages 18-25 and later expanded to ages 17-28, with jobs in the natural resources field. This is one of the many visual materials collected for use in the Ohio Guide. In 1935, President Franklin D. Roosevelt established the Works Progress Administration by executive order to create jobs for the large numbers of unemployed laborers, as well as artists, musicians, actors, and writers. The Federal Arts Program, a sector of the Works Progress Administration, included the Federal Writers’ Project, one of the primary goals of which was to complete the America Guide series, a series of guidebooks for each state which included state history, art, architecture, music, literature, and points of interest to the major cities and tours throughout the state. Work on the Ohio Guide began in 1935 with the publication of several pamphlets and brochures. The Reorganization Act of 1939 consolidated the Works Progress Administration and other agencies into the Federal Works Administration, and the Federal Writers’ Project became the Federal Writers’ Project in Ohio. The final product was published in 1940 and went through several editions. The Ohio Guide Collection consists of 4,769 photographs collected for use in Ohio Guide and other publications of the Federal Writers’ Project in Ohio from 1935-1939. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B10F11_002_001
Subjects: Road construction; Road construction workers; State Parks--Ohio--Pictorial works. & reserves--Ohio--1930-1940
Places: Yellow Springs (Ohio); Greene County (Ohio)
 

Description: Front side reads: "Sept.21,1936,6-8x10 prints to Soldier Home.Neg.furnished REX PAVER IN OPERATION" Reverse reads: "Dayton Ohio" A Rex Paver aids in road construction in Dayton, Ohio. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B09F05_005_001
Subjects: Road construction; Road construction workers
Places: Dayton (Ohio); Montgomery County (Ohio)
 

Description: Reverse reads: "Montgomery County,Dayton,Ohio Removing Car Tracks and Repaving S.Brown St. Aug.20,1936 6 prints for Mr. Derivan,Aug.30,1936" WPA workers are seen in this photo repaving South Brown St, most likely near the University of Dayton. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B09F06_005_001
Subjects: Dayton (Ohio); Road construction; Road construction workers
Places: Dayton (Ohio); Montgomery County (Ohio)
 

Description: Reverse reads: "Miamisburg, Ohio, A group of W.P.A. workers repaving street" WPA workers are seen here repaving a road in Miamisburg. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B09F06_007_001
Subjects: Miamisburg (Ohio); Road construction; Road construction workers
Places: Miamisburg (Ohio); Montgomery County (Ohio)
 

Description: Dated 1936, this photograph shows Works Progress Administration (WPA) workers constructing Bethel Road in Bethel, Ohio, a village in Clermont County. A note on the photograph's reverse reads "W.P.A. Project Making Fill Bethel Ohio 1936." This photograph is one of the many visual materials collected for use in the Ohio Guide. In 1935, President Franklin D. Roosevelt established the Works Progress Administration by executive order to create jobs for the large numbers of unemployed laborers, as well as artists, musicians, actors, and writers. The Federal Arts Program, a sector of the Works Progress Administration, included the Federal Writers’ Project, one of the primary goals of which was to complete the America Guide series, a series of guidebooks for each state which included state history, art, architecture, music, literature, and points of interest to the major cities and tours throughout the state. Work on the Ohio Guide began in 1935 with the publication of several pamphlets and brochures. The Reorganization Act of 1939 consolidated the Works Progress Administration and other agencies into the Federal Works Administration, and the Federal Writers’ Project became the Federal Writers’ Project in Ohio. The final product was published in 1940 and went through several editions. The Ohio Guide Collection consists of 4,769 photographs collected for use in Ohio Guide and other publications of the Federal Writers’ Project in Ohio from 1935-1939. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B11F04_05_001
Subjects: Road construction; Road construction workers; Dump trucks; Ohio--History--Pictorial works; Federal Writers' Project
Places: Bethel (Ohio); Clermont County (Ohio)
 

Description: Original description reads: "Preble County, Eaton, Ohio, Sept. 11, 1936. View of work on road." View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B11F01_019_001
Subjects: Roads--Ohio--Design and construction; Road construction workers--Ohio--Eaton
Places: Eaton (Ohio); Preble County (Ohio)