(CCC) CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS & (WPA) WORKS PROGRESS ADMINISTRATION

By 1935 over one half of NM population of 425,000 had a job in one of the FDR programs. While large federal projects brought dams, waterworks, and public buildings to New Mexico, they by no means blanketed the state. With almost 4000 projects in rural areas and small towns, the WPA affected all areas of New Mexico. Service projects covered a wide range of topics from educational and arts to welfare projects such as sewing, gardening, childcare, and many other areas. There were 92 WPA projects in Otero County including the Woman's Club Building, the County Building in Alamogordo, the White Sands Visitors Center, schools in Orogrande, Tularosa and Cloudcroft as well as other buildings in the county. 

Before the Depression and the Dust Bowl, New Mexico was one of the poorest states in the country and afterward was almost totally devastated. Over one third of land in New Mexico was occupied by the Federal Government as National Forest, Parks, and Monuments, state schools and other entities. This made New Mexico a good location for Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) camps. The CCC was designated to do outdoor work however, they did construct some buildings usually State Park entries and facilities. The CCC operated 119 camps at 90 locations in New Mexico. Over 55,000 men, including 32,000 from New Mexico worked in these camps.


COME CHECK OUT THIS NEW EXHIBIT AND LEARN ABOUT CCC AND WPA
​IN NEW MEXICO

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