The depression of the 1930s had an early effect on the state of Oregon. A
decline in timber and agricultural production resulted in severe unemployment in the
late 1920s. State and local charitable organizations attempted to care for the
unemployed but they did not have the financial resources to do so. Although
President Herbert Hoover was worried about the effects of the growing economic
crisis on the business community, he continued to believe that the depression would
be short lived despite the worsening social conditions. When Franklin Roosevelt was
elected president he initiated a series of measures aimed at ending the depression
and bringing people back into the work force. Among those measures was the Works
Progress Administration (WPA).
In Oregon the WPA built upon earlier state relief organizations. However, unlike
the earlier Federal Emergency Relief Administration, the WPA was a federal
organization staffed with federal employees. Its programs were run according to
federal guidelines and regulations and much of its funding came from the federal
government. Those guidelines often worked against the state programs. The means
test, quota systems, and the need to refer programs to Washington D.C. prevented
the Oregon program from being as effective as it could be. In addition, the Oregon
legislature and governor acted against the program by not providing adequate
funding to support it.
However, even though Oregonians did not always accept the WPA, they were
dramatically changed by its programs. The most obvious change was in the physical
appearance of the state - new roads and highways, more bridges, expanded parks,
additional airports, and many new services. The state was altered politically because
by World War II, the federal government had permanently insinuated itself into the
life of most Oregonians. / Graduation date: 1991
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ORGSU/oai:ir.library.oregonstate.edu:1957/38034 |
| Date | 09 July 1990 |
| Creators | Butcher, Karyle S. |
| Contributors | Robbins, William G. |
| Source Sets | Oregon State University |
| Language | en_US |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis/Dissertation |
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