The ‘New Deal’ Comes to Palmer
The New Deal was a set of federal programs launched by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, after taking office in 1933, in response to the calamity of the Great Depression.
It had four major goals and achievements:
•Economic Recovery: The New Deal stabilized the banks and cleaned up the financial mess left over from the Stock Market crash of 1929. It stabilized prices for industry and agriculture, and it aided bankrupt state and local governments. And it injected a huge amount of federal spending to bolster aggregate incomes and demand.
•Job Creation: One in four Americans was out of work by 1933. The New Deal created a number of special agencies that provided jobs for millions of workers and wages that provided for desperate families. It also recognized the rights of workers to organize in unions.
•Investment in Public Works: The New Deal built hundreds of thousands of highways, bridges, hospitals, schools, theaters, libraries, city halls, homes, post offices, airports, and parks across America—most of which are still in use today.
•Civic Uplift: The New Deal touched every state, city, and town, improving the lives of ordinary people and reshaping the public sphere. New Dealers and the men and women who worked on New Deal programs believed they were not only serving their families and communities but building the foundation for a great and caring society.
In less than a decade, the New Deal changed the face of America and laid the foundation for success in World War II and the prosperity of the postwar era – the greatest and fairest epoch in American history.
The New Deal, 1933-1943, inspired a civic, cultural, and economic renaissance.
Imagine how our little town exploded in population – colonists, support personnel, and transient workers!
Matanuska Colony “Mug Book” – A photo album of Colonists, with names, places and family information. Assembled and donated by Juster Hill -Writers, Directors and Producers of Alaska Far Away and Where the Matanuska River Flows
Building a Town: – An introductory history of the transient workers of the Matanuska Valley Colony of 1935.
Names of Transient Workers – The Transient Worker list is a work in progress – if you know names that should be added please let us know.
There are other New Deal Colonies around the United States –
| Name |
Location |
Units
|
Type |
| Arthurdale | Reedsville, WV |
165
|
Stranded community |
| Burlington Project | Burlington, ND |
35
|
Stranded community |
| Cumberland Homesteads | Crossville, TN |
262
|
Stranded community |
| Red House | Red House, WV |
150
|
Stranded community |
| Tygart Valley Homesteads | Elkins, WV |
195
|
Stranded community |
| Westmoreland Homesteads | Greensburg, PA |
255
|
Stranded community |
| Casa Grande Valley Farms | Pinal Co., AZ |
60
|
Co-op farm |
| Lake Dick | Jefferson and Arkansas Cos., AR |
97
|
Co-op farm |
| Penderlea Homesteads | Fender Co., NC |
195
|
Co-op industrial |
| Terrebonne | Terrebonne Parish, LA |
73
|
Co-op plantation |
| Cahaba (Trussville Homesteads) | Near Birmingham, AL |
287
|
Resettlement community |
| Osage Farms | Pettis Co., MO |
86
|
Resettlement community |
| Albert Lea Homesteads | Albert Lee, MN |
14
|
Industrial |
| Arizona Part-time Farms | Phoenix, AZ |
91
|
Industrial |
| Austin Homestead | Austin, MN |
44
|
Industrial |
| Bankhead Farms | Jasper, AL |
100
|
Industrial |
| Beauxart Gardens | Beaumont, TX |
50
|
Industrial |
| Dalworthington Gardens | Arlington, TX |
79
|
Industrial |
| Dayton Homesteads | Dayton, OH |
35
|
Industrial |
| Decatur Homesteads | Decatur, IN |
48
|
Industrial |
| Duluth Homesteads | Duluth, MN |
84
|
Industrial |
| El Monte Homesteads | El Monte, CA |
100
|
Industrial |
| Granger Homesteads | Granger, IA |
50
|
Industrial |
| Greenwood Homesteads | Near Birmingham, AL |
83
|
Industrial |
| Hattiesburg Homesteads | Hattiesburg, MS |
24
|
Industrial |
| Houston Gardens | Houston, TX |
100
|
Industrial |
| Lake County Homesteads | Chicago, IL |
53
|
Industrial |
| Longview Homesteads | Longview, WA |
60
|
Industrial |
| Magnolia Homesteads | Meridian, MS |
25
|
Industrial |
| McComb Homesteads | McComb, MS |
20
|
Industrial |
| Mount Olive Homesteads | Near Birmingham, AL |
75
|
Industrial |
| Palmer Homestead | Matanuska Valley, AK |
203
|
Industrial |
| Palmerdale Homesteads | Near Birmingtham, AL |
102
|
Industrial |
| Phoenix Homesteads | Phoenix, AZ |
25
|
Industrial |
| San Fernando Homesteads | Reseda, CA |
40
|
Industrial |
| Three Rivers Gardens | Three Rivers, TX |
50
|
Industrial |
| Tupelo Homesteads | Tupelo, MS |
35
|
Industrial |
| Wichita Gardens | Wichita Falls, TX |
62
|
Industrial |
| Aberdeen Gardens | Newport News, VA |
159
|
Garden city for African-Americans |
| Allendale Farms | South Carolina |
?
|
Farm community for African-Americans |
| Flint River Farms | Macon County, GA |
146
|
Farm community for African-Americans |
| Gee’s Bend Farms | Wilcox County, AL |
100
|
Farm community for African-Americans |
| Mileston Farms | Holmes County, MS |
110
|
Farm community for African-Americans |
| Mounds Farms | Madison and E. Carrol Parishes, LA |
149
|
Farm community for African-Americans |
| Prairie Farms | Macon County, AL |
34
|
Farm community for African-Americans |
| Sabine Farms | Texas |
80
|
Farm community for African-Americans |
| Tillery Farms | North Carolina |
?
|
Farm community for African-Americans |
| Ironwood Homesteads | Ironwood, MI |
132
|
Garden city |
| Cherry Lake Farms | Near Madison, FL |
133
|
Farm & rural community |
| Pine Mountain Valley | Harris Co., G |
205
|
Farm & rural community |
| Fairbury Farmsteads | Jefferson Co., NE |
11
|
Farm village |
| Fall City Farmsteads | Richardson Co., NE |
10
|
Farm village |
| Grand Island Farmsteads | Hall Co., NE |
10
|
Farm village |
| Kearney Homesteads | Buffalo Co., NE |
10
|
Farm village |
| Loup City Farmsteads | Sherman Co., NE |
11
|
Farm village |
| Scottsbluff Farmsteads | Scotts Bluff Co., NE |
23
|
Farm village |
| Sioux Falls Farms | Minnehaha Co., SD |
14
|
Farm village |
| South Sioux City Farmsteads | Dakota Co., NE |
22
|
Farm village |
| Two Rivers Farmsteads | Douglas and Saunders Cos., NE |
40
|
Farm village |
| Woodlake Community | Wood Co., TX |
101
|
Farm village |
| Ashwood Plantation | Lee Co., SC |
161
|
Farm community |
| Biscoe Farms | Prairie Co. AR |
91
|
Farm community |
| Bosque Farms | Valencia Co., NM |
42
|
Farm community |
| Chicot Farms | Chicot and Drew Cos., AK |
85
|
Farm community |
| Christian-Trigg Farms | Christian Co., KY |
106
|
Farm community |
| Clover Bend Farms | Lawrence Co., AR |
91
|
Farm community |
| Desha Farms | Desha and Dre Cos., AR |
88
|
Farm community |
| Dyess Colony | Mississippi Co., AR |
275
|
Farm community |
| Escambia Farms | Okaloosa Co., FL |
81
|
Farm community |
| Flint River Farms | Macon Co., GA |
146
|
Farm community |
| Gee’s Bend Farms | Wilcox Co., AL |
100
|
Farm community |
| Hinds Farms | Hinds Co., MS |
81
|
Farm community |
| Irwinville | Irwin Co., GA |
103
|
Farm community |
| Kinsey Flats | Custer Co., MT |
80
|
Farm community |
| La Forge Farms | New Madrid Co., MO |
101
|
Farm community |
| Lakeview Farms | Lee and Phillips Cos., AR |
141
|
Farm community |
| Lonoke Farms | Lonoke Co., AR |
157
|
Farm community |
| Lucedale Farms | George and Greene Cos., MS |
93
|
Farm community |
| McLennan Farms | McLennan Co., TX |
20
|
Farm community |
| Mileston Farms | Holmes Co., MS |
110
|
Farm community |
| Mounds Farms | Madison and East Carroll Parishes, LA |
140
|
Farm community |
| Orangeburg Farms | Orangeburg and Calhoon Cos., SC |
80
|
Farm community |
| Pembroke Farms | Robeson Co., NC |
75
|
Farm community |
| Piedmont Homesteads | Jasper Co., GA |
50
|
Farm community |
| Plum Bayou | Jefferson Co., AR |
200
|
Farm community |
| Prairie Farms | Macon Co., AL |
34
|
Farm community |
| Richton Homesteads | Richton, MS |
26
|
Farm community |
| Roanoke Farms | Halifax Co., NC |
294
|
Farm community |
| Ropesville Farms | Hockley Co., TX |
76
|
Farm community |
| Sabine Farms | LHarrison Co., TX |
80
|
Farm community |
| Saginaw Valley Farms | Saginaw Co., MI |
33
|
Farm community |
| Sam Houston Farms | Harris Co., TX |
86
|
Farm community |
| Scuppernong Farms | Tyrrell and Washington Cos., NC |
127
|
Farm community |
| Shenandoah Homesteads | Five counties in VA |
160
|
Farm community |
| Skyline Farms | Jackson Co., AL |
181
|
Farm community |
| St. Francis River Farms | Poinsett Co., AK |
86
|
Farm community |
| Tiverton Farms | Sumter Co., SC |
29
|
Farm community |
| Townes Farms | Crittenden Co., AR |
37
|
Farm community |
| Transylvania Farms | East Carroll Parish, LA |
163
|
Farm community |
| Trumann Farms | Poinsett Co., AR |
57
|
Farm community |
| Wichita Valley Farms | Wichita Co., TX |
91
|
Farm community |
| Wolf Creek | Grady Co., GA |
24
|
Farm community |
| Drummond Project | Bayfield Co., WI |
32
|
Forest homesteads |
| Sublimity Farms | Laurel Co., KY |
66
|
Forest homesteads |
| Jersey Homesteads | Near Hightstown, NJ |
206
|
Subsistence homesteads |
| Total Units (including green towns) |
10,938
|
The total construction cost for all New Deal towns was $108,095,328.00. The average cost per unit was $9,961.00
(Source: “Tomorrow a New World: The New Deal Community Program”, Paul K. Conkin)
This and more information can be found at National New Deal Preservation Association – learn more!