The Civil Works Administration (CWA) was created in November 1933 by President
Franklin D. Roosevelt as a job creation program that was part of the New Deal during
the Great Depression. It mainly created jobs constructing or improving roads,
bridges, and buildings. When federal funds became available from the CWA, Milwaukee
officials developed various projects to employ over 25,000 workers during the winter
of 1933-1934. These projects typically involved landscaping, road grading, street
repair, conduit installation, and painting. Some of the larger projects included
hiring nearly 2,000 men to straighten out a curve in the Milwaukee River and to
construct a lagoon and islands in Lincoln Park. This was done to help reduce
flooding on the north side of Milwaukee. The CWA ended in March 1934 and was later
succeeded by the Works Progress Administration (WPA).
