This is the first posting for my New Deal travel journal, based in Columbia, MO.  I plan to travel throughout the state of Missouri documenting various sites constructed during the 30's as part of the New Deal.  My intent is to document as many of these sites in the state of Missouri as possible to highlight the positive affect this period had on us as a state/nation.  It is my contention that it essentially brought us from the horse and buggy era to the automobile/plane era for travel and enhanced our potential for education, in addition to the positive effects economically of employing such a large part of our population.  As a reader, if you know of any sites, please forward those on to me.  Your assistance will be greatly appreciated as there are few resources as to things constructed by the New Deal programs.

My last trip was to Fulton and Mexico, MO.  First up was the airport on the southwest part of town that was initially built as a WPA program*, though my documentation of this is a little shaky.  Its a small airport that seems to have little if any commercial traffic. 

Next up is George Washington Carver School, northwest side of Fulton and a historically segregated school.  It is currently not being used and is in poor condition with broken windows, though the over-al condition of the building seems to be good with no gross visible problems.  I attempted to take a pic of the plaque, but was unsuccessful and don't have good info on it, yet, but will return.  I had to take the pic through a broken window into the dark and automatically focused on a gate in the closer foreground. 

Looked for a national guard armory, but was unsuccessful, except for a more recent structure, then going downtown to the Callaway County Courthouse, a simple art deco design with excellent light posts/fixtures both externally and within the building.  The plaques are on the 2nd floor, interestingly and include the plaque for the previous courthouse.  The previous courthouse was the site of the trial of Celia, a slave who killed a sexually abusive "master" and who was tried for murder, getting a surprisingly spirited defense in this area which is termed Little Dixie.  See the book--"Celia, a Slave".
A march occurs in her memory yearly in Fulton.

The Fulton High School building was a New Deal program at least the original building on the southwest side at the corner of 10th and Grand, northeast Fulton.  I was fortunate in being able to get into the building with a black employee seeing me attempting to get in, asking what I was doing, and then taking me in and on a short tour.  He was just a little younger than me and had attended Carver school when it was segregated moving to an integrated school after 3rd grade.  Although I had thought that transition might be difficult, he disagreed and said it wasn't and that he felt that kids were all just kids.  He graduated from Fulton HS in 1974. 

Veterans Park is flanked at the entrances by stone pillars(set to be removed, but retained after the intervention and education of their significance by one of the members of the Callaway County Historical Society.  The park was the camp for the local CCC company who primarily did agricultural improvement such as terracing and dams for runoff.  The structures photographed were the pillars, a set of horseshoe pits*, an amphitheater built with stone seating, and the pond.  Most or all were built by the CCC.

Fulton State Hospital will be on the next trip.  Moving to Mexico, MO, the Audrain County courthouse was very interesting.  I had thought it was a New Deal site, but was completed in 1951.  Interestingly, it was a proposed site, but due to the inability to pass a bond issue (with 2 weeks notice) in 1938 for the 55% local share and with the opposition of the local newspaper, its constructed until after WWII.  The 45% federal allocation for the proposed building was not used.  The building was considerably more expensive when it was constructed, the $500,000 proposal ballooning to $850,000 by the estimate of the architects. 

Mexico High School* is a probable site and is quite ornate, particularly at the entrances.  It was closed and will need further documentation.  Eugene Field Elementary was a large 2 story New Deal site that had a plaque that was visible through the closed doors. 

Garfield school was a black school that has been repurposed for use as a credit union, across the street from the former AP Green factory that produced bricks and other ceramics.  Documentation of the building plaque was not obtained.

Those sites with adequate documentation were sent to the livingnewdeal website.  Check it out.

* documentation uncertain or questionable for some reason