The New Deal in Eastern Colorado

The New Deal construction programs left a vast legacy of buildings and structures throughout the United States. Due to the high number of federal land holdings combined with the devastation wrought by the combination of the Great Depression, the regional drought, and the Dust Bowl, Colorado received more than its proportionate “fair share” of federal money from New Deal programs during the 1930s. Consequently, there are New Deal resources in every Colorado county, and virtually every community in the state.

Colorado Preservation Inc.’s New Deal Survey Project has developed a history of the New Deal programs and projects active on Colorado’s Eastern Plains. Several counties have been surveyed, and New Deal projects identified. More counties are currently being surveyed. The project is partially funded by a grant from the State Historical Fund, a program of the Colorado Historical Society.