WPA, Works Progress Administration projects

The October 14, 1935, edition of the Atlanta Constitution announced two Works Progress Administration projects for DeKalb County schools. Four classrooms had recently been added to the Westside School on Constitution Road and a new 300 seat auditorium would soon be added to the Dunwoody School. Construction cost for the Dunwoody auditorium was expected to be $9,000. Previous DeKalb County school WPA projects were completed at Eastside and Panthersville schools.

The following year, an addition was built at Brookhaven school and a canning plant was built next door to Chamblee High School. Tucker High School and Rehoboth Elementary School were also constructed as WPA projects in 1936. (University of Georgia Special Collections Libraries, WPA collection)

The Works Progress Administration (WPA) was a government program created by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1935 to help the country during the Great Depression by providing jobs. It was part of a group of policies, programs and projects known as the New Deal. Many public works projects were part of the program, as well as projects in the arts. Over 8.5 million people participated in the WPA.

Road building was an important part of the WPA program. Mount Vernon Road in Dunwoody was paved as a WPA project. Lavista Road from Tucker to Decatur was also constructed as a WPA project. Throughout Georgia, 85 miles of roads were paved with WPA funds, in addition to the building of unpaved roads and sidewalk construction.

WPA funds were used to purchase a bookmobile for DeKalb County in the late 1930s, where there were only two library locations-Decatur and Lithonia. Maud Burrus was using her personal car to take books around the county. Once the bookmobile was purchased, Louise Trotti drove the bookmobile, making stops at schools, gas stations, post offices, homes and other gathering places. (Historic DeKalb County: An Illustrated History, Vivian Price)

A new DeKalb County water system was constructed in 1940 with WPA funds, under the direction of DeKalb County commissioner Scott Candler. The plans included a water system to serve Decatur, Druid Hills, Emory University, Brookhaven, Avondale Estates, Clarkston, Tucker, Dunwoody, Panthersville, Doraville and the Federal Honor Farm (prison farm). A storage lake and filter plant would be constructed between Doraville and Dunwoody. This is today’s Scott Candler Water Treatment Plant on Winters Chapel Road. (Atlanta Constitution, Sept.18, 1940, “DeKalb County sells bonds for water system”)

The golf course and amphitheater at Chastain Park were also built with WPA funds. The park was originally known as North Fulton Park, opening July 4, 1940, with a celebration and exhibition match on the golf course. (Atlanta Constitution, June 30, 1940, “North Fulton club opens July 4, program set”)

Projects around Atlanta included the golf course and amphitheater of Chastain Park, seven new buildings at Georgia Tech, two buildings at the alms house (part of Galloway School), new buildings at Fort McPherson and five buildings at Grady Hospital. By 1942, the number of WPA workers was decreased, and the program ended in 1943. (Atlanta Constitution, May 1, 1943, “Georgia WPA office closes after 8 years”)

Ina Evans runs for District 55 House seat 1972

New post every Monday.

Sometimes when I’m looking through a newspaper archive, there will be an article, photo, or even an advertisement that catches my interest. Ina Evans caught my interest and I wanted to know more about her life.

The pages of the August 3, 1972, DeKalb New Era newspaper features ads and articles on various local political candidates at the time. One of those candidates was Ina C. Evans and the article is titled “Ina Evans Offers for House Post.”

This photograph of Ina C. Evans appeared with the 1972 article announcing her as a candidate for House seat 55. (The DeKalb New Era, August 3, 1972)

Ina C. Evans was running for the District 55 House seat. Her platform included better health facilities, tax reform and better educational facilities in DeKalb County. She and her campaign team went door to door talking to voters and distributing material.

Evans spoke to The DeKalb News Sun about her campaign, “We are hoping that voters will decide on the basis of qualifications. I firmly believe that office holders are elected to voice the needs and concerns of the community. Win or lose, I’ll be right here next year and the year after battling to put this community up front in DeKalb.”

Evans lost the race, which went to a runoff between Betty J. Clark and Sherman S. Barge. Betty Clark won the runoff, and as a Democrat who was unopposed, she won the seat.

Ina Evans was born in Gallatin, Tennessee in 1935. She graduated with honors from Mississippi Valley State College. Her resume included working as a poll monitor in the Democratic primary in 1968 and during the presidential election that year.

In 1969, she was campaign manager in the Kirkwood area for H. E. Tate, the first Black candidate for Mayor of Atlanta. Evans also worked as area coordinator for the Committee for Sensible Rapid Transit.

Evans was secretary for the Georgia Shirley Chisholm Fund when Chisholm ran for President in 1972. She was an alternate delegate for the 1972 National Democratic Convention.

Evans would later serve 14 years on the Atlanta Public Schools Board of Education. She worked with Maynard Jackson, first Black Mayor of Atlanta, and civil rights leader and activist Rev. Hosea Williams, founder of “Hosea Feed the Hungry.” Later, she would work in the office of Governor Jimmy Carter. (meadowsmortuary.com)

She was married to John Evans for 30 years. He was President of the DeKalb County chapter of the NAACP for sixteen years before retiring in 2016. According to a 2012 oral history with John Evans in the archives of DeKalb History Center, he was appointed to the DeKalb County Executive Committee in 1968, on recommendation of Maynard Jackson. He also worked on the Shirley Chisholm 1972 Presidential campaign.

In the 1970s, Ina Evans operated the Loving Care Day Care Center in Kirkwood.

She passed away June 30, 2021.