The Bidwell Bowl amphitheater sits along Big Chico Creek on the California State University, Chico campus. It was built by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in 1938, no doubt in conjunction with improvements the WPA was making in Bidwell Park… read more
Chico’s Bidwell Park is one of the largest municipal parks in the United States. It follows the course of Big Chico Creek for several miles into the foothills. The park land was originally donated to the city early in the 20th… read more
The Civil Works Administration (CWA) worked on the Chico airport in 1934 and the Works Progress Administration (WPA) improved and finished the work in 1935. The specifics of what they did are only partially known to the Living New Deal. WPA… read more
The Romanesque Revival style Citrus Elementary School was built in 1936 in a residential area north of downtown Chico. It was financed through a bond issue and a Public Works Administration grant which provided 45% of the total cost. The building remains… read more
The Works Progress Administration ( WPA) built several of the features in the Silver Dollar Fairgrounds: a grandstand, two sides of the Education building, and a barn for all sorts of stock animals. The Silver Dollar Fairgrounds is home to… read more
Sycamore Pool is a beautiful outdoor swimming facility was built on Big Chico Creek at the One-Mile Recreation Area of Bidwell Park in Chico. The creek was dammed by the city in the 1920s; but the pool was cemented and finished out by… read more