Page 5 - BuildingJob inIowa

Introduction
The Wapsipinicon River, affectionately known as the “Wap-
si,” flows nearly 300 miles through northeastern Iowa to the
Mississippi. Strung throughout its drainage basin is a series borrowed money in land and equipment. As the needs of the
of dams that are highly valued by their communities as plac-
es of recreation and scenic beauty. The Wapsipinicon has
long had a reputation as a fishing stream, known for catfish, tries, trying to get back on their feet after the devastation of
northern pike, carp, sunfish, walleye, and smallmouth bass.
It is not uncommon to find anglers of all ages gathered at
one of the Wapsipinicon’s dams to enjoy a day of fishing and
possibly take home a prize catch. As time passes, however,
a dam may outlive its original function, impede fish passage,
and pose a safety hazard. But the idea of demolishing an
outdated dam often rallies the community in an attempt to
preserve the landmark.
Dams are valued today for their role in local recreation,
but the stories behind their original construction have of-
ten been forgotten. One important period of dam building
in Iowa came during the Great Depression (1929–1942).
Dozens of dams throughout Iowa were built during the de-
pression as work relief projects under the administration of
President Franklin D. Roosevelt. These dams were funded by
one or more federal programs known collectively as the New
Deal. Jobs provided by these construction projects put men
to work and helped many families survive the worst econom-
ic crisis in the 20th century.
This booklet will explore the history of New Deal work relief neighbors sympathetic to an owner whose farm had been
projects in Iowa, focusing specifically on New Deal-approved
dams in the Wapsipinicon River watershed in northeast Iowa.
Three of these dams are located in Buchanan County, one in
Linn County, and one in Bremer County.
The Great Depression
in the Farm Belt
The stock market crash of October 1929 is generally seen
as the spark that plunged the nation into the Great Depres-
sion. The statistics are grim. In December 1929 three million
Americans were out of work. By mid-winter the figure had
risen to between 4 and 5 million without jobs.1 But the na-
tional crisis was only a deepening of what Midwestern farm-
ers had already experienced during the 1920s. While urban
America was celebrating the “roaring twenties,” falling pro-
duce and land prices were destroying the rural economy.
The early decades of the 20th century were known as the
“golden age of agriculture.” Bolstered by the demands of
World War I and encouraged by the support of government
Building Jobs in Iowa—New Deal Dams of the Wapsipinicon River Watershed in Northeast Iowa
price guarantees, Midwestern farmers increased their pro-
duction phenomenally. They fed a starving Europe and sup-
plied the armies fighting “over there.” Farmers put more
acres into production and increased herd sizes, investing
war years faded, however, demand lessened and govern-
ment supports were ended in 1920. Many European coun-
the war, imposed high tariffs on American goods, effectively
cutting off these markets. With foreign markets suddenly
closed, prices for land and commodities in the United States
collapsed abruptly in 1921.2
Farm prices fell by 92 percent between 1920 and 1932. In
order to make up for the dropping prices, farmers contin-
ued to produce at record rates. They were heavily invested in
their expansion and much of this investment was borrowed
money. Overproduction backfired, however. The surplus of
products glutted the market and prices fell even farther.
Banks began to call in outstanding loans and those who
could not pay faced the loss of their farms. Foreclosures
and tax sales became common in the 1920s. Foreclosures
continued to increase as the rest of the nation plunged into
economic depression.3
As the foreclosure crisis grew, so did fear and anger within
farming communities. Some increasingly desperate farm-
ers resorted to collective actions to protest their situation.
One such action was a “penny auction.” At a penny auction,
foreclosed would attend the foreclosure auction in large
numbers, enter extremely low bids, and intimidate anyone
who attempted to bid higher. In the end the bank would get
whatever was bid and the neighbors would return the farm
and its contents to its original owner.
Auction of a farm foreclosure, ca. 1933 (Wikimedia Commons,
U.S. National Archives and Records Administration).
3