Standing on history: Who built Chicago’s WPA sidewalks?

About this episode

This episode explores the history and significance of WPA-branded sidewalks in Chicago.

Have you ever noticed a branded stamp in the sidewalk? Keen-eyed Chicagoans have found some that date back to Depression-era infrastructure projects by the Works Progress Administration. Who were the workers behind the WPA and why did they brand Chicago sidewalks? We explore the labor history under our feet.

Topics covered

• Chicago history
• WPA
• infrastructure
• labor history
• sidewalks
• branding

Keywords

• WPA
• sidewalks
• Chicago
• labor history
• infrastructure
• branding
• Depression-era

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Works Progress Administration

Places: Chicago, Chicago

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