Near Ocala in Marion County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)
Great Depression Public Works Project
Historic Florida Barge Canal Trail
By Cosmos Mariner, February 13, 2021
1. Great Depression Public Works Project Marker
"...Requesting the assistance and cooperation of every available federal agency in order to make possible, at an early date, commencement of construction on a ship canal across the peninsula."President Franklin D. Roosevelt (1932)
"We are going to push the canal right along as long as the money holds out."
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (1935)
"This project is designed primarily to facilitate, safeguard and cheapen… commerce [and] serve as an important element in the national defense by safeguarding the transportation of water-borne troops, munitions and supplies in time of war, and to serve as a connecting link between the intercoastal waterway system…"
Committee on Rivers and Harbors
Summary Report to Congress (1937)
Erected by Florida State Parks. (Marker Number 3.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Charity & Public Work
By Cosmos Mariner, February 13, 2021
2. Great Depression Public Works Project Marker
Location. 29° 6.204′ N, 82° 5.412′ W. Marker is near Ocala, Florida, in Marion County. Marker can be reached from the intersection of Southeast 80th Street (County Road 328) and South Pine Avenue (U.S. 441), on the right when traveling east. Marker is located along the trail at "The Island" - Cross Florida Barge Canal Interpretive Park, just south of the Marion County Sheriff's Station. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 3260 Southeast 80th Street, Ocala FL 34480, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. A Beautiful Place (here, next to this marker); Protective Perspective (here, next to this marker); Historical Perspective (here, next to this marker); Opposition to the Canal (here, next to this marker); Environmental Victory Nears (here, next to this marker); Deliberate Strategy (a few steps from this marker);
By Cosmos Mariner, February 13, 2021
3. Great Depression Public Works Project Marker
Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker. Historic Florida Barge Canal Trail
Also see . . .
1. The Cross Florida Barge Canal. With the Great Depression of the 1930s, construction began on the Cross Florida Barge Canal as a way to stimulate the economy and provide jobs. As part of his New Deal program, President Franklin D. Roosevelt approved a five million dollar allocation of federal funds for the project. “In September of 1935, 6,000 men are going to descend upon Ocala, Florida, and begin this construction,” says Tegeder. “Ocala is now a boomtown. There’s rapid growth. In one week the city issues ten liquor licenses as a measure of that optimism, and prosperity begins.” (Submitted on February 16, 2021, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
2. Lessons from the Cross Florida Barge Canal Project. Roosevelt’s support for the project waned in the face of local and national opposition. Within a year, the cranes and bulldozers fell silent as the federal government pulled the plug on the project. It was a rare defeat for one of FDR’s major programs. (Submitted on February 16, 2021, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
Credits. This page was last revised on February 21, 2021. It was originally submitted on February 14, 2021, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 44 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on February 16, 2021, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.
RSS Feed