Lake St. Croix Overlook

Lake St. Croix Overlook. . Putting America to Work , In 1929, the Great Depression swept America and millions were left without work. To help the country through these tough times, President Franklin D. Roosevelt created several federal work programs lasting from 1933 to 1943. The unemployed provided labor for public works projects and, in return, received needed paychecks. It was called the New Deal., During this time, New Deal workers built a lasting legacy of roads, bridges, airports, schools, parks and ballparks. They also built conservation projects for flood prevention and started tree farms. Many communities in the state greatly benefited from these New Deal programs., Scenic Minnesota , The Minnesota Department of Highways, now called the Minnesota Department of Transportation, partnered with New Deal work programs to build a statewide network of more than 100 parking areas and historic markers, including the Lake St. Croix Overlook. These sites provided rest areas for the traveling public and introduced early tourists to Minnesota's scenic areas., This site was restored by the Minnesota and Wisconsin Departments of Transportation in 2013., Arthur R. Nichols, an important Minnesota landscape architect, and Harold E. Olson of the Minnesota Department of Highways, designed the overlook. Workers from the federal National Youth Administration constructed the wayside in 1938-39., The Lake St. Croix Overlook (Stillwater South) is listed on the National Register of Historic Places., Depression era roadside parking areas are recognizable by their rustic designs in wood and stone, high quality of craftsmanship and overall harmony of design with the natural surroundings., These Works Progress Administration workers are salvaging stone from the Minnesota Territorial Prison in Stillwater. The stone was used at this wayside and others.