Portales City Park and Swimming Pool

The Portales City Park and swimming pool were constructed as New Deal projects in 1936, partially funded by the Works Progress Administration (WPA). Cement and labor were furnished by the WPA, and the city furnished about 10% of the materials. Original construction included a sunken garden, a wading pool, tennis courts, and a softball field.

The Portales City Park and swimming pool were constructed as New Deal projects in 1936, partially funded by the Works Progress Administration (WPA). The funds allotted by the government amounted to $16,000. Cement and labor were furnished by the WPA, and the city furnished about 10% of the materials. Original construction included a sunken garden, a wading pool, tennis courts, and a softball field. A January 1936 newspaper article reported that 2,000 loads of caliche were removed for the sunken garden, some of which was traded for fertilizer.

The foreman, J.A. Fairly, and the timekeeper were not chosen from relief rolls, but all additional labor was. All labor was from the city of Portales, a demonstration of how a WPA project could provide income for residents of a city while also raising the quality of life for those residents. As of January 1936, work had been going for 2.5 months with 24 men working 40 hours a week, and plans were for it to be finished in another 4 months. ^[1] By March, much of the groundwork had been done, and C.E. Hollied, WPA landscape engineer, came to Portales to spend several days laying out the greenery. The plans called for eight Spruce, sixteen Arbor Vitoes, thirty-two Creeping Junipers, two hundred roses for the beds, and a hedge of California Privot around the top of the garden.^[2]

Excavation for the municipal pool began in January 1942 with supervisors anticipating a completion date before July 1. A special City Council meeting was held the evening of January 12, 1942 to authorize the construction of this WPA project. There were nineteen WPA workers on the job, and it was anticipated that they would all be able to stay on the project before the start of the new fiscal year on July 1. The city council issued $7,500 in revenue bonds for construction more than a year prior. The blueprints were drawn by Robert Merrell of Clovis for a 50x150 pool, graduated from 2-10 feet in depth. There were to be bathhouses on one side (83x22 feet) with a lobby in the center. Bathhouses included showers, changing stalls, and foot baths to be used before entering the pool.^[3] The pool opened on June 27, 1942 (Saturday) to a crowd of 350 enjoying a free swim. The next day saw 275 paid swimmers.^[4]

Flynn, Kathryn A.. Public Art and Architecture in New Mexico 1933-1943: A Guide to the New Deal Legacy. Santa Fe, NM. Sunstone Press, 2012.

^[1] The Portales Daily News (Portales) January 13th 1936. Vol. 34 No. 12, page 8.

^[2] The Portales Daily News (Portales) March 18th 1946. Vol. 34 No. 20, page 1.

^[3] The Portales Daily News (Portales) January 13th 1942. Vol. 41 No. 12, page 1.

^[4] The Portales Daily News (Portales) June 26th 1942. Vol. 41 No. 36, page 1.