Sherburne History Center Blog

Young men, most likely from the NYA, taking a break  from working on the Handke Stadium, a joint NYC and WPA project in Elk River Recent blog posts regarding Depression era programs in Sherburne County suggest a number of county residents received federal assistance.   Further reading the pages of the county newspaper, the Sherburne County Star News , shows the county nearly dependent on federal programs for survival.   Several articles in the newspapers report the Sherburne County farming community received significant support from Franklin Roosevelt’s economic programs.   In 1940 and 1941 nearly 90 percent of the farms in Sherburne County received benefits from the Agriculture Adjustment Administration.   In 1941, 1630 farms in Sherburne County, out of a total of 1822 farms, received some payments from the AAA programs.   In addition to farm aid, depression era programs included the construction around Handke Stadium.   The Works Progre...

World War Adjusted Compensation, billion dollar words that generated 20 years of controversy and bloodshed in the United States.   Although Sherburne witnessed no violent protest, the law passed in 1924 impacted Elk River and the county for a generation.   In 1924, Congress pass legislation awarding veterans of the World War a bonus for their service.   Veterans received promises of bonds to be paid after 20 years maturity.   President Calvin Coolidge opposed the legislation, arguing “patriotism bought and paid for is not patriotism.”   Despite his veto, Congress passed the World War Adjusted Compensation Act, promising veterans money in twenty years.   The arrival of the economic depression in the 1930s, unemployed and homeless veterans asked for their money earlier than promised.   In 1932, Bonus Army protests in Washington, D.C. led to riots and the deaths of two veterans.   In 1936, Congress passed a new legislation promising the ve...

Depression era relief programs required unique enforcement skills in 1935.   This became apparent from newspaper reports in the Sherburne County Star News in the spring of that year. In May 1935 the local newspaper urged local farmers and other county residents to report any relief recipients turning down opportunities to work.   “All clients who refuse work when it is offered are to be taken off relief rolls,” the paper reported.   According to the news reports, county residents remaine3d on the relief rolls while supplementing their income with egg and dairy sales.   “relief is being given only as emergency relief,” the paper reminded.   “As soon as a family’s income is larger than their budget, they will be taken off relief.”   WPA construction crew in Handke Stadium circa 1935 In farming communities throughout Minnesota federal investigators found families willing to receive federal relief and farm income at the same time.   “A concer...