As the Great Depression deepened and thousands were uprooted and looking for work, numerous fairgrounds were turned into camps for these transients. The Arizona State Fairgrounds provided a temporary place to stay and an opportunity to earn money through labor. Funded by the Federal Emergency Relief Administration and later the Works Progress Administration, transients helped to construct the stadium. A fifty-foot grandstand, an adobe wall on three sides of the grounds, and an auto racing track inside the horse track were created in 1936. Exhibit buildings were also built; the principal surviving one faces McDowell Rd. On the exterior of the grandstand 23 bas-relief panels by David Carrick Swing and Florence Blakeslee are featured. The works were funded by the Federal Art Project. The panels depict local history, industry, and sport. Binoculars might be useful to view these detailed panels better.
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image/jpeg
Language
English
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The New Deal in Arizona--Connections to Our Historic Landscape
