A Better West Virginia: WPA's Progress, 1937

This silent film from 1937 showcases the Works Progress Administration's (WPA) efforts to enhance West Virginia's infrastructure, education, and community welfare during the Great Depression. It features the grading of the Tri-County Airport at Clarksburg and street repairs in Morgantown, alongside remodeled buildings at Marshall College in Huntington. The film also highlights WPA sewing room activities and nursery school scenes, demonstrating support for families and early education. Infrastructure improvements are further depicted with the grading and resurfacing of county roads near Helvetia, and the construction of a new bridge at Charleston. Scenic mountain views and a fish hatchery at Ridge are included, alongside documentation of the devastating 1936 floods followed by the construction of a new bridge at Petersburg and rebuilt flood walls and dikes. The film concludes with scenes from a cooperative farm in Mercier County and orphans enjoying recreational activities like playing and swimming at Camp Fairchance, illustrating the WPA's comprehensive impact on the state.