When the Great Depression hit in 1929, 15 million Americans were thrown out of work. They lost their jobs, their savings, and their homes. When Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected president in 1932, he believed it was the federal government’s responsibility to pull the country out of the financial disaster. He established government programs to accomplish that task.
Roosevelt knew that Americans did not want a handout. They wanted to work for a living and feel that they had earned their money. He created projects that put Americans to work while improving the country at the same time. The Federal Emergency Relief Administration, or FERA, was established in 1933 as one of these programs. FERA provided work for millions of unemployed Americans. The projects were broad in scope and included the construction of public buildings, improvements to national parks, library and theater projects, and archaeological excavations.
On this date in 1934, beleaguered North Dakotans learned that help was on the way. The Department of Agriculture announced that local workers would be given preference on a project to establish a shelterbelt stretching from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico. The program’s director planned to spend the winter coordinating with state and local officials. The plans called for the shelterbelt to begin near Minot. It would extend south to Washburn, then continue along the east side of the Missouri River to the state’s southern border.
Planning would include selecting the most appropriate types of trees and starting them in nurseries. Preliminary plans called for red cedar, green ash, elm, and cottonwood. Planting would be adapted to the conditions in each local area.
Major employment was expected to begin in the spring of 1935, with preference given to local residents. Technical and clerical positions would be available, along with fieldwork. Farmers were expected to be hired for fencing and plowing.
The project’s immediate benefit would be employment. Looking to the future, however, the shelterbelt would also help lessen the effects of droughts. It would prevent soil from drying out and blowing away. It would help moderate extreme temperatures and improve the environment “for man, beast, birds, and plants.”
Dakota Datebook written by Dr. Carole Butcher
Sources:
- Bismarck Tribune. “Local Labor Will Get Preference in Shelterbelt Work.” Bismarck ND. 11/6/1934. Page 3.
- Bismarck Tribune. “FERA Will Survey State’s Finances.” Bismarck ND. 11/6/1934. Page 3.
- University of Washington. “The Federal Emergency Relief Administration.” https://content.lib.washington.edu/feraweb/essay.htmlAccessed 10/10/2026.
