Hope In Hard Times: Norvelt And The Struggle For Community During The Great Depression Project Muse Upcc Books

Winner of the 2021 Arthur St. Clair Historic Preservation Award from the Westmoreland Historical Society Of the many recipients of federal support during the Great Depression, the citizens of Norvelt, Pennsylvania, stand out as model reminders of the vital importance of New Deal programs. Hoping to transform their desperate situation, the 250 families of this western Pennsylvania town worked with the federal government to envision a new kind of community that would raise standards of living through a cooperative lifestyle and enhanced civic engagement. Their efforts won them a nearly mythic status among those familiar with Norvelt’s history. __Hope in Hard Times__ explores the many transitions faced by those who undertook this experiment. With the aid of the New Deal, these residents, who hailed from the hardworking and underserved class that Jacob Riis had called the “other half” a generation earlier, created a middle-class community that would become an exemplar of the success of such programs. Despite this, many current residents of Norvelt—the children and grandchildren of the first inhabitants—oppose government intervention and support political candidates who advocate scrutinizing and even eliminating public programs. Authors Timothy Kelly, Margaret Power, and Michael Cary examine this still-unfolding narrative of transformation in one Pennsylvania town, and the struggles and successes of its original residents, against the backdrop of one of the most ambitious federal endeavors in U.S. history.

Of the many recipients of federal support during the Great Depression, the citizens of Norvelt, Pennsylvania, stand out as model reminders of the vital importance of New Deal programs. Hoping to transform their desperate situation, the 250 families of this western Pennsylvania town worked with the federal government to envision a new kind of community that would raise standards of living through a cooperative lifestyle and enhanced civic engagement. Their efforts won them a nearly mythic status among those familiar with Norvelt’s history.

Hope in Hard Times explores the many transitions faced by those who undertook this experiment. With the aid of the New Deal, these residents, who hailed from the hardworking and underserved class that Jacob Riis had called the “other half” a generation earlier, created a middle-class community that would become an exemplar of the success of such programs. Despite this, many current residents of Norvelt—the children and grandchildren of the first inhabitants—oppose government intervention and support political candidates who advocate scrutinizing and even eliminating public programs.

Authors Timothy Kelly, Margaret Power, and Michael Cary examine this still-unfolding narrative of transformation in one Pennsylvania town, and the struggles and successes of its original residents, against the backdrop of one of the most ambitious federal endeavors in U.S. history.

Of the many recipients of federal support during the GreatDepression, the citizens of Norvelt, Pennsylvania, stand out asmodel reminders of the vital importance of New Deal programs.Hoping to transform their desperate situation, the 250 families ofthis western Pennsylvania town worked with the federal governmentto envision a new kind of community that would raise standards ofliving through a cooperative lifestyle and enhanced civicengagement. Their efforts won them a nearly mythic status amongthose familiar with Norvelt's history.

Hope in Hard Times explores the many transitions facedby those who undertook this experiment. With the aid of the NewDeal, these residents, who hailed from the hardworking andunderserved class that Jacob Riis had called the "other half" ageneration earlier, created a middle-class community that wouldbecome an exemplar of the success of such programs. Despite this,many current residents of Norvelt-the children and grandchildren ofthe first inhabitants-oppose government intervention and supportpolitical candidates who advocate scrutinizing and even eliminatingpublic programs.

Authors Timothy Kelly, Margaret Power, and Michael Cary examinethis still-unfolding narrative of transformation in onePennsylvania town, and the struggles and successes of its originalresidents, against the backdrop of one of the most ambitiousfederal endeavors in U.S. history.

Explores The History Of Norvelt, Pennsylvania, Originally Known As Westmoreland Homesteads, Which Was Founded In 1934 As Part Of The New Deal Homestead Subsistence Program--provided By Publisher. The World Of Coal Mining, Coking, And Patch Communities In Southwestern Pennsylvania, 1880-1920 -- The Crisis : The Great Depression In The Nation And Westmoreland County -- The Response : The New Deal And The Subsistence Homestead Program -- The Great Experiment : The Cooperative Ethos And Community Building -- Challenges To The Cooperative Ethos -- Becoming Norvelt : The Triumph Of The Middle Way -- Living In Norvelt : Domestic Architecture -- Norvelt Today : The Evolution Of A New Deal Community -- Conclusion : Did Norvelt Succeed? Timothy Kelly, Margaret Power, Michael Cary. Includes Bibliographical References And Index.