Historical Markers
People climbing wooden stairs on a steep hillside toward a wooden observation tower - new deal and depression-era sites

Self-guided · County in Iowa

New Deal and Depression-Era Sites in Lucas County, IA

Lodges, lookouts, bathhouses and public buildings put up by the WPA and the Civilian Conservation Corps during the Depression.

Open the Iowa map · All states

Photo: Jeffrey Eisen on Unsplash

Lucas County is one of 99 counties in Iowa. Reading about this period is one thing. Standing where it happened, with the record in your hand, is how it stops being a date on a test.

Men gathered around a campfire in a forest - new deal and depression-era sites
Photo: The Oregon State University Collections and Archives on Unsplash
Group of loggers with a two-man saw in a forest - new deal and depression-era sites
Photo: The Oregon State University Collections and Archives on Unsplash
Man and woman sitting on black wooden rocking chairs - new deal and depression-era sites
Photo: Aaron Thomas on Unsplash

On the record near Lucas County, IA

The 12 nearest

22 listed sites on the record match new deal and depression-era sites within 200 miles of Lucas County, IA, out of 34 listed sites of every kind within 25 miles. 14 listed sites carry Lucas County as their county.

  1. Lake Ahquabi State Park, Bathhouse Area (Area B)24 miles from the center of Lucas County · District · Indianola · listed 1990National Register of Historic Places
  2. WPA Stock Barn and Pavilion67 miles from the center of Lucas County · Building · Trenton · listed 1994National Register of Historic Places
  3. Woodlawn Cemetery Gates and Shelter86 miles from the center of Lucas County · Building · Washington · listed 2016National Register of Historic Places
  4. Civilian Conservation Corps--Prisoner of War Recreation Hall94 miles from the center of Lucas County · Building · Eldora · listed 2012National Register of Historic Places
  5. Geode State Park, Civilian Conservation Corps Area101 miles from the center of Lucas County · District · Danville · listed 1990National Register of Historic Places
  6. Van Meter State Park Shelter Building121 miles from the center of Lucas County · Building · Marshall · listed 1985National Register of Historic Places
  7. Mark Twain State Park Picnic Shelter at Buzzard's Roost134 miles from the center of Lucas County · Building · Santa Fe · listed 1985National Register of Historic Places
  8. Arrow Rock State Historic Site Lookout Shelter136 miles from the center of Lucas County · Building · Arrow Rock · listed 1985National Register of Historic Places
  9. Arrow Rock State Historic Site Grave Shelter136 miles from the center of Lucas County · Structure · Arrow Rock · listed 1985National Register of Historic Places
  10. Arrow Rock State Historic Site Open Shelter136 miles from the center of Lucas County · Building · Arrow Rock · listed 1985National Register of Historic Places
  11. Sugar Lake State Park Open Shelter138 miles from the center of Lucas County · Building · Rushville · listed 1985National Register of Historic Places
  12. Pilot Knob State Park, Picnic Shelter (Area 3)154 miles from the center of Lucas County · Building · Forest City · listed 1990National Register of Historic Places

Distances are straight-line from the center of Lucas County, IA. Many sites are private property or working buildings - view them from the public way. See them on the map.

New Deal Sites in Lucas County, step by step

  1. 1

    Read the short history of the period for this area

  2. 2

    Open the map filtered to the sites from that chapter

  3. 3

    Visit the nearest site and read its full record

  4. 4

    Ask what the marker leaves out and look for the rest

  5. 5

    Add the site to a route that follows the period in order

What people in Lucas County, IA ask first

How much does it cost to visit these sites in Lucas County, IA?

Most listed sites can be seen from a public road or sidewalk at no cost, and the app is free to use. Some sites are private homes, working churches or museums with their own hours and fees. The record for each one says what it is, so you know before you go.

Where does the information on these sites come from?

From published records: the National Register of Historic Places, the Recorded Texas Historic Landmark program, and the Georgia Historical Society and Georgia Department of Natural Resources marker program. Every site on the page names its source.

Are the hard parts of this history included?

Yes. The record is shown as published, and the stories behind the markers include what happened, who it happened to, and how it was remembered. Leaving the hard parts out would make the stop less worth the trip.

Why are there so many of these sites near Lucas County, IA?

Most areas have more than people expect, because the registers list every surviving building and site tied to a period, not just the famous ones. The list on this page shows exactly what is on the record nearby.

How a visit works in Lucas County

  1. Step 1

    Find the place

    Every stop starts as a pin with real coordinates. In Lucas County, IA the map shows what is listed around you and how far each one is, so the first decision is where to go, and it takes a few seconds.

  2. Step 2

    Read the story

    The record behind each marker is kept whole: what happened there, when, who was involved, and why it was worth a sign. You read it standing where it happened, which is the part a textbook cannot give you.

  3. Step 3

    Get there under your own power

    Walk it, run it, hike it, ride it or drive it. Stops in Lucas County, IA are chained into routes that fit the way you move, so a lunch break, a long run or a Saturday drive can all pass through history.

  4. Step 4

    Collect it and come back

    Each stop you reach counts toward a badge, and a photo or a correction you send makes the record better for the next person. The map remembers where you have been, so the next trip starts where the last one ended.

The rules that make it work

The record comes first

Every site on these pages comes from a published register or marker program, with its source named. Nothing is listed that is not on the record.

Read the whole story

A marker is a few lines on a post. The story behind it is longer, and it includes the hard parts. Both are worth the stop.

Movement makes it stick

People remember the places they walked to. A route through five markers teaches more than fifty marker pages read on a couch.

Local beats famous

The marker two streets over usually has a better story than the one in the guidebook, and nobody else is standing in front of it.

Respect the ground

Many sites are private homes, working churches or cemeteries. View from the public way, follow posted hours, and leave it as you found it.

Every visitor can improve it

Markers go missing, get moved, or carry mistakes. A photo or a location fix from the person standing there is how the record stays right.

More ways in around Lucas County, IA

People using rifles near trees - civil war sitesCivil War SitesA group of men dressed in period costumes - revolutionary war sitesRevolutionary War SitesA woman dressed in period clothing holding a wooden pole - colonial history sitesColonial HistoryDemonstrators walk along a street holding signs demanding the right to vote and equal civil rights at the March on Washington - civil rights history sitesCivil Rights HistoryA girl with a t - shirt that says i am black history - black history sitesBlack History SitesSilhouette photo of man carrying candle lantern with lighted candle - underground railroad sitesUnderground RailroadA traveler enjoying a moment at a historic cliff dwelling in Colorado - native american historic sitesNative American Sites14-yr. old striker, Fola La Follette, and Rose Livingston - women's history sitesWomen's History Sites

New Deal Sites near Lucas County

New Deal Sites everywhere in the US · Every way in