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United States. Bureau of Community Facilities Records

 Collection
Identifier: MC-94

Scope and Contents

This collection consists of the numbered field files for local programs of the Bureau of Community Facilities, including child care, recreation, and health care centers in Butte (Field File 24-M-6), Bozeman (Field File 24-M-5), Great Falls (Field File 24-M-3; Field File 24-M-8; Field File 24-M-9), Helena (Field File 24-M-4), Lewistown (Field File 24-M-2), Stillwater County (Field File 24-M-1), and Missoula, Montana (Field File 24-M-7).

Dates

  • Creation: 1942-1945

Language of Materials

English

Conditions Governing Access

Collection open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

Researchers must use collection in accordance with the policies of the Montana Historical Society. The Society does not necessarily hold copyright to all materials in the collection. In some cases permission for use may require additional authorization from the copyright owners. For more information contact an archivist.

Biographical / Historical

The Federal Works Agency was established in 1939. Under an act passed on October 14, 1940, the Agency was given authority to provide housing in connection with military establishments. On June 28, 1941, Congress amended this law by the Lanham Act, which expanded the types of facilities the Board could provide to include schools, hospitals, recreation centers, waterworks, sewer systems, and any other "... facility necessary for carrying on community life substantially expanded by the national-defense program." This portion of the Agency's work was carried out by the Division of War Public Services. In December 1944 the division was renamed the Bureau of Community Facilities. Montana's program was initially administered from Berkeley, California, but later came under the Denver regional office. Bozeman, Great Falls, and Helena established child care centers to take care of the preschool age children of women working in defense-related jobs. Officials in Butte had hoped to set up such a program, but felt that the fifty cents suggested daily fee was too high for most mothers. Therefore, they declined the government's offer. Missoula's planned child care center was also never funded. Lewistown set up a recreation center for soldiers stationed at the Army Airdrome Headquarters a mile outside of town. Great Falls requested a rapid treatment center to control venereal disease, but by the time the paperwork was completed, the number of soldiers stationed in the area had declined sharply and the center was no longer needed. When the war ended in 1945, the programs created by the Bureau of Community Facilities were gradually phased out, being completed by February 1946.

Extent

.8 linear feet

Abstract

These records of the U.S. Federal Works Agency's Bureau of Community Facilities consist of field files (1942-1945) for child care, recreation, and health care centers in Butte, Bozeman, Great Falls, Helena, Lewistown, and Missoula, Montana.

Arrangement

Arranged by Field File Number, then alphabetically within each Field File Number.

Physical Location

5:6-2

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Acquisition information available upon request

Title
Guide to the United States. Bureau of Community Facilities records 1942-1945
Author
Finding aid prepared by MHS staff
Date
2004
Description rules
Finding Aid Based On Dacs ( Describing Archives: A Content Standard 2nd Edition)
Language of description
English
Script of description
Code for undetermined script
Language of description note
Finding aid written in English.
Sponsor
Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Repository Details

Part of the Montana Historical Society, Research Center Archives Repository

Contact:
225 North Roberts
PO Box 201201
Helena MT 59620-1201 United States
406-444-2681
406-444-2696 (Fax)