I need to thank Eleanor & Franklin Roosevelt for today..........

[mrmpa]

Today I took my 83 year old mother and a neighboring couple to a Polka Party/Dance in Norvelt, Pennsylvania. It was held at the Eleanor Roosevelt Hall.

Norvelt was created by the Roosevelt Administration in 1934 (originally called the Westmoreland Homestead Lands). Over 1200 acres were purchased by the Federal Government to be homesteaded by laid off coal miners in Western PA. 250 homes were built (by the homesteaders) and the accompanying acreage was to be farmed and to supply all the needs of the homesteaders. It was a communal farming district. There was a health center in the community and a grocery store owned by the community as a non-profit. Each homesteader paid $12-$14 a month for the home, with the rent going toward the purchase of the homes. Eventually each home was owned for approximately $12,000 each.

By the mid 1940's the homesteading idea had diminished because employment in industry was available in surrounding communities. In 1937 Eleanor Roosevelt visited the community and the residents were so impressed with her interest in the community they renamed the town for Mrs. Roosevelt(Elea NOR Roose VELT. The hall we were in today was built and named for Mrs. Roosevelt. In the hall there is a niche in the wall with a bust of Mrs. Roosevelt.

So, if there wasn't this idea to help the unemployed in 1934 by building a new community, I would not have been able to take my Mom out today, for a day that was for her, my neighbors and me, a most enjoyable day. We even won a door prize.

I want to thank the Roosevelts.

[Demoiselle]

1. I love your story, mrmpa. We should all thank the Roosevelts, on a regular basis.

[ConcernedCanuk]

2. Thank them on Facebook

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The Westmoreland Homesteads-Norvelt Historical Society



https://www.facebook.com/groups/Norvelt/

And I'm happy for you and your mother

Well done

CC

[mrmpa]

8. That is so cool..........eom

[MiddleFingerMom]

3. GREAT historical story and GREAT personal anecdote.

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Thank you for sharing this.
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[UTUSN]

4. Thank YOU, I will always luerve Franklin and Eleanor forever. n/t

[Boomerproud]

5. An amazing woman to be sure.

She turned her personal pain (an uncaring mother and grandmother and absent father) into real empathy for others instead of retreating into her privileged world.

[Arctic Dave]

6. We have one of those towns up here.

Colony, Alaska was a federal program town that was homesteaded for farming in the MatSu valley.

Lots of Minnesotans came up. That's where Palin gets her weird accent from.

[mrmpa]

9. That is so interesting...........

I wish I had known more about these homesteading areas when it was time to write my College Senior research project.

[Arctic Dave]

10. Here is a link I pulled up from a list if you are interested.

http://www.explorenorth.com/library/yafeatures/bl-matanuska.htm

There is more about it if you just Google for it.

[KT2000]

7. what a great tribute

and thank you for the history lesson. I had no idea something like that had ever been done.