In the depths of the Great Depression of the 1930s, Santa Barbara was a small town of about 30,000 residents. Although economic conditions at the time were not as dire as in many parts of the country, newspaper publisher Thomas M. Storke used his personal connections and political savvy to obtain some $20 million in federal investments. He shrugged off the massive rewards for his lobbying efforts, noting, “I reasoned this way: The funds having been appropriated, would have been spent somewhere, so why not go after Santa Barbara’s share?” Santa Barbara invested perhaps more than their fair share of federal dollars in a variety of ways.
Individuals who feared the wolf was at the door had the opportunity to work thanks to a variety of New Deal investments during these tough economic times. Infrastructure projects of the Works Projects Administration (WPA) and the Civilian Conservation Corps employed laborers, while the Federal Writers’ and Arts Projects employed writers, actors, artists, and musicians.