Pine Mountain Valley Resettlement Project

The Resettlement Administration was founded on May 1, 1935 as part of the second phase of President Roosevelt's New Deal. FDR took a personal interest in the planning of this project with Under Secretary of Agriculture, Dr. Rex Tugwell, Administrator. The goal of the R.A. was the relocation of impoverished farm families and poor city families who were suffering during the Great Depression. Focus was also the prevention of unprofitable farming techniques, land use, and the preservation of natural resources. This was to be a testing and proving ground for the principles to be applied on a large-scale program. The program lost support from Congress with the onset of World War II. Pine Mountain Valley managed to operate until 1945. Many descendants of the original "settlers" still occupy the Valley Houses that were built when the project began. This was the largest of the three rural-industrial communities developed in the United States consisting of dairy, hog and poultry farms. There was also a fruit, cotton and grain farm. A total of 210 homestead units were completed.