The City of Wishek benefited from several of these projects.  The city park, community swimming pool, Wishek Civic Center and many of the sidewalks in town were all built by WPA workers. 

Planning for the construction of the civic center began in 1938 under Mayor J. C. Krein, and the project was completed in 1942 under Mayor E. H. Cook.  The cost of construction was $140,000. Salaries for workers ranged from $140 per month for the construction superintendent to 33 cents per hour for unskilled labor.  Sixty men generally worked 8- to 10-hour days. 

The civic center's uniqueness lies in the material from which it is constructed.  Project planners wanted to construct the building out of material that would last.  Since the most readily available material was native rock and stone, they gathered prairie boulders from the outlying area to be used as the primary construction material for the massive building. 

The architect who designed the building, Gilbert Horton, used the rock in a creative way.  The boulders were hand-chiseled, placed in layers and held in place with concrete.  The rock was sorted by color and size, and crews were assigned to prepare it for placement. 

According to one of the rock finishers, Dan Rudolf, the foreman would mark the wall with the size and color rock needed.  A two-man team consisting of a rock finisher and helper would sign their name to the area marked, then begin squaring a rock to fit the space.  The finisher held a large chisel, while the helper hit it with a sledge hammer. 

After the rock was squared the helper hauled away the waste pieces while the finisher shaped the front of the rock with a small chisel and hammer.  If the rock had any chisel marks or broken corners it was discarded and the team would start over.  It could take a couple of hours, or several days, to finish a rock depending on one's luck with the chisel and quality of the rock. 

After the rocks were shaped, another crew would cement them in place.  The largest rock can be found on the east wall above the basement door. 

The Wishek Civic Center was completed in 1942 and has served the community as a school gymnasium, city offices and community center for nearly 60 years.  It is the site of countless memories for generations of Wishek residents, and is a true testimonial to the determination and work ethic of our native sons and daughters.  It has hosted ball games, wedding dances, community theater, our city’s premiere annual event, Sauerkraut Day, and a long list of other activities.