During the Great Depression the federal government tried to stimulate the economy by funding a variety of buildings and programs. Inside the 1936 WPA post office in Normal is a 1938 oil on canvas mural, a salute to the community, to human achievement, and to the importance of beauty in public spaces.

There's a declaration of emergency over the number of unhoused people in Bloomington right now, and efforts to provide new housing and expanded space in shelters. In this episode of WGLT's series "McHistory," you'll learn that the issue is not new — though the response today is perhaps more humane than it was in other eras.