Lead: Frank Turner shaped the largest public-works project in U.S. history. Intro.: A Moment in Time with Dan Roberts. Content: Francis Turner grew up in Texas farm country during the Great Depression. At that time a person could work off their poll tax by doing a day's work building or repairing farm-to-market roads and he remembered helping his father on those roads. He studied soil science at Texas A & M University and worked on military roads in Alaska during the war. After World War II he went to help re-construct the highway system in the Philippines. Loading... Taking too long? Reload document | Open in new tab Download [6.13 KB] Share