WPA and New Deal Records
The single largest cache of materials in the custody of the Pennsylvania State Archives relating to the activities of the Works Progress Administration (WPA) resides in Record Group 13, the: Records of the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. The majority of this material is located in Series #13.108, the Working Files of the Works Progress Administration's Pennsylvania Historical Survey, [ca. 1935-1950] and consists of 133 cartons, 5 boxes, 79 digitzed rolls, 40 folders, 7 volumes, and 1 bundle divided into 139 sub-series. The Works Progress Administration provided funding for many historical research and publication projects in Pennsylvania including the Frontier Forts and Trails Survey, the American Guide Series, the Pennsylvania Historical Records Survey, the Guide to the Manuscript Collections at the Pennsylvania State Library, the Museum Extension Project, the Philadelphia Maritime Statistics Project, and the Survey of Federal Archives in Pennsylvania. Additional WPA materials of an administrative nature will also be found scattered among the Records of the Pennsylvania Historical Commission, Series 13.94 - Series 13.107.
Pennsylvania was among the first states to conduct a historical records survey under funding from the Civil Works Administration in 1933. In 1935 this state program came under the jurisdiction of the Federal Historical Records Survey that operated under the purview of the Federal Writers' Project. The Federal Writers' Project, under the direction of Henry Alsberg, was intended to publish guides that would interpret the historical and cultural heritage of communities at a grass roots level. In 1936, the Federal Historical Records Survey under the direction of Luther H. Evans was separated from the Federal Writers' Project and operated independently until the end of the Works Progress Administration in 1939. In January 1941, the Historical Records Survey was merged with the Frontier Forts and Trails Survey in Pennsylvania to form the Pennsylvania Historical Survey under the directorship of State Supervisor Eugene M. Braderman. Work on the American Guide Series was commenced in 1935 and placed particular emphasis on folklore, ethnic studies, and local guides. When Works Progress Administration funding ended work on such guides continued at the state level under the Work Projects Administration and some writers were also reassigned to work on the War History Program.
The Frontier Forts and Trails Survey collected information on the colonial-era history of western and northwestern Pennsylvania with a particular emphasis on the French and Indian War. The records consist of transcripts of historical manuscripts, letters, maps, and photographs assembled by employees of the Works Progress Administration from a variety of sources including the Library of Congress Manuscripts Division, Cleveland Public Library, Pennsylvania State Library, Public Archives of Canada, and the Erie Public Library. The records relating to the American Guide Series are typed transcripts of field notes, pre-final drafts and final drafts of manuscripts, and photographs selected to illustrate the American Guide Series. In Pennsylvania the project resulted in publication of a number of topical and county guides. Supervised by I. C. Boerlin of The Pennsylvania State College, the Museum Extension Project provided small replica models of aircraft, ships, and machinery as well as exhibits, charts, maps and posters that were used as visual aids in classrooms, shops and government training centers. In Philadelphia, the Museum Extension Project and was co-sponsored with the Philadelphia Art Museum, the Academy of the Natural Sciences, the Atwater Kent Museum, and the University of Pennsylvania Museum. Other administrative Records in Record Group 13 may also be of interest relating to the administration of various historic sites, the historical marker program, state archaeology projects, and the administration of the State Archives and State Museum.
Record Group 10: Records of the Office of the Governor, contains Series 10.60, The State Planning Board's Works Progress Administration Bituminous Coal and Coal Mining Maps, 1934-1936 that consist of quadrangle maps of bituminous coal areas drafted by the Works Progress Administration. Each map is drawn on a scale of one inch per mile and provides the WPA project number and the name of the geographic area represented. The inscriptions on each map provide information concerning active and abandoned oil wells, active and abandoned gas wells, dry holes, shafts, barrier pillars, crop lines, coal contours, drift and slope openings, county lines, township lines, and borough lines.
Record Group 20: Records of the Department of General Services, contains two series entitled Reports, Correspondence, Photographs, Blueprints, and Miscellaneous Records Relating to Works Progress Administration Construction Projects, 1930-1943. (4 cartons, 1 box) Series 20.5 and Miscellaneous Reports of the Department and Other State Agencies, 1930-1943, 1958. (20 folders, 10 volumes) Series 20.26. These materials relate to the activities of the Local Government Committee, General State Authority. the Research and Records Program, Bureau of Publications, Capitol Grounds Extension, the Delaware River Basin Commission, Eastern State Penitentiary, Executive Mansion, Aerial Defense, Public Utility Commission, State Art Commission, and the Work Program of the Works Progress Administration.
Record Group 46: Records of the Department of Mines and Mineral Industries, contains some WPA materials in a series entitled Anthracite and Bituminous Mine Inspectors' Monthly Tonnage, Man-Hour and Accident Reports, 1969-1970 (2 cartons) Series #45.2 that includes tabular monthly tonnage, man-hour and accident reports prepared by mine inspectors for the Department of Mines and Mineral Industries.
Among the manuscript groups held by the State Archives, Manuscript Group 400: Works Progress Administration Records, contains the greatest concentration of WPA materials including transcripts of such county records as quarter sessions dockets, commissioners minutes, tax assessments, road books, newspapers and a transcript of "Travels Through the United States, 1795-1797" by Duke de la Rochefoucault-Liancourt. Also present are such Museum Extension Project materials as color plates used for illustrating classic books and fairy tales and handbooks providing textual material regarding magic shows, puppet and marionette theaters, descriptions of costumes, and a history of coal
Manuscript Group 317: The Mary Barnum Bush Hauck Papers, 1931-1979, contains about 3 cubic feet of material. Mary B.B. Hauck was a Harrisburg piano teacher and Pennsylvania State Supervisor of Music for the Emergency Education Program under the Works Progress Administration, 1937-1942. She organized the Dauphin County Folk Festivals from1935-1961 and was director of USO program services at Fort Indiantown Gap from 1943-1946. The WPA materials include original drawings by Edward C. Michener and printed posters by other artists of the WPA Art Project. Manuscript Group 160: The Arthur H. James Papers, also contains a small WPA file encompassing about half a cubic foot. Finally, Manuscript Group 220: The Merle H. Deardorff Collection , contains a few copies of early maps prepared as part of the WPA program in the series entitled Maps, 1544-1968, [undated] Series220m.7