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Montana Works Progress Administration records, 1935-1942

Overview of the Collection

Creator
United States. Works Progress Administration. Montana
Title
Montana Works Progress Administration records
Dates
1935-1942 (inclusive)
Quantity
57 linear feet
Collection Number
2336
Summary
The WPA Records consist of collected materials based on the projects that were set in place by the WPA itself. Most were under the administration of the WPA's Federal Writers' Project (FWP), though some were administered by the Historic Records Survey. Materials are for Montana, unless otherwise noted.
Repository
Montana State University Library, Merrill G. Burlingame Special Collections
Montana State University-Bozeman Library
Merrill G Burlingame Special Collections
P.O. Box 173320
Bozeman, MT
59717-3320
Telephone: 4069944242
Fax: 4069942851
Access Restrictions

This collection is open for research.

Languages
Collection materials are in English
Sponsor
Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities
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Historical Note

In 1935, almost a fourth of the population of Montana, or about 137,000 persons, were dependent upon some form of federal, state, or county relief assistance. Up to that point, relief came in New Deal programs such as old age assistance, aid to dependent children, or the construction programs of the WPA (Works Progress Administration) and Army Corps of Engineers. Certainly one of the largest federal projects was the construction of the Fort Peck Dam in Montana. Already by 1935 it was well under way, bringing employment to thousands.

It was also in 1935 that Congress appropriated funding for the Federal Writers' Project. The Writers' Project was conceived as a unique combination of relief and an opportunity for the advancement of American culture. Under the WPA, the Writers' Project received less than one percent of the total WPA budget, just slightly over $2 million. However, now for the first time workers who were unable to do manual labor could receive employment. According to the initial job posting, these included: writers, editors, librarians, historians, archaeologists, research workers, art critics, architects, map draftsmen, and geologists.

The task for the employees of the Federal Writers' Project was to prepare material for the American Guide books. They were to accumulate new research material on local history, historical figures, art, folklore, racial groups, scenery, agricultural developments, landmarks, monuments, etc. In sum, whatever made up the life of the community would be researched. Each state had its own team of workers.

When the American Guide for Montana was finished, other projects followed, from those as diverse as a collection of regional recipes (America Eats) to the writing of the history of livestock industry in the West.

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Content Description

The twenty-five series were discovered, based on the projects that were set in place by the WPA itself. Most were under the administration of the WPA's Federal Writers' Project (FWP), though some were administered by the Historic Records Survey. Materials are for Montana, unless otherwise noted.

Numerous projects documented by the Montana WPA are not found in this manuscript collection. They include: Almanac for 1940 and 1941, Copper Camp: the Story of Butte, Pioneers, Ski Manual, Small Metals Mining Study, and Stories of Montana. Most (if not all) of these projects form part of additional 40 linear feet of WPA records held at the Montana Historical Society in Helena, assigned collection number MC 77.

One project of the WPA was to draw plats for each county. Since all that MSU owns is the plat book for Gallatin County, it has been cataloged separately as Collection 2101 ("Book of Township Plats showing land ownerships, operating units, land use, in Gallatin County, c1934-36"). For further information about the WPA itself, its "Annual Reports on Progress of the Works Program" is available for the years 1936-42 in the Government Documents collection FW4.1.66.

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Administrative Information

Arrangement

Series 1 America Eats

Series 2 Directory of Churches and Religious Organizations

Series 3 Encyclopedia

Series 4 Folklore Studies

Series 5 Health Almanac

Series 6 Indian Legends and Studies

Series 7 Inventory of County Archives of Montana

Series 8 Inventory Vital Statistics Records of Churches and Religious Organizations

Series 9 Livestock and Grazing History

Series 10 Men at Work

Series 11 Montana Newspapers

Series 12 Montana State Capitol

Series 13 Noted American Architects

Series 14 Photographs

Series 15 School pamphlets

Series 16 Serviceman's Almanac

Series 17 Sketches

Series 18 Social and Ethnic Studies

Series 19 State Guidebook

Series 20 Story of the Buffalo

Series 21 Transcripts of original documents

Series 22 Up Unto the Sun

Series 23 USA Pictorial Guide

Series 24 WPA radio talks

Series 25 Your Vacation in Montana

Acquisition Information

By the close of 1942, the files created or collected by the Montana division of the Work Projects Administration were discontinued because of the "steady decrease in the project's rolls and the reorganization of its activities in the direction of defense mobilization." A suitable home in each state was to be found for the materials gathered by the WPA writers. The late Dr. Merrill G. Burlingame began negotiating with the WPA to deposit at least some of the materials at the college in Bozeman. In February 1943, the materials were received by Burlingame.

Walt Mead drawings were a gift of Bonnie Saliman, 2022.

Processing Note

Deposited with the Montana State University Library since 1942, the WPA records had been made available to the general public, but their size, over 250,000 items (57 linear feet) proved overwhelming to all but the most dedicated researcher. In 1995, partial funding was received from the Montana Cultural Trust to reorganize the collection to make it more accessible to all Montanans. Over the years, many other accessions were added to the collection. This collection was processed 2009 August 19.

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Detailed Description of the Collection

Kim Allen Scott, 2009; Jodi Allison-Bunnell
2022

CC Attribution
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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