Series 454: Historical Records Survey Newspaper Survey Files. 1936-1941.
Creator: Work Projects Administration (RG 60).
Collection Summary: Reporting forms and typed inventories from the Historical Records Survey’s survey of libraries’ holdings of historic state newspapers, although forms are also included for the New Orleans Times-Picayune and the Memphis Commercial Appeal. Reporting forms cover the name of the paper, its place of publication, frequency and dates of publication, and the span of dates held by the library where the newspaper was found. Many of the newspapers described here were held by the Mississippi Department of Archives and History. Researchers should note that there are no inventory forms for Tallahatchie, Tate, Tippah, Tishomingo or Tunica counties. An index in box 10954 lists all newspapers alphabetically with their inventory control numbers; a second, chronological index lists all the newspapers available year by year by their control numbers. Files are arranged alphabetically by the county or town of publication.
Access Restrictions: None.
Date(s): 1936-1941.
Volume: 4.00 Cubic Feet.
Finding Aid Created By: Colby Cox in October 2024.
Related Materials: TBD.
Record Group History: The Works Projects Administration (WPA) was a federal program established on May 6th, 1935, in order to increase employment during the Great Depression. While the WPA was a federal program, it was implemented and managed on the state level with each state having their own director and office to guide the operation of the WPA for each state. The WPA was primarily focused on employing individuals for the purpose of creating public works and infrastructure, but a small portion of its funding was devoted to cultural and artistic endeavors which the files in this collection are primarily concerned with. Two of the major cultural projects the WPA undertook were the Federal Writers’ Project and the Historical Records Survey. The Federal Writers Project employed writers to create guides, histories, and chronicles for each state and the Historical Records Survey sought to catalogue the historical records of each state.
- Collection Inventory:
Box Content Box Number
Adams - Lawrence Counties 10948 Leflore - Pontotoc Counties 10949 Map, "Mississippi Newspaper Campaign": 1936 19912 Memphis, Tennessee 10954 New Orleans, Louisiana 10954 Prentiss - Sunflower Counties 10950 Towns with newspapers and miscellaneous 10954 Warren and Washington Counties 10951 Washington - Winston Counties 10952 Yalobusha and Yazoo Counties 10953