Creator: Work Projects Administration (RG 60).

Collection Summary: Four scrapbooks pertaining to Work Projects Administration projects in Mississippi. 

"Our Projects" of Winston County. A scrapbook containing textual descriptions and photographs of projects undertaken by the Winston County Area 4 branch of the Women's and Professional Services Division of the WPA (later the Professional and Service Projects Division). The projects documented include a local sewing room, a plant and animal survey, lunch rooms for needy schoolchildren, and a library, among others. The scrapbook also includes a list of the local supervisors for each project. 

"A Report of Work Projects Administration State Defense Week, January 27 - February 1, 1941." This week was designated "State Defense Week" by Governor Paul B. Johnson, an event sponsored by the American Legion and other veterans' groups of Mississippi. This scrapbook documents the WPA State Defense Week Advisory Committee's actions, which demonstrated the WPA's efforts towards national defense. It contains copies of relevant correspondence, the plan for participation of various veterans' groups, photographs and newspaper clippings. 

"Jackson County, the Singing River." This scrapbook contains photographs and typed captions, and includes the legend of the Singing River. Photographs include images of a Jackson County Model Rehabilitation Farm, stunted crops, "lunchroom gardens" and canning for school lunchrooms, and Walter Anderson murals for the Ocean Springs public school. There are no dates in the scrapbook, but the photos obviously date between the mid-1930s and the mid-1940s. 

"The Story of 'This Work Pays Your Community Week' in Mississippi." A large scrapbook which documents the week of May 20-25, 1940, "This Work Pays Your Community" Week. Sponsored by the WPA's Professional and Service Projects program, its purpose was to acquaint the public with the accomplishments of the P & S program. Festivities included dinners, open houses, and other public outreach events. The scrapbook contains correspondence and other documents, newspaper clippings, and many photographs of P & S projects. Note that most of these items have been relocated to Box # 20465 for preservation purposes. 

Access Restrictions: None.

Date(s): 1934-1941; n.d.

Volume: 2.00 Cubic Feet.

Finding Aid Created By: Colby Cox in December 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

"Our Projects" of Winston County32047
A Report of Work Projects Administration State Defense Week11115
Jackson County, the Singing River20464
Relocated items from "This Work Pays Your Community Week" scrapbook20465
The Story of "This Work Pays Your Community Week"11115