Hidden Clues in WPA Historical Projects

In 1935, President Franklin D. Roosevelt launched the Works Progress Administration (WPA) to combat nationwide unemployment during the Great Depression. One major component—the WPA Historical Records Survey (HRS)—employed writers, teachers, historians, editors, and clerical workers to document America’s historical and cultural heritage. The purpose of the HRS was:

• to inventory and preserve fragile historical materials,
• to catalog local and state records,
• to capture cultural traditions and community histories, and
• to provide meaningful work for unemployed professionals.

However, in fulfilling this mission, the WPA inadvertently produced an extraordinary body of genealogical material. Much of what they transcribed, mapped, or described no longer exists today — making WPA materials an invaluable resource for family historians.

If your ancestors lived in the United States from the 1700s through the early 20th century, there is a strong chance that WPA projects contain information about the communities, families, churches, cemeteries, and institutions they interacted with.

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