My Trails into the Past

Last week, I viewed the Legacy Family Tree Webinar presented by Sharon Batiste Gillins titled “Research Treasures in the W.P.A. – You Won’t Believe What You’ll Find.” She discussed the various departments of the Works Progress Administration, later known as Work Projects Administration. The Federal Writers’ Project produced the Historical Records Surveys, the American Guide Series, the American Life Series, and the Slave Narratives. The Federal Arts Program supported artists, musicians, and theatre performers. Artwork from that era can be found in many public buildings. The mural in our post office, “The Road to Eldorado,” was painted by Edith Hamlin and Maynard Dixon. [1]   Martinez, California Post Office Mural To discover all the kinds of records housed at the National Archives for the Work Projects Administration (WPA) in Record Group 69, see the catalog entry at: https://www.archives.gov/research/guide-fed-records/groups/069.html#69.2 . I wonder if anyone in my family parti...

This is my second year working on this year-long prompt, hosted by Amy Johnson Crow . I will write each week in one of my two blogs, either Mam-ma’s Southern Family or at My Trails Into the Past . I have enjoyed writing about my children’s ancestors in new and exciting ways. The first hint that my paternal grandfather, William C. Hork, worked for the Works Progress Administration (WPA) was the entry for him in the 1940 Federal Census. He stated he was a laborer for the WPA. [1] The WPA was a New Deal agency that helped employ millions of out-of-work men and women, mostly unskilled. It was established on 6 May 1935 and dissolved on 30 June 1943. [2] The second piece of information that gave reference to the WPA was his World War II draft registration, conducted on 16 February 1942. He stated he worked on the WPA. project #12322-S at the Ontario Municipal Airport in Ontario, San Bernardino Co, Calif. [3] So he worked for the WPA. How can I get these records? In checking w...