Guide to the Federal Writers Project of Washington (State) Records 1933-1941
Cage 351

Summary Information

Repository
Washington State University Libraries, Manuscripts, Archives and Special Collections
Creator
Federal Writers Project (Wash.)
Title
Federal Writers Project of Washington (State) Records
ID
Cage 351
Date [inclusive]
1933-1941
Extent
1.5 Linear feet of shelf space, 3 Boxes
Language
Collection materials are in English.
Abstract
Drafts of researched essays on the history, geography, industry, and commerce of Clallam, Snohomish, Pierce (Tacoma), Skagit, Lewis, and Whitman counties prepared for Washington, a guide to the Evergreen State (1941)

Preferred Citation

[Item description]

Federal Writers Project of Washington (State) Records, 1933-1941 (Cage 351)

Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections, Washington State University Libraries, Pullman, WA.

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Biography/History

The Federal Writers Project, Washington (State), compiled a quantity of material under the auspices of the Works Progress Administration and used this material to create a volume entitled Washington, A Guide to the Evergreen State (Portland : Binfords & Mort, 1941), a part of the American Guide Series. The material was collected and written between 1933 and 1941.

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Scope and Content

The records of the Federal Writers Project of Washington is limited to drafts of researched essays on Clallam, Snohomish, Pierce, Skagit, Lewis, and Whitman counties. The material from Snohomish County (about 400 items) includes a general history of the area, a description of the towns and cities of the county, place names and their origins, tours of the area, geography (including a discussion of natural resources), agriculture, forests, fisheries, and women's history. The material about Pierce County (approximately 120 items) centers on the city of Tacoma and includes a general history and description of the city and its points of interest, city tours, a description of the government, biog-raphies of prominent individuals, the labor history of the city, and a discus-sion of industry and commerce. There are two folders (about 15 pages of manuscript material) on Clallam County: the Port Angeles Salmon Club and the Olympic National Forest. The material on Lewis County (approximately 350 items) includes a general history and description of the area, a description of the towns and cities, a discussion of the school system, biographies of pioneers and prominent persons, reminiscences of early residents, discussion of natural resources and industry, history of individual buildings of importance, and the role of women in Lewis County. The material from Skagit County (about 75 items) includes a general history and description of the area, description of agricul-tural resources, a discussion of women in Skagit County, word origin and place names, a description of towns and cities, topography and geography, folklore and folkways, points of interest, and the archaeology of the area. The material on Whitman County (approximately 50 items) consists of histories and descriptions of the towns in Whitman County and Washington State University.

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Arrangement

The material in the Washington State Federal Writers Project is arranged alphabetically by county into series and alphabetically by subject within each county series.

Folders 28-30 constitute a later addition to the collection. These additional records of the Federal Writers Project include a series of articles on the Quileute Indians by Albert B. Reagan which were published by the Port Angeles Evening News in 1933. There are also two brief histories of Port Angeles. This material should be considered part of the history of Clallam County. The material on Thurston County includes the personal recollections of George Himes of the Oregon Historical Society.

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Administrative Information

Publication Information

Washington State University Libraries Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections  © 2021

https://libraries.wsu.edu/masc/

Terrell Library

P.O. Box 645610

Pullman, WA, 99164-5610 USA

509-335-6691

mascref@wsu.edu

Restrictions on Access

This collection is open and available for research use.

Restrictions on Use

Copyright restrictions may apply.

Acquisition Information

Records of the Federal Writers Project of Washington were acquired by the Washington State University Libraries prior to 1970 (78-29).

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Related Materials

Separated Material

Many photographs received with these papers were separated and integrated into the Historic Photograph Subject File (PC 2).

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Names and Subjects

Corporate Name(s)

Subject(s) :
  • Federal Writers' Project (Wash.) -- Records and correspondence

Geographic Name(s)

  • Lewis County (Wash.) -- History.
  • Snohomish County (Wash.) -- History.
  • Tacoma (Wash.) -- History.
  • Washington (State) -- History.
  • Whitman County (Wash.) -- History.
  • Clallam County (Wash.) -- History.
  • Skagit County (Wash.) -- History.

Subject(s)

  • Public Works
  • Pioneers
  • Washington (State)

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Detailed Description of Collection

Clallam County  15 items.

box folder

Olympic National Forest 

1 1

Port Angeles Salmon Club 

1 2

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Lewis County  350 items.

box
1
folder
3-5

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Pierce County  120 items.

box folder

Tacoma--Biographies 

1 6

Tacoma--General Description 

1 7

Tacoma--Government 

2 8

Tacoma--History 

2 9

Tacoma--Industry and Commerce 

2 10

Tacoma--Labor History 

2 11

Tacoma--Points of Interest 

2 12

Tacoma--Tours 

2 13

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Skagit County  75 items.

box
2
folder
14

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Snohomish County  400 items.

box folder

Agriculture and Industry 

2 15

Darrington 

2 16

Geography 

2 17

General 

3 18

History of County Seat 

3 19

Pioneer Questionnaire 

3 20

Place Names 

3 21

Points of Interest 

3 22

Tours 

3 23

Towns, Villages, and Cities 

3 24

Women's History 

3 25

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Whitman County  50 items.

box folder

Cities 

3 26

Pullman 

3 27

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Clallam County  11 items.

box folder

Quileute Indians 

3 28

Port Angeles 

3 29

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Thurston County  1 item.

box folder

Pioneer History 

3 30

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