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C.W.A. & W.P.A. Materials
Civil Works Administration researchers began working in the
Colorado Historical Society offices in 1933. By 1934 State Relief
Administration (S.R.A.) workers continued research work begun by
C.W.A. staff. In 1935, the C.W.A. was replaced by the Works
Progress Administration which continued at the Society until 1941.
The research projects undertaken by these programs are valuable
society resources still in use today. They include:
 C.W.A.
Reference Files
This is a three section card index to newspaper
articles, magazine and journal articles, and reference books
covering Colorado subjects, biography of prominent
Colorado individuals, and geography. The file was begun
by C.W.A. workers and has been added to by subsequent
indexers. It is not a complete index to newspapers.
The Biography file is searched by last name. The Place Name file has
references for towns and specific buildings, businesses,
organizations, industries, neighborhoods, streets, etc., within the
towns. Natural features such as mountains, rivers, glaciers, passes,
wilderness areas; resorts, ghost towns, and mining camps are also
found in this section. The Subject file groups references by
topic.
C.W.A.
Birth, Marriage, and Death Index
Dates covered are 1860-1941. Small, incomplete card
file cites newspaper announcements of births, deaths, and marriages.
C.W.A.
Pioneer Interviews Index
These interviews were conducted in 1933-1934 and
cover a wide variety of subjects having to do with Colorado history.
The interviewees were people who had lived in an area over a long
period of time, and could provide insight into life in Colorado from
a personal point of view.
The C.W.A. Pioneer Interviews are indexed in a card file that may
be searched by the name of the interviewee or by subject. The
interviews are in bound volumes grouped by county. Interviews were
not conducted in all counties.
Also available in microfilm format for copying. Sample Citation: PAM
351/22. The volume number is 351. The interview number is 22.
Colorado-W.P.A.
Federal Writers Project
The Federal Writers’ Project conducted research in
Colorado to produce the Colorado volume of the State Guide Series, Colorado:
A Guide to the Highest State. Ghost Towns of Colorado, also part
of the American Guide Series, though not published until
1947, resulted from research compiled by the Writer's Project. The
Stephen H. Hart Library holds Writers’ Project reports and
research files covering the whole range of life in Colorado.
Subjects include a bibliography of books about Colorado, Utilities,
Music and Art, Agriculture, City Guides, Fauna, and Ethnic Groups,
among others. A series of reports called the "Thousand Towns"
gives the history of 1,000 towns in Colorado that existed at the
time of the project. The Writer's Project was active in Colorado
between 1936 and1941.
These typescript reports are cataloged on the online catalog. Search
by author for Writers Program for best results.
W.P.A.
Photographs
A W.P.A. project copied historic and fragile
photographs. Prints from these copy negatives are dispersed
throughout the Photography Subject Collection. W.P.A. photographers
also photographed the historic downtown Denver area. These
photographs are in the Photography Subject Collection under the
heading "C-Denver-1937 W.P.A.," followed by the street
name.
Other
Projects
The staff and funding provided by these Depression era programs
allowed Colorado Historical Society officers to travel throughout
the state gathering documents, information, and artifacts relating
to Colorado history. Many donations of historical materials were
made as the result their efforts. Officials of Denver and of
Colorado 1858-1933 was compiled as part of C.W.A. Project No.
107 and No. 550 under the direction of Denver City Clerk Ben Draper
in 1934. The clerical work for The Real Pioneers of Colorado
by Maria McGrath was done by C.W.A. Project 551. Letters were sent
to postmasters throughout the state requesting information on the
origin of place names.
Contact the librarian
for more information on these collections.
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