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. ,nHWESTERN SEP UNIVERSITY LIBRARY THE WORKS 30 1935 No.-4--384 PROGRAM Works Progress Administration lease Sunday, September 15, 1935. 1s national organizations to work with WPA writers on American Guide. The American Guide, which will provide work relief for about 6,500 writers rt of the project for professional a.11d service workers which has just been ap- i by President Roosevelt, aims 11 to discover America for Americans, 11 according rry L. Hopkins, administrator of the Works Progress Administration. Many national organizations have endorsed the project . Work is expected ; under way immediately. When an American goes to Europe usually one of thr~ first things he does is uire a "Baedecker", or other comprehensive book, to · guide him on his tour. If, r, he wishes to visit interest in(, parts of his own country he find.s it impossiobtain any comprehensive handbook of information. No such manual has been ble for the United States since the Baedecker guide of 1909, which is no longer eable, having been prepared prior to thc. age of widespread travel bv automobile~ llch a large cit'l as Ne\v York has no comprehensive guide book to its amazing f of cultural, educational, and economic resources of interest to 'both tourists 3idents. The America.11 Guide is designed to fill this need. It is plannecl. to publish the Guide in five volumes, corresponding to five l rAgions of travel in the United States. For instance, one volume will com- Ghe Nor~heastern region of the country extending from Maine and Massachusetts l Illinois ana Wisconsin. West of Chicago travelers normally take one of two , either through the north middle western states to the Pacific Coast or through tthwestern states to Mexico or Arizona. Each of these sections will have its ,de. ·The Pacific Coast states, including Nevada and Utah, will also comprise ;ion, and the Southeastern states another. Travelers going from New York to Digitized by Original from NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY No . -4---384 -2- )rleans or Florida will be able to obtain information of interest to th":lm from ~ide book. It is expect'3d tr.1at between 6,5'JO and 7,0'.tO writers, research workers, :itects, geologists, photographers, man-makers, stenographers, clerical workers and rprofessional persons now unemployed will be given emvloyment for at least ten hs in prenaring material for this encyclopedic undertaking. Hitherto it has been \cult to find an adequate number of useful projects to provide work for this white collar workers. )Of It is felt that this· one project will go a long way •d solving their immediate problem. A great deal of preparatory work has already been done in outlining plans ;he project and in getting the organizational structure laid out. It will there- be possible to gAt the work throughout thA country launched in a very ehort time, Administration of the research and editorial nreparation of the Guide will u-p in Washington. Control of the field force of writers and other workers will sted in twe1ve regional supervisors, who will also direct the work in each of tates in which the regional offices are located. Every other state will have a ,isor and a staff of writers, taken from the relief rolls, working in every city ; a population of over 10,000. Smaller localities and rural sections will be id by ,field trips and through the cooperation of local community organizations. The project has already enlisted the SUPJ)Ort of many national organizations! those which h8.ve expressed interest and willingness to cooperate are the Ameritomobile Association, American Forestry Association, American Geographical \ Y, National Recreation Association, Foreign Language Information Service, an Planning and Ci vie Association, Appalachian Trr-i.il Conference, American Nature ation, American Historical Association, anti Science Service, which represents tional Research Council, the American Association for the Advancement of Science 3 National Academy of Sciences. Various governm,,nt departments have also signi- leir willingness to offer counsel and furnish valuable infor!ll?.tion, Notable (hem are the National Park Service and the U, S. Geological Survey, The American Guide is intended especially to serve travelers of modest means . .s reason routes of travel will be i~dicated not only for automobilists but also 'ions wishing to see America from its rivers, canals and small streams, and for Digitized by Original from NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY lfo. -4---384 -3irs wishing to follow moui:tain trails. Suggestions ,vill be given for those who aasire to observe tynici:i,l m~rnufacturing and agricultural processes at factories in farms where visitors are welcome. Facts will also be compiled regarding inter- ::ig sights in the foreign quarters of large cities. Colorful festivals, which are held in all parts of the country at some . during every year, will bn described. Examples are the Portland, Ore., rose ival, the-New Orleans Mardi Gras, the Santa Fe Fiesta, the Easter Dawn Service at i Beach, Indian ceremonials and the Bach music festival at Bethlehem, Pa. ihc influence of racial groups on the life and customs of different cornmu- ,s will be traced. Information will be provided on hunting and fishing seasons nethods of obtaining licenses. Biographical notes will be compiled a-oout noted ;ens who have lived in various localities at one time or another. Unique library 1Useum i terns will be listed, attention will be directed to churches and public ings where distinctive architectural and art work may be studied, experimental res and schonls will be c'lescribed briefly, and all manner of historia.l landmarks, r.al parks, hotels, mineral springs, geological wonders, irrigation projects, low- housin5 developments and. model factories will oe described. Where unu~ual dcwel- ts in natural science, such as tho colonies established by beavers and prairie in certain pa.rts of the country, mpy be .:;een, these will be called to the atten- of tourists. In the process of compiling the material for the national Guide books, a ,f information will be uncovered, in States and localities, which car.not be used 1 entirety. All of this material will be left with appropriate local officials lOsit~d in municipal libraries. It is expected that most States and many cities tvail themselves of tr.is opportuni tv to prepare their own guide books after the ,n the national guide has been completed. se local guides, At present there is a great scarcity If, in the course of research for the Guide, important manu- s in foreign languages are unearthed pertaining to early Suanish, French or s~ttlements, these will be translated and made available to the public. - - oOo - - Digitized by Original from NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY
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