The WPA Guide to 1930s Kansas

American Guide Series

by Work Projects Administration, James Shortridge

The WPA Guide , the first and only guidebook ever devoted to Kansas, was published in 1939. After six decades and more, its pages still provide a wealth of reliable historic, geographic, and cultural information on Kansas, as well as some intriguing lore that many modern-day readers will find new. Not the least of its contributions is the accurate picture it gives of Kansas between the Great Depression and World War II—of its industrial, agricultural, and natural resources.

The book is divided into three seventeen topical essays covering subjects such as Indians, folklore, religion, and architecture; touring information of the eighteen largest Kansas cities and towns; and twelve automobile tours spanning Kansas and border states. Included are eighty photographs, four maps, and an essay on the "contemporary scene" by William Allen White.

Genres: Travel, History

574 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1939

Reviews

[Jon]

3.5-4 stars

A snapshot of Kansas from 1938 and before. Many anecdotes, some just paragraphs long, could easily be action adventure tales or movies. Rivalries for county seats often involved voter fraud and armed conflict, including cannons. Sites I wish to visit include Big Basin, the Kansas Sphinx, Saint Jacob's Well and see a blackjack oak in autumn.

[Ken · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice historical resource with stories and data on the major cities in Kansas.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

I doubt this is at the top of everyone's reading list, but I'm researching some family history and I'm finding it very interesting. It ties in nicely with The Worst Hard Time (about the dustbowl), which I'm also reading. The WPA Guide was written in 1939 and while it has a new introduction, the rest of the text is the original. I'm enjoying reading the 1939 predictions for the future of Kansas as well as the authors' view of what were then very recent events and how they would shape the state in years to come. As a former farm girl, I'm finding the sections on agriculture to be most interesting. I'm no farming expert, but I think it's interesting how new agricultural technologies made such an impact on rural communities....and how current farm practices are changing this landscape again.