Tampa WPA Office Papers

The bulk of this collection consists of manuscripts and revised typescripts of the Florida edition of the American Guide Series; drafts and revisions pertain to Hillsborough County, particularly the city of Tampa, with a substantial number of essays on Ybor City and its immigration history. Correspondence and research by Stetson Kennedy, one of the project's chief editors, is included. Also included are the correspondence and records of daily activities of Carita Doggett Corse, who served as the director of the Florida Writer's Project in 1935.

Printing is not supported at the primary Gallery Thumbnail page. Please first navigate to a specific Image before printing.

Employees of WPA Florida Writers Project; What the W.P.A. Did for Me, 1939-1968

Stetson Kennedy and Euline Jordon

The first work is a compilation of names by Stetson Kennedy, who was director of folklore, life history, and social-ethnic studies for the Federal Writers' Project in Florida. It is 11 pages. The first page is typed, the others are handwritten. The second work is Euline Jordon's account of her employment by the WPA in Pensacola, Fla. She learned to operate a loom and taught weaving classes. it consists of 5 pages. Employees of WPA Florida Writers Project / compiled by Stetson Kennedy -- What the W.P.A. did for me / by Euline Jordon.
Instructions for Field Workers, 1939-1943

Federal Works Agency. Work Projects Administration. Federal Writers' Project. Florida

Guidance on procedures for those working in the field gathering data to be used in the guide to Florida being produced by the Federal Writers' Project.
Conference Agendas, 1940-1942

Federal Works Agency. Work Projects Administration. Florida

Agendas for two conferences held by Florida WPA. Material for the 1940 conference includes text: The organization and development of district inventory conferences. Agenda of inventory conference, Tampa, August 12-13, 1940 -- Agenda, August 10, 11, 12, 13, 1942, Orlando, Florida.
Financial Information, 1940-1942

Federal Works Agency. Work Projects Administration. Florida

Statistical material and memoranda regarding financing of WPA projects and government expenditures. The statistics cover the years 1940-1942. Table of contents: [Assessed valuation of taxable property and funds available for operating costs in various Florida counties] -- [Cash receipts and disbursements] -- War public services letter no. 7 : Eligibility of projects ; operation of facilities -- [Memo to area supervisors and program supervisors] -- [Letter to state administrator from regional finance examiner] -- Estimated federal expenditures [in various Florida cities] -- [Memo to regional directors on eligibility of projects : recreation facilities].
Greek Culture, 1939-1941

John Fileraton, Peter Caravasios, and Federal Works Agency. Work Projects Administration. Federal Writers' Project. Florida

Contains multiple works on Greek culture. "Sacrifice" is a two act play adapted by John Fileraton from "an ancient Greek mythology of prehistoric times, from the book 'Vomoi' by Nicholaos Lambrenides." It is dated April 1941 and runs 10 pages, preceded by a letter John Fileraton wrote to Carita Doggett Corse, the state supervisor of the Federal Writers' Project in Florida. Pages 11-84 consists of material on Greeks in Florida. The next work is a list of 301 Greek proverbs translated into English, compiled by Mrs. Peter Caravasios of Miami and dated November 17, 1939. It is 20 pages. "A social-ethnic study of the Greeks in Tampa" is credited to Bryan & Fileraton and dated November 1939. It runs 72 pages.
Standard, Minimum Standards Governing the Organization and Operation of Adult Education Classes, May 29, 1941

Work Projects Administration. Division of Community Service Programs. Florida

Outlines requirements for opening of new classes and centers, discontinuing classes and closing centers, teacher load and work schedules, student-teacher ratios, classroom use, reports and recordkeeping, and loans of teaching materials. [Statement of responsibility: Federal Works Agency, Work Projects Administration of Florida, Division of Community Service Programs, Adult Education Project.]
Memorandums and Bulletins, 1935-1940

Federal Works Agency. Work Projects Administration. Federal Writers' Project. Florida

A collection of typewritten memorandums from the Federal Writers' Project Florida headquarters in Jacksonville. The memos were sent to local supervisors for the project regarding production of a guide to Florida to be published in the WPA's American Guide series. Also included is a safety bulletin detailing the paperwork to be filled out in the event of an accident or injury to workers on the project. Table of contents: FFW-16A, Jan. 8, 1936. Classification of guide topics -- FFW-16A, Jan. 8, 1936. Classification of guide topics [with handwritten notes] -- FFW-17, Dec. 20, 1935. Field editorial copy, publicity, supplies -- FFW-18, Dec. 26, 1935. Field continuity : your city and county -- FFW19, Dec. 31, 1935. Supplementary instructions -- FFW-20, Jan. 3, 1936. Bibliography -- FFW-21, Jan. 6, 1936. Flow of copy -- FFW-25, Jan. 22, 1936. Corrections [to FFW-16A], publicity -- Safety bulletin no. 26, Aug. 21, 1940. Forms 351, accident reports.
Field Manual of Employment Procedure: For the Use of Project Supervisory Personnel, January 15, 1940

Federal Works Agency. Work Projects Administration. Florida

Manual establishing rules and regulations for employment by the Work Projects Administration in Florida. Dated Jan. 15, 1940.
WPA Progress Report, 1935-1939

Federal Works Agency. Work Projects Administration. Florida

Statistical report on the activities of the WPA in Florida between 1935 and 1939.
Recording Folklore in Key West, 1939-1940

Stetson Kennedy and Federal Works Agency. Work Projects Administration. Federal Writers' Project. Florida

Material on an expedition to record and film folklore of Key West. The first item is a memorandum dated April 20, 1939 that was sent from the headquarters of the Federal Writers' Project in Florida to the National Folklore Director of the Federal Writers' Project. In it, Stetson Kennedy discusses the need to capture on sound recording and film the distinctive language and culture of Key West. The second item is a list compiled by Kennedy of the recordings he and Robert Cook made In January 1940 of Key West folk songs.
Fourth Annual Report, September 1, 1939-August 31, 1940

Stetson Kennedy and Federal Works Agency. Works Projects Administration. Federal Art Project. Florida

Report for the 1939/1940 fiscal year on the activities of the Federal Art Project in Florida sponsored by the WPA. Includes a newspaper clipping from the "Key West citizen," dated May 27, 1939: The Federal Arts Project in the southernmost city / by Stetson Kennedy. Florida Art Project, Work Projects Administration.
Material on Indians of North America, 1838-1940

Rolla A. Southworth and Statewide Rare Books Project

The first 37 pages represent a reprinting by the Florida WPA of the 1843 work "Further information respecting the aborigines : containing extracts from the proceedings of the Meeting for Sufferings in London, and of the Committees on Indian Affairs, of the Yearly Meetings of Philadelphia and Baltimore, together with some particulars relative to the Seminole War." Pages 38-115 are from an unidentified work on the Seminole Indians in Florida, beginning with p. 30 of the text.
Copy of Field Notes for Florida Encyclopedia, June 1938

Bernard F. Borchardt

Narrative of material on Tampa and Hillsborough County compiled by B.F. Borchardt. Table of contents: Brief narrative history of Tampa from Fort Brooke days to date -- Early explorers (notes of an address before the Tampa Bar Assn. by Borchardt) -- Sinking of USS Tampa -- Points of interest in Hillsborough County -- Notes of a talk with Mr. Sim Sparkman, at his home near Dover, Florida -- Literature.
History of Hillsborough County, 1936

Bernard F. Borchardt and Federal Works Agency. Work Projects Administration. Federal Writers' Project. Florida

A history of Hillsborough County up to the beginning of the 20th century. Table of contents: Introduction -- The first coming of the Spaniard -- The Dade massacre -- Beginnings of Tampa and Indian war days -- The early forties -- Civil War period -- Tampa's part in the Spanish-American War -- Period of Reconstruction -- "Curtains" for Fort Brooke.
Superstitions, March 19, 1936

R. Perez, A. L. Perez, and Federal Works Agency. Work Projects Administration. Federal Writers' Project. Florida

Two articles on superstitions of Ybor City residents. The first is by R. Perez and is 19 pages. It is undated. The second article is A. L. Perez and is presented in two slightly different versions, each two pages long. Both versions are dated March 19, 1936.
Autobiography of a Person who Insisted on Writing One, 1935

Gerardo Cortina Pinera, Manuel Marrero, and Federal Works Agency. Work Projects Administration. Federal Writers' Project. Florida

Cortina Pinera's story of how he came to Tampa from Cuba as a teenager and worked in a cafe and as a reader in a cigar factory. During the Depression, he lost his cafe job, then became totally unemployed when cigar factory owners abolished the position of readers in the factories. Cortina Pinera laments the loss of the readers, and describes his life as an unemployed worker and recipient of government relief. The autobiography is followed by comments from Mrs. Jose Quintana, a supervisor at the Emergency Relief Council of Hillsborough County, and author Manuel Marrero.
Florida Consultants, Writers' Project, 1935-1943

Federal Works Agency. Work Projects Administration. Federal Writers' Project. Florida

A list of persons used as consultants by the Federal Writers' Project in Florida. Includes affiliations and hometowns.
Florida Works Progress Administration Administrative Districts, October 20, 1935

Federal Works Agency. Work Projects Administration. Florida

A map of Florida with the nine districts of the Florida WPA marked off. Includes listing of director and headquarters for each district and a note discussing where communications are to be sent. "Form Com-3."
Personal Observations of Emigration of Workers, April 4, 1935

Manuel Marrero and Federal Works Agency. Work Projects Administration. Federal Writers' Project. Florida

A report on the problems of the working class in Tampa during the Depression, focusing especially on unemployed cigar workers. Many of the unemployed were leaving Tampa during the Depression to try to find work elsewhere. The report is accompanied by Manuel Marrero's account of people he interviewed and statistics gathered for the report.
Interviews with Ybor City Residents, 1935

Manuel Marrero, F. Valdes, and Federal Works Agency. Work Projects Administration. Federal Writers' Project. Florida

Ten interviews of Ybor City residents done during the Depression. Some were going to leave town to look for work. There are also a few interviews with people who had been in New York and returned to Tampa. Interviews conducted by Manuel Marrero and F. Valdes.
Article, Mr. Marrero, Witchcraft in Cuba, circa 1930s

Federal Works Agency. Work Projects Administration. Federal Writers' Project. Florida

A brief look at occult practices in Cuba.
Article, Ybor City Recreation, circa 1930s

Federal Works Agency. Work Projects Administration. Federal Writers' Project. Florida

An article that discusses recreation in Ybor City, and the Centro Español de Tampa, a club for Cuban immigrants, as well as the card games, dominoes, and billiards that are played at the club.
Centro Español: Life Histories, circa 1930s

Federal Works Agency. Work Projects Administration. Federal Writers' Project. Florida

The first work tells about Centro Español de Tampa. It is in a slightly different format than the work of the same title presented earlier in this digital collection. The other work is a compilation of life histories of ten Ybor City residents. The people interviewed are mostly Cuban immigrants. One person interviewed was born in Italy.
Covers of WPA Books on Tampa, circa 1930s

Federal Works Agency. Work Projects Administration. Federal Writers' Project. Florida

Dust jackets for the books "Seeing Tampa : a city guide book" and "Tampa, Florida." Both books were produced by the Federal Writers' Project in Florida.
Study of La Unión Martí Maceo: Cuban Club for Colored Race, circa 1930s

Federal Works Agency. Work Projects Administration. Federal Writers' Project. Florida

Tells the history of La Unión Martí Maceo, a club for Cuban immigrants of African heritage, formed in Ybor City in 1900.