New Deal Era Dead Records Slated for the Salt Mines

The National Archives’ massive collection of New Deal era records, including the cherished Civilian Conservation Corps (RG35) documents, is embarking on a historic move.

color image of shelves metal with boxes of archived records, left side of image shows the rough carved out limestone walls in Federal Reserve Center salt mines NARA Lexana KS — New Deal Era Dead Records Slated for the NARA Salt Mines similar to the Federal Records Center in Lexana, Kansas. NARA

Ever wonder about those old New Deal era records that were turned over to the National Archives by various government agencies for a Preliminary Inventory (PI) when their programs ended in 1942?

One of those vintage collections is Record Group (RG) RG35 containing agency Records of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). The CCC was initially named Emergency Conservation Work (ECW); the program was commonly and later (1937) officially known as the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), the name under which they are cataloged.

The files in RG35 may be over nine decades old but they remain a fascinating and insightful collection of Great Depression documents, letters, appeals, CCC camp inspections, investigations, visuals and dispatches from the first, longest-lasting, and most popular of the 60 New Deal agencies, the CCC. They may be vintage, but they are far from forgotten by history enthusiasts, genealogists, and researchers alike.

New Deal Records Unavailable

In early November 2024, a research request was sent to the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) in College Park, Maryland, for Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) camp Inspection Reports found in Record Group RG 35. The reply was unexpected – the RG 35 stack is closed and slated to be moved to the NARA Federal Records Center in Kansas City, Missouri. Unfortunately, the records will be unavailable until 2025.

Disappointing? Yes. But there’s more to this story and the New Deal era collections.

What can be established is that thousands of New Deal era textual records, deemed inactive, will be stored offsite deep beneath the Kansas and Missouri prairies in one of NARA’s underground man-made limestone caves, much like the subterranean storage facility in Lenexa, Kansas pictured above. The caves are within driving distance of the Kansas City NARA and, good news for researchers, parking is free.

A complete listing of the RGs moving to the salt mines is listed on the NARA website titled “What’s New For Researchers” for October 2024.

composite image of items found in RG 35 CCC Inspections Reports — A composite image of documents found in RG 35 NARA, Entry 115, the CCC Inspection Reports. Many folders contain more than just the standard reports. Inspectors would often include news reports, photos, announcements, brochures inviting community involvement and a sampling of items that would enhance and compliment their CCC camp inspection reports. ©2024KathleenDuxbury

The Custodial Why, How, and Where of New Deal Era Records

This news was confirmed in conversations with the acknowledged go-to source and expert for all things New Deal at the College Park NARA, Eugene Morris. What follows is the gist of our correspondence, beginning with:

“Gene, what’s happening?” Say it ain’t so. What Record Groups are moving in 2025? Is there a list?.. . Also, WPA, the work projects and art programs (microfilm, photographs & textural). Are the New Deal records being moved?

Gene answered …

It mostly has to do with the fact that the New Deal era records are mature, dead records (nothing new coming in). They don’t require a lot of additional work. They don’t have PII or restricted information.

Stack 530* is being taken over by the Presidential Libraries unit, so everything in there has to move out, either elsewhere in the building or to KC. The New Deal cluster of records, RG 35 (CCC), RG 69 (WPA), RG 114, (NYA) and RG 135 (PWA) are all slated to move to KC. This will probably happen in the March to May of next year.
*Stack 530 is a very large room with 50+ rows of movable shelving in it. It’s being taken over by the Presidential Libraries unit to house records and items from the Trump and Biden administrations until their respective libraries/museums are up and running. Then it will continue to provide that service to subsequent administrations.

CCC records in other RG’s will still be here, like RG 79 (Park Service), RG 95 (Forest Service)… RG 407 and the little bit in RG 121.

…the special media, the records in Still Pictures, Motion Pictures and Cartographics, will remain here in College Park.

The records should only be closed for 6 to 8 weeks. The year I mentioned is the time it will take to get a staffer familiar enough with the records to do good reference work.

Some material in Stack 530 is not being moved to KC and is being moved to other stacks here. Because we’re so strapped for space, that means some records in those other stacks* will move to KC to make room for the records from Stack 530.

Building new buildings is expensive. Digging out a chunk of an old salt mine in suburban Kansas City and framing rooms inside is much cheaper. We have had “caves” in Lenexa and Lee’s Summit, Missouri for 25+ years. Both sites are roughly 30 minutes to an hour’s drive from our KC branch.
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New Deal records research will become more challenging. Perhaps, the National Archives’ ongoing digitization initiatives will prioritize these popular RG35 New Deal era records slated for the salt mines. As technology becomes available perhaps scans of these records will be considered for inclusion in their online catalog given its historical significance.

It stands to reason demand will grow for digital access to these and other archival New Deal records once the highly anticipated release of the digitized Civilian Conservation Corps Individual Records of Employment, Form No. 1 are freely uploaded and made available to the National Archives Catalog before the end of 2024.

The research and New Deal stories continue.

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NOTES:
Image: Lexana, Ks Federal Records Center, The National Archives Goes Underground, Spring 2016, Vol. 48, No. 1 | The Historian’s Notebook
By Jessie Kratz

2023 New Deal WPA & CCC Calendar Art

2023 marks the 90th anniversary of the New Deal

2023 marks the 90th anniversary of the 1930’s New Deal. To celebrate this milestone two unique calendars are offered highlighting the art of the
Works Progress Administration (WPA) and the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). Revenues from both calendars will support the organizations and endeavors that keep this Great Depression New Deal history relevant.

2023 New Deal art calendars by Kathleen Duxbury are $19.33, plus tax and shipping and are available here.

2023 – New Deal 1939 WPA Federal Art Project Poster Division Calendar

2023 New Deal CCC Art – Marshall Davis – Artists of the Civilian Conservation Corps

Thank you for your support.

2023 calendar – repurposed 1939 WPA Federal Art Project calendar originally created in 1938 by the NYC Poster Division of the FAP

B&W illustration by CCC artist Marshall Davis — 2023 New Deal CCC Art – Artists of the Civilian Conservation Corps – Marshall Davis

Calendar orders will be accepted and fulfilled by the LULU print-on-demand

Women and the Spirit of the New Deal

Contributions made by women of the New Deal era profoundly reshaped the relationship between the government and American citizens.

Women and the Spirit of the New Deal, published collectively by the National New Deal Preservation Association, the Frances Perkins Center and the Living New Deal is a narrative which highlights the extensive role of 100 women in the programs and operations begun during the 1930’s administration of President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Woman and the Spirit of the New Deal cover image — 100 women who contributed to the transformation of American during the Great Depression and FDR’s New Deal. Photo by Susan Ives Communications

Images and brief biographies include politicians, administrators, lawyers, social workers, authors, journalists, painters, sculptors, musicians, secretaries, national park rangers, clerks and scientists.

Some individuals were known to the public during the Great Depression era, 1933-1945, and remembered by historians. While others operated behind the scenes and have been virtually forgotten. Most played significant roles in the numerous agencies, projects and New Deal programs of the federal government during a time of great adversity.

To better understand New Deal history the contributions made by these woman must be acknowledge. Through their efforts, big and small, they collectively and profoundly reshaped the relationship between the government and American citizens.

We owe them a debt of gratitude and recognition.

Title	Women and the Spirit of the New Deal
Authors	Nat’l New Deal Preservation Assn, National New Deal Preservation Association, Frances Perkins Center, Living New Deal
Edition	illustrated
Publisher	National New Deal Preservation Association, 2019
ISBN	0578437074, 9780578437071
Length	46 pages

Available through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Ingram and many other online retailers.

Frank Cassara – Last of the New Deal CCC artists

During the Great Depression persistence and talent earned Frank Cassara a young, untried artist his place among the greats in New Deal art history.

The last of the New Deal Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) artists, Frank (Francesco) Cassara, born March 13, 1913 in Partinico, Sicily died January 13, 2017, in Ann Arbor, Michigan – two months shy of his 104th birthday.

Frank Cassara CCC artist 2010 — During a September 2010 interview Frank Cassara, a former CCC and WPA artist, graciously shared recollections of his New Deal assignments. ©2010 Kathleen Duxbury. All Rights Reserved

In the fall of 2010, Frank Cassara and his daughter, Francisca, graciously welcomed me into his Michigan home and studio. While giving me directions they voiced concerns with traffic I might encounter en-route; a football game was scheduled at the University of Michigan. If there was traffic I never noticed, but do recall the Spartans were not the only winners that weekend.

Frank was then 97 years old, in a wheelchair, soft spoken and was quietly reflective as I questioned him about his time and special circumstances as an Artist/Enrollee with the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in Illinois during the Great Depression years.

Initially we sat in the living room of his home. Frank watched as I arranged my papers, camera equipment and hooked up the audio recorder all while explaining the who and whys of our New Deal research, extensive travels and how we search for CCC art, artists and stories.

Frank apologized for what he believed would be unproductive time and wasted travel for me; explaining it had been years (authors note – 75+ years) since his assignment to a CCC camp and he really couldn’t remember much.

Truthfully, I didn’t know what to expect as I handed Frank copies of CCC camp photographs and letters. The documents were dated 1934 – 1935, years when Frank was 21 years of age, living in Detroit, Michigan and desperate for work. He was writing or approaching anyone or any agency he thought might be of assistance, repeatedly.

Continue reading “Frank Cassara – Last of the New Deal CCC artists”

Federal Art Project (FAP) Calendar Revitilized

In 1939 the Federal Art Program Poster Division utilized a revolutionary printing process to produce a historic calendar. 78 years later the calendar dates are the same. Presenting a timely opportunity to enjoy a years worth of New Deal American art once again.

1939 Federal Art Project Calendar

National New Deal Preservation Association 2017 calendar - repurposed 1939 WPA Federal Art Project calendar originally created in 1938 by the NYC Poster Division of the FAP — National New Deal Preservation Association 2017 calendar -A revitalized version of the original 1939 WPA Federal Art Project (FAP) calendar. Featuring the work of eight artists employed by the NYC Poster Division.

At times New Deal research will go off in unexpected directions such as the Federal Art Project (FAP) administered by the Works Progress Administration (WPA). Because several CCC artists would later find employment with other government art programs searching selected records from these federal agencies can provide a better understanding of an artists journey.

On a recent trip to the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) in College Park, Maryland multiple boxes were requested from WPA Record Group 69. Midway through a container labeled FAP State Offices New York was a folder marked 1939 FAP. Inside this archival envelope were original poster prints from a FAP calendar for 1939; considering their age the paper stock was still firm and the images remained bold and impressive.

A revolutionary new silk screened process, designed by a WPA artist, was used for these poster prints. Enabling mass production with results considered, in the 1930’s, to be technically superior and artistically pleasing.

A quick check revealed that the calendar dates for 1939 are the same for 2017. How fortunate to find these vintage 78 year-old federal art prints and how fitting to revitalize these images for another years use.

2017 NNDPA FAP Calendar

Now available is a vibrant and historic 2017 calendar, 8.5″ x 11″ full color, 14 month wall calendar offered exclusively through the National New Deal Preservation Association (NNDPA) website.

“A perfect gift for the history, preservation and art buffs in your world. After all, New Deal art is uniquely American.” NNDPA

But, the story doesn’t end there.

Working with these vintage images created a flood of questions . . .
What was the FAP? Who were these eight artists? What is the story behind this calendar – for whom, why and how was it printed?

1939 was a year that changed world history.

The publication of the original 1939 WPA/FAP calendar was done in a spirit of a good will. Unfortunately, this well meaning gesture was ill-timed and ill-fated.

But that’s another story . . .