Massachusetts; A Guide to Its Places and People

Massachusetts: A Guide to Its Places and People is one of the volumes in the American Guide Series, written by members of the Federal Writers' Project of the Works Progress Administration. Designed primarily to give useful employment to needy unemployed writers and research workers, this project has gradually developed the ambitious objective of presenting to the American people a portrait of America, —its history, folklore, scenery, cultural backgrounds, social and economic trends, and racial factors. In one respect, at any rate, this undertaking is unique; it represents a far-flung effort at cooperative research and writing, drawing upon all the varied abilities of its personnel. All the workers contribute according to their talents; the field worker collects data in the field, the research worker burrows in libraries, the art and literary critics cover material relevant to their own specialties, architects describe notable historical buildings and monuments; and the final editing of copy as it flows in from all corners of a state is done by the more experienced authors in the central offices. The ultimate product, whatever its faults or merits, represents a blend of the work of the entire personnel, aided by consultants, members of university faculties, specialists, officers of learned societies, oldest residents, who have volunteered their services everywhere most generously.

Federal Writers' Project of the Works Progress Administration of Massachusetts. Massachusetts; a guide to its places and people (Kindle Locations 18-26). Boston, Houghton Mifflin company.