Works Progress Administration (WPA) Statewide Archaeological Project

The Works Progress Administration, Statewide Archaeological Project was initiated in the spring of 1938 by Emil W. Haury, Department of Anthropology and the Arizona State Museum, University of Arizona. In May, 1938, the Arizona Board of Regents appointed a State Committee on Anthropology to draw up a proposal for the project and to recommend supervisory personnel for it. The committee was composed of Emil W. Haury, University of Arizona, Tucson, Chairman; Harold S. Colton, Museum of Northern Arizona, Flagstaff; Harold S. Gladwin, Gila Pueblo, Globe; Byron Cummings, Arizona State Museum, Tucson; and Odd S. Halseth, Pueblo Grande, Phoenix. The committee submitted a project proposal to the WPA in June, 1938 . After various bureaucratic delays and a request to rewrite the entire proposal, the WPA approved the original proposal in September, 1938 . It was assigned Project no. 1102. Project activities began in October, 1938, and ended in October, 1940 .

The Statewide Archaeological Project, as approved by the WPA, was divided into 5 subprojects with Roy Lassetter, Tucson, appointed Project Superintendent (this title varied as did all the titles on this project). Lassetter remained Project Superintendent until July 8, 1940, when he resigned to go into the Army. Irene Vickrey was then appointed Acting Project Superintendent, a position she held until the project was closed.

The subprojects were:

Subproject A, co-sponsored by the Museum of Northern Arizona and the Arizona State Teachers' College, Flagstaff, with Harold S. Colton as the sponsors' director. No mention is made of the State Teachers' College sponsorship except in the project proposal. John C. McGregor was the Archaeologist and Milton Wetherill was the Assistant Archaeologist on this subproject. Katharine Bartlett was also actively involved. The proposed activities of Subproject A were to prepare archaeological and ethnological material for publication; restore prehistoric pottery and prepare artifacts for exhibit; upgrade the MNA museum catalog; and excavate Winona Village and Ridge Ruin. Occasional mention is made of a Subproject A-1 located at Tuzigoot with Milton Wetherill as WPA project supervisor. However, Wetherill seems to have ended up working in Flagstaff instead.

Subproject B, sponsored by the City of Phoenix through Pueblo Grande with Odd S. Halseth as the sponsor's director. WPA project supervisors or foremen were Albert H. Schroeder from October, 1938, to ca. September, 1939, and Paul Ezell from ca. September, 1939, to December, 1939 . It is unclear who, if anyone, replaced Ezell when he left. Subproject B's proposed activities were to upgrade Pueblo Grande Museum storage; conduct an Indian art project; and survey and trench prehistoric sites in the Salt River Valley.

Subproject C, sponsored by the Arizona State Museum, University of Arizona, with Emil W. Haury as the sponsor's director. WPA project supervisor was Roy Lassetter from October, 1938 to July, 1940 . It is unclear who replaced him; possibly George A. Burns, Senior Typist, was put in charge. Proposed activities of Subproject C were to prepare museum materials and manuscripts for publication; make a bibliographic survey of the library; and the preparation of skeletal material.

Subprojects D and E, co-sponsored by Gila Pueblo and the City of Globe, with Harold S. Gladwin as the sponsors' director. Irene Vickrey was the WPA supervisor. Subprojects D and E were written up separately in the project proposal but were treated as one project, called Subproject D, in the ensuing material. Proposed activities of Subproject D were the excavation and repair of significant ruins and the preparation of materials collected therefrom. The proposed activity of Subproject E was to excavate a prehistoric ruin near the Inspiration Mine. Besh-ba-gowah, Inspiration I and Inspiration II were excavated and a museum in Globe was maintained under Subprojects D and E.

There is mention of another Subproject E - this one at the Smoki Museum in Prescott. There is no evidence in this collection that this project ever came to pass.

Funds for the Statewide Archaeological Project were expended by September 27, 1940, and the project was officially closed October 4, 1940 .

From the guide to the Works Progress Administration (WPA) Statewide Archaeological Project, 1938-1940, (Arizona State Museum)