Civil War Manuscripts
The Civil War Manuscripts collection consists of letters and diaries from the Civil War period (1861-1865). The letters and diaries document Michigan soldiers’ experiences while serving the Union in various units. Most of the collection consists of personal narratives with a few official records concerning the war and later pensions.
One of the best known agencies from the Great Depression was the WPA, or Works Progress Administration (”Work Projects Administration” after 1939). The reach of the WPA projects is legendary–from bridges to stream improvements to roads to arts, crafts and writing projects. The WPA even thought about holiday planning.