American Guide Series - A Waymarking.com Category

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American Guide Series

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Description:: During the Depression, the federal government employed writers in the Writers' Program of the Works Projects Administration (WPA) to compile the first comprehensive guidebooks to the United States, the American Guide Series. Guides were published for the 48 states, Alaska, and countless cities. This category is for waymarking places referred to in the series.

Expanded Description:

The American Guide Series was published in the 1930s-1940s, long before photography was easy to obtain and publish, so the books relied heavily on prose to describe America. Some of the best 20th-century writers, including Saul Bellows, Richard Wright, Studs Terkel and John Cheever, contributed to the Series. Most of the writing is surprisingly lyrical.

Each volume began with a lengthy background of history, art, architecture, economy, environment, racial relations and social life. Then the cities of the state were detailed, followed by driving tours down the US Highways across the state, from US 1 to US 90.

Most of the volumes are available on-line. If you are not able to locate a particular email BruceS, one of the category officers, he maintains a list of available guides

This category's goal is to find and waymark places referenced in the American Guide Series, transcribe the entry from the Guide Series, and tell how the place differs now (if it still exists).

Instructions for Posting a American Guide Series Waymark:

The place must be referenced in one of the 320 books in the American Guide Series. Anyplace -- a hospital, prison, mission, Indian mound, neighborhood, or city --referenced in the Guides may be waymarked.

To choose which co-ordinates to use, you may have to use the maps in the Guides to reconstruct the old roadway routes. Put the waymark where the Guides put the place, which is usually at a specific mile marker or intersection.

Please follow the name of the waymark by the state. If you'd like to add the city or county, that's fine. Write whatever you'd like in the Short Description.

The Long Description should begin with the excerpt from the Guide that describes the place you're waymarking. To ensure a consistent format, italicize the excerpt, and follow with the name and year of original publication, i.e. "--- Texas A Guide to the Lone Star State, 1940"

After the excerpt, use whatever you would like to describe what the place is like now, how it is different than it was when the Guide was published. You may do this with either text or photographs, or both, but this work must be original (in other words created by you).

At least one original photograph of the place being waymarked must be in the gallery.

Instructions for Visiting a Waymark in this Category:

To log a Visit, please make every effort to supply an original image of the Waymark.

If you do not have the option to provide an image, please provide a detailed description of your visit so we can form a 'mental image'.

Category Settings:

Waymarks can be added to this category
New waymarks of this category are reviewed by the category group prior to being published
Category is visible in the directory

Variables:

Book
Page Number(s) of Excerpt
Year Originally Published

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Waymarks [hide waymarks]

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view gallery 0 km	Carnegie Library - Guthrie, OK in American Guide Series The Carnegie Library at 402 E. Oklahoma Avenue in Guthrie was the second Carnegie Library built in Oklahoma, and is the oldest still standing. posted by: hamquilter location: Oklahoma date approved: 1/22/2012 last visited: never
view gallery SW0.3 km	Jelsma Field - Guthrie, OK in American Guide Series This football field was spectacular in its beginnings as it is today. It is the home of the Guthrie High School Bluejays. posted by: hamquilter location: Oklahoma date approved: 9/27/2012 last visited: never
view gallery W0.6 km	Federal Jail - Guthrie, OK in American Guide Series The old Federal Jail is more commonly known locally as the Black Jail. The building is vacant and not in use at this time. posted by: hamquilter location: Oklahoma date approved: 1/22/2012 last visited: never
view gallery S1.1 km	Mineral Wells Park - Guthrie, OK in American Guide Series Mineral Wells Park is an historic park, established in 1890, 17 years before Oklahoma Statehood. posted by: hamquilter location: Oklahoma date approved: 1/22/2012 last visited: never
view gallery S25.1 km	Central State - Edmond, OK in American Guide Series Central State College, site of the first school of higher learning in Oklahoma, is now the University of Central Oklahoma. posted by: hamquilter location: Oklahoma date approved: 1/22/2012 last visited: never
view gallery S30.9 km	Tower of Memories - Oklahoma City, OK in American Guide Series At the center of Memorial Park Cemetery, this beautiful bell tower and its reflecting pool are a focal point of this area. posted by: hamquilter location: Oklahoma date approved: 1/22/2012 last visited: never
view gallery S43.8 km	The State Historical Society Building - Oklahoma City, OK in American Guide Series The WPA Guide gives a long, detailed description of the building and its contents. All of these items, I'm sure, can still be seen at their current location. posted by: hamquilter location: Oklahoma date approved: 2/7/2011 last visited: 8/3/2012
view gallery S44.1 km	Oklahoma City University - Oklahoma City, OK in American Guide Series OCU in 1941 was off to a good start, but You've come a long way, baby! The campus today, with its 60+ undergraduate majors and 12 graduate degrees is on the list of "America's Best Christian Colleges," and "100 Best College Buys." posted by: hamquilter location: Oklahoma date approved: 2/7/2011 last visited: 7/18/2012
view gallery S44.6 km	The U. of Oklahoma Medical School - Oklahoma City, OK in American Guide Series This magnificent building has remained part of the University of Oklahoma medical complex since construction. posted by: hamquilter location: Oklahoma date approved: 2/14/2011 last visited: never
view gallery SW44.7 km	Southern Nazarene University - Bethany, OK in American Guide Series Known by several names over the decades, Bethany-Peniel College is now Southern Nazarene University. posted by: hamquilter location: Oklahoma date approved: 1/21/2012 last visited: never
view gallery S45.9 km	The Shrine Temple - Oklahoma City, OK in American Guide Series The India Temple Shrine is more commonly known as the Journal Record Building, and now houses the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum. posted by: hamquilter location: Oklahoma date approved: 4/19/2011 last visited: never
view gallery S46.2 km	The Federal Building - Oklahoma City, OK in American Guide Series Covering a full half-block in downtown Oklahoma City, this building continues to house courts. posted by: hamquilter location: Oklahoma date approved: 3/14/2011 last visited: never
view gallery S46.3 km	County Courthouse - Oklahoma City, OK in American Guide Series One of several city and county buildings constructed by the Public Works Administration (PWA) in the 1930s. posted by: hamquilter location: Oklahoma date approved: 3/15/2011 last visited: never
view gallery S46.3 km	The First National Building - Oklahoma City, OK in American Guide Series When built in 1931 this building was said to be the fourth tallest building West of the Mississippi. posted by: hamquilter location: Oklahoma date approved: 4/9/2011 last visited: never
view gallery S46.3 km	The Municipal Building - Oklahoma City, OK in American Guide Series Appearing as it did in 1941 in the Guide, the Municipal Building still houses the Oklahoma City governing offices in the heart of downtown. posted by: hamquilter location: Oklahoma date approved: 3/30/2011 last visited: never
view gallery S46.3 km	Municipal Auditorium - Oklahoma City, OK in American Guide Series Built in 1937, this PWA project brought Oklahoma City an excellent venue for entertainment and social activities. posted by: hamquilter location: Oklahoma date approved: 3/14/2011 last visited: never
view gallery N47 km	Carnegie Library - Perry, OK in American Guide Series Possible through a grant by the Andrew Carnegie Foundation, this library building still operates as such. posted by: hamquilter location: Oklahoma date approved: 7/19/2012 last visited: 3/16/2013
view gallery S47.3 km	Public Market - Oklahoma City, OK in American Guide Series Originally built as a place for Oklahoma farmers to sell their goods, as well as for recreation, the building has continued to be used as a place for entertainment. posted by: hamquilter location: Oklahoma date approved: 3/24/2011 last visited: never
view gallery S48.8 km	Will Rogers Courts - Oklahoma City, OK in American Guide Series This large apartment complex, constructed in the late 1930s is still in full use today. posted by: hamquilter location: Oklahoma date approved: 9/10/2012 last visited: never
view gallery S48.9 km	Stockyards and Packing Plants - Oklahoma City, OK in American Guide Series Coordinates given are at the large overhead entrance gate which crosses Exchange Avenue, where it enters the stockyards area. posted by: hamquilter location: Oklahoma date approved: 9/3/2012 last visited: never
view gallery SW48.9 km	Lake Overholser - Oklahoma City, OK in American Guide Series Located west of the downtown area, just west of 23rd Street and N. Council, 700-acre Lake Overholser has a history as a water source and recreational area. posted by: hamquilter location: Oklahoma date approved: 1/20/2012 last visited: never
view gallery NW70.2 km	Government Springs Park - Enid, OK in American Guide Series Government Springs Park was established in 1911 and was a thriving center of community activity in 1941 when "A Guide to the Sooner State" was written. posted by: hamquilter location: Oklahoma date approved: 2/21/2012 last visited: never
view gallery NW70.8 km	Federal Building and Post Office - Enid, OK in American Guide Series This building, listed in the AGS in 1941 is still operating as a post office today. posted by: hamquilter location: Oklahoma date approved: 7/19/2012 last visited: never
view gallery NW70.8 km	Garfield County Courthouse - Enid, OK in American Guide Series The courthouse sits on a two-block town square, on beautifully landscaped grounds. posted by: hamquilter location: Oklahoma date approved: 2/21/2012 last visited: never
view gallery NW71.6 km	Pillsbury Flour Mill - Enid, OK in American Guide Series Standing among other massive grain elevators, the Pillsbury elevator is still operating today. posted by: hamquilter location: Oklahoma date approved: 7/19/2012 last visited: never

American Guide Series - A Waymarking.com Category

N 35° 52.694 W 97° 25.282

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American Guide Series - A Waymarking.com Category

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N 35° 52.694 W 97° 25.282

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