A classic picture of bygone days and foregone ways

Mississippi: The WPA Guide to the Magnolia State was part of a nationwide series of guides in the 1930s that created work during the Depression for artists, writers, teachers, librarians, and other professionals. This classic book is a lively collaborative project that covers a distinct era in Mississippi from the hills to the Delta to the Gulf Coast. Even today this guide is an engaging look at the Magnolia State and includes driving tours featuring many of the state's treasures.

Along these old roads, the heart of Mississippi comes to life. The guide explores Deep South folkways, frontier hamlets, vanishing homesteads, burgeoning communities, and the local points of pride. In a way that perhaps may never be duplicated, these authors capture state heritage, portray the trying economic systems and challenges Mississippi faced, and hint of a revolution in roadways and in mobility for its citizens. An introduction by Robert S. McElvaine places this historic volume in a modern context.

Robert S. McElvaine is chair of the history department at Millsaps College. He is also the author or editor of a number of books on history and American culture.