The Works Progress Administration was a federal relief project of the Great Depression era. The Writer' Project provided work for people involved in creative or administrative work by doing writing and or research heavy tasks. The Place Names project involved cataloging and documenting the origins of place names. Materials in this collection include half-sheets of paper with geographical information. They record geographical, political, historical, and geological facts for the counties of Allegheny, Chemung, Livingston, Monroe, Ontario, Schuyler, Seneca, Steuben, Wayne, and Yates, and their towns, cities, and villages. The materials date from the late 1930s.