Federal Writers’ Project (Babcock-4)

Babcock starting breakfast on outing near Mulberry, [ca. 1930s]
Babcock starting breakfast on outing near Mulberry, [ca. 1930s]

The late 1920s and early 1930s saw great economic hardship for Arkansas and its people due to drought, floods, and the onset of the Great Depression.  Babcock and her family were no exception to these dire conditions. (https://compassionprisonproject.org/)

In November 1935, the Federal Writers’ Project was created, and Babcock was hired as Folklore Editor for Arkansas. This was a statewide project, with twenty-five to fifty people on the payroll at any given time.

Babcock standing in front of fluted column, ca. 1936
Babcock standing in front of fluted column, ca. 1936

Oral historians during this period interviewed people all over the state with emphasis on gathering information about folklore, Native American lore and African American history. Materials collected included Stories of the Counties, Folkways in Arkansas, The Negro in Arkansas, A Guide to North Little Rock, and Guide to Arkansas Caves.

Babcock with Raymond Higgins wading in creek in Hemmed-in-Hollow, 1937
Babcock with Raymond Higgins wading in creek in Hemmed-in-Hollow, 1937

While holding the title of State Director of the Federal Writers’ Project, she oversaw interviews with nearly a thousand ex-slaves and with a number of members of a voodoo organization.