Amazingly, a small tidbit of fact revealed much. The information had been in print since 1935 but the hardcopy didn’t circulate because firstly one needs to know that it exists, knows where it is to be found and ultimately, cares to go to the effort to physically access it. The dusty old archive of interest is an inter-office directory that was recently unearthed digitally absolving the barriers of access problem.
Marcella (1915-1945) is family and a person of mystery. People that might have been close to her are long gone and there is no one to recollect. Trying to piece her life experience together is a tough ask. From casual genealogy investigation it is known that she was born in a very small town but not how she managed to strike out on her own.
Speaking to the exposed document; It is fortunate that the family surname happens to be unique and distinct. Being uncommon it is an unfiltered search. Even still, blanket browsing the Archive.org turns up 800+ hits mostly from family that were/are published. Ignoring the obvious exposed an office telephone directory of the Agricultural Adjustment Administration (AAA) revised August 1, 1935 wherein Marcella’s name is listed. The entry field on page 90 shows a telephone extension and her office address. A sublevel peek was required to learn about the abbreviations from the snippet.
R. & B. Audit translates to: Rental and Benefit Audit Section Office of the Comptroller Division of Finance. In the context of her job description with the AAA, this role would involve auditing financial records and budget allocations, ensuring proper documentation and compliance with the agency’s subsidy programs and administrative expenditures.
AAA was a New Deal agency established in 1933 under the U.S. Department of Agriculture to address the agricultural crisis during the Great Depression. Its primary goal was to stabilize farm prices and incomes by reducing agricultural surpluses, which were driving down prices. The AAA paid farmers subsidies to reduce production of certain crops and livestock, aiming to balance supply and demand. It was part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s broader efforts to revive the economy. The agency faced legal challenges, notably being declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in 1936 (United States v. Butler), but its core ideas were rescued in later legislation like the Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1938.
O. P. O. from the descriptive line refers to Old Post Office building in Washington, DC
The Old Post Office building still stands today. Located at 1100 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, it was constructed between 1892 and 1899 and served as the main post office for Washington, DC, until 1914. After that, it housed various federal offices, including those of the AAA in the 1930s. The building faced demolition threats in the 1970s but was preserved due to public outcry and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. It underwent renovations and was repurposed over the years, most recently operating as the Waldorf Astoria Washington DC hotel since 2022, though the clock tower remains accessible to the public and is managed by the National Park Service for visitors to enjoy views from its observation deck.
Marcella appears to be a Local Girl Makes Good story with a very solid career move. Revealing, but now creating more questions than answers. Imagine transplanting from small town life in Watertown, South Dakota to a Megalopolis. What facilitated the move? Did Marcella get on?
What happened next? To complete that picture, we will have to continue mining digital records like the one obscured in plain sight, having greater understanding along the way.