booklist

I'm super excited about State by State: A Panoramic Portrait of America, a book that is "resurrects an effort from the 1930s, when the WPA created the Federal Writers' Project, commissioning America's writers to describe their states." Many of my favorite authors have written chapters for it. Alas, it's not out until September.

But... Joe Sacco writes about Oregon! Carrie Brownstein about Washington! Mohammed Naseehu Ali about Michigan! (Okay, I'm not familiar with that last author. Must research...)

And just a pile of other folks I love like Dave Eggers, John Hodgman, Sarah Vowell, Anthony Bourdain, Susan Orlean, Jack Hitt, David Rakoff, and Alison Bechdel -- I am besides myself with joy! And impatience!

So, of course, I've been trawling worldcat looking for the original State by State project. I've found a title or two about Oregon:
Willamette landings, ghost towns of the river. (aka Willamette landings)
by Howard McKinley Corning;  Federal Writers' Project (Or.)
worldcat link - Multnomah County Library
979.5 C81

Oregon, end of the trail
by Writers' Program (OR)
worldcat link - Multnomah County Library
917.95 F29

oh, and fun fact for you Portlanders - US 30 is the Oregon Trail! It runs... from the Missouri River... to the Pacific Ocean!
The Oregon trail : US 30 : the Missouri River to the Pacific Ocean
by Federal Writers' Project of the Works Progress Administration.
worldcat link (three libraries own this; none on the Oregon Trail, natch. 2 of them are in the Netherlands!)

Michigan, a guide to the Wolverine State.
by Writers' Program (Mich.);  Federal Writers' Project.
worldcat link