Water Conservation; Water Erosion; Flooding and Prevention

Photograph of road bed sloughing off into gully caused by excessive run-off from adjoining cultivated fields. Conservation farming methods would have prevented this. OK-8450.
Date: December 15, 1942
Creator: Hammett, J.W.
System: The Gateway to Oklahoma History

Hobbs Western Timber Company

Photograph of Hobbs Western Timber Company workers loading cross-ties onto train cars.
Date: April 15, 1941
Creator: Jenkins, Elvin W.
System: The Gateway to Oklahoma History

Pine Poles

Photograph of peeled pine poles ready for market.
Date: April 15, 1941
Creator: Jenkins, Elvin W.
System: The Gateway to Oklahoma History

U. S. Highway 281 Debris Under Bridge

Photograph of G. C. Gardner, Jr., Soil Conservation Service technician, points to debris piling up under a U. S. Highway 281 bridge near Hinton. The back of the photograph proclaims, “Close up of U. S. Highway 281 bridge shown in Okla-9570. G. C. Gardner, Jr., Soil Conservation Service technician, points to debris piling up under bridge. Note narrow space between bridge floor & silt accumulation. “
Date: April 15, 1948
Creator: Fox, Lester C.
System: The Gateway to Oklahoma History

Switchgrass Plant

Photograph of a switchgrass plant. The back of the photograph proclaims, "Switchgrass – (Panicum Virgatum) - A vigorous, native, perennial, sod-forming grass that occurs throughout most of the U. S. It is most abundant and important as a forage and pasture grass in the central and southern parts of the Great Plains. It usually grows to 3 to 5 feet high, with short, vigorous rhizomes. The flowering head is a widely branching open panicle. Leaves are green to bluish-green. It occurs on nearly all soil types but is most abundant and thrives best on moist low areas of relatively high fertility. Heavy, vigorous roots and underground stems make the species excellent for conservation use. Usually it is seeded with the species with which it occurs naturally. Growth begins in late spring and continues through the summer if there is enough moisture."
Date: September 15, 1949
Creator: Postlethwaite, Hermann
System: The Gateway to Oklahoma History

Debris Piling Up Under Bridge

Photograph of U.S. Highway 281 bridge shown in Okla-9570. G.C. Gardner, Jr., Soil Conservation Service technician, points to debris piling up under bridge. Note narrow space between bridge floor & silt accumulations.
Date: April 15, 1948
Creator: Fox, Lester C.
System: The Gateway to Oklahoma History

The "Little Skojer" Ditcher

Photograph of Mr. J.W. Rhoades operates the hydraulic controls and lifts the nose of the "Little Skojer" ditcher. Mr. Rhoades designed and built this original ditcher with parts from old farm equipment, an old electric refrigerator and washing machine and surplus war materials.
Date: May 15, 1947
Creator: Jenkins, E. W.
System: The Gateway to Oklahoma History

F. S. Marlon's Planned Gully Control and Field Improvements

Photograph of “Water passing over farm pond spillway draining into incipient gullies at bottom of slope. Spillway will be shaped, gullies sloped, dam raised and dam and spillway sodded to Bermuda grass.”
Date: October 15, 1941
Creator: Jenkins, E. W.
System: The Gateway to Oklahoma History

Sheep Grazing on Contour Furrowed Grasses

Photograph of an UNIDENTIFED man in the background watching the sheep grazing on Bermuda, grama grasses, and buffalograss in contour furrowed pasture. The back of the photograph proclaims, “Sheep grazing Bermuda in contour furrowed pasture for conservation of soil and moisture and to promote growth of desirable grasses. Principle grasses are buffalo, Grama grasses. Furrows constructed in spring of 1941.”
Date: October 15, 1941
Creator: Jenkins, E. W.
System: The Gateway to Oklahoma History

John Westmoreland & Sons Mill

Photograph of workers cutting pine poles for split fence posts at the John Westmoreland & Sons Mill.
Date: April 15, 1941
Creator: Jenkins, Elvin W.
System: The Gateway to Oklahoma History

Hobbs Western Timber Company

Photograph of Hobbs Western Timber Company workers loading cross-ties onto train cars.
Date: April 15, 1941
Creator: Jenkins, Elvin W.
System: The Gateway to Oklahoma History

Hill Hudgins Family

Photograph of the Hill Hudgins family inside a squatter shack on land purchased by the U. S. Government. This family of eight lives in a one room shack with a kitchen adjoining. They have cleared 13 acres of forest land selling pine cross-ties and poles as a livelihood.
Date: April 15, 1941
Creator: Jenkins, Elvin W.
System: The Gateway to Oklahoma History

Gully Erosion

Photograph of severe gully erosion.
Date: May 15, 1940
Creator: Jenkins, Elvin W.
System: The Gateway to Oklahoma History

Switchgrass Plant

Photograph of a switchgrass plant. The back of the photograph proclaims, "Switchgrass – (Panicum Virgatum) - A vigorous, native, perennial, sod-forming grass that occurs throughout most of the U. S. It is most abundant and important as a forage and pasture grass in the central and southern parts of the Great Plains. It usually grows to 3 to 5 feet high, with short, vigorous rhizomes. The flowering head is a widely branching open panicle. Leaves are green to bluish-green. It occurs on nearly all soil types but is most abundant and thrives best on moist low areas of relatively high fertility. Heavy, vigorous roots and underground stems make the species excellent for conservation use. Usually it is seeded with the species with which it occurs naturally. Growth begins in late spring and continues through the summer if there is enough moisture."
Date: September 15, 1949
Creator: Postlethwaite, Hermann
System: The Gateway to Oklahoma History

Landrum Gully Control

Photograph of Edgar Landrum standing in front of a gully in natural draw. The back of the photograph proclaims, "Gully in natural draw. Banks were sloped and channel solid sodded to Bermuda in spring of 1941. Drainage area from cultivated field approx. 60 A. Mr. Landrum (in photograph) says this gully was very active and threatening his cultivated land but since establishment of Bermuda erosion has been practically stabilized."
Date: October 15, 1941
Creator: Jenkins, E. W.
System: The Gateway to Oklahoma History