Photograph of furniture in front of the W. H. Stubbs home. During recent flood, water was approximately 3 feet deep in the house. Stubbs’ loss was listed as follows: crops destroyed: 20 acres of sweet corn, 80 acres of filed corn, 15 acres of green beans, 10 acres of spinach, 9 acres of sweet potatoes, 2 acres of cantaloupes and watermelons. Livestock lost: 29 hogs and pigs, 2 cows, and 2 horses. Also lost includes $350 worth of seed, 540 gallons of gasoline for the tractor, 50 gallons of motor oil, 1 planter, 1 cultivator, 1 section harrow. An irrigation system costing $600 to replace was also destroyed. Residence damage was $1200. The furniture damage was $1500. OK-8531.

Photograph of the temporary repair in the levee of a drainage ditch that was clogged with silt and sand washed from the adjoining farm land during a recent heavy rains, contributed to record-breaking floods in OK and AR. The levee broke in four places. Joe Preston, administrative assistant, State Soil Conservation Committee is standing on the repaired break. In the center foreground H. M. Chambers, State Conservationist for the Soil Conservation Service, stands near the bottom of the ditch which has now silted up to a level above fields is seen in the background. OK-8524.

Photograph of the St. Louis and Santa Fe railroad tracks that were washed 200 feet from the railroad during recent record-breaking floods on the Verdigris River. These tracks washed from the roadbed and completely across Hwy 66 before lodging against the trees. Most of the rails are bent out of shape. Photo shows Verdigris River between Tulsa and Claremore. OK-8543.

Photograph of H.H. Bennett, chief of the Soil Conservation Service, and F.S. Hurd, Chairman, Board of Supervisors, Arkansas Verdigris Soil Conservation District [SCD], examine an improved pasture on the farm of C.B. Ritberger. Ritberger says carrying capacity of this 88 acre pasture has been doubled since he improved it with the addition of hop clover, white Dutch, yellow hop and lespedeza. Ritberger first came to this 200acre farm as a tenant in 1928, he rented the farm for $700 from F.S. Hurd until 1938, when he bought the farm, paying $8000 cash. Starting with 2 cows in the diary business he has increased the herd to 40 Jerseys that average 20 pounds of milk per day, the year round. He also has 20 white-faced Herefords. His 92 acres of cultivated land are terraced and tilled on the contour. He has 12 acres of bluestem meadow and 2 acres of post lot. OK-8546.

Photograph of farm land cover with sand and silt deposited during record breaking floods along the Canadian River between May 10 and May 28, 1943. OK-8540.

Photograph of Harry N. Chambers, State Conservationist, Soil Conservation Service, stands on the edge of US Hwy 64, leading out of Webbers Falls and is reviewing damage done to the fences and silt and sand deposited on farm land during the recent floods that occurred between May 10 and 28, 1943. The town of Webbers falls was evacuated twice. The home in the background is on the edge of Webbers Falls. Note the drift collected on the fence. OK-8545.

Photograph of P.S. Hurd, Chairman, Board of Supervisors, Arkansas Verdigris's Soil Conservation District [SCD] and H. H. Bennett, Chief of the Soil Conservation Service examine some native little bluestem in the 12 acre meadow of the C.B. Ritberger farm. This meadow land is contributing a large amount of run-off to streams was formerly waste before Ritberger developed it under a plan worked out with the aid of technicians of the Soil Conservation Service assigned to assist the district. Grass today is helping to hold most of the rain on the land. OK-8548.

Photograph of H.H. Bennett, chief of the Soil Conservation Service, left, and Elmer T. Peterson, Associate Editor, Daily Oklahoman, look over flood damage at Webbers Falls, OK. J. P. Turner, owner of rock home, left background, stated that from 6 to 36 inches of silt and sand were deposited over 24 acres of alfalfa, spinach and cotton growing in a field adjoining his home. He stated that silt deposits broke 2 drainage ditches in the town. He stated Webbers Falls was evacuated twice in the spring of 1943 between May 10 and May 28 as a result of record-breaking floods along the Arkansas River. Large deposits of silt and sand were deposited in fields and along the highway in this vicinity. OK-8536.

Photograph of H. H. Bannett, chief of Soil Conservation Service shows Elmer T. Peterson, Associate Editor of the Daily Oklahoma, the depth of sand and silt deposited on the highway during record breaking flood occuring from May 10 to 28, 1943, along the Arkansas River. Webbers falls, a town of 400 was evacuated twice during the flood. OK-8537.

Photograph of two UNIDENTIFED men, one of them looking upstream, surveying the drainage ditch known as the Huey-McNair Project. The back of the photograph proclaims, "Looking upstream along drainage ditch known as Huey-McNair Project. Rod shows depth in this 9 foot cut. Side slopes are 2-1, the bottom width is 3 feet. Road on right will be graded down by Parish. Ditch crosses road in the background."

Photograph of hauling in Alfalfa hay. Total acres in farm: 200; pasture, gg: cultivation, 92, native meadow, 12; post lot, 2; farmstead, 2. Ritberger signed a cooperative agreement with the Arkansas Verdigris SCD July 25, 1940. Farm owner (on top of wagon) and Claud Ritberger, son, are hauling in alfalfa hay from the 10 acre field that produces an average of 4 tons per acre annually. Some sheet and gullly erosion were active on this field before alfalfa was establsihed in cooperation with the district. Superphosphate and lime were applied to this field before planting alfalfa.

Photograph of the original condition of drainage ditch before dredging operations begun by the Soil Conservation Service as a means of increasing food production. This area was recently under floods from the Arkansas River. OK-8542.

Photograph of H.H. Bennett, chief of the Soil Conservation Service, and F.S. Hurd, Chairman, Board of Supervisors, Arkansas Verdigris Soil Conservation District [SCD], examine an improved pasture on the farm of C.B. Ritberger. Ritberger says carrying capacity of this 88 acre pasture has been doubled since he improved it with the addition of hop clover, white Dutch, yellow hop and lespedeza. Ritberger first came to this 200acre farm as a tenant in 1928, he rented the farm for $700 from F.S. Hurd until 1938, when he bought the farm, paying $8000 cash. Starting with 2 cows in the diary business he has increased the herd to 40 Jerseys that average 20 pounds of milk per day, the year round. He also has 20 white-faced Herefords. His 92 acres of cultivated land are terraced and tilled on the contour. He has 12 acres of bluestem meadow and 2 acres of post lot. OK-8546.

Photograph of cows on the Ritberger farm (remainng text to blurred and faded). OK-8547.

Photograph of F.S. Hurd, Chairman, Board of Supervisors, Arkansas Verdigris Soil Conservation District [SCD], and H. H. Bennett, Chief of the Soil Conservation Service examine some native little bluestem in the 12-acre meadow of the C.B. Ritberger farm. This meadow land contributing a large amount of run-off to streams was formerly waste before Ritberger developed it under a plan worked out with the aid of technicians of the Soil Conservation Service [SCS] assigned to the district. Grass today is helping to hold most of the rain on the land. OK-8548.

Photograph from L to R: W. L. Cotner; H. H Bennett, Chief, Soil Conservation Service [SCS]; and Elmer T. Peterson, of the Daily Oklahoma staff. These men are examining the silt and sand deposited by flood wates from the adjoining drainage ditch that broke in four places during recent heavy rains. One hundred acres of corn, cotton and vegetables were ruined by floods on this farm. Deposits of sterile sand a foot deep in some places are deposited on several acres of fertile farm land. OK-8525.

Photograph of H. H. Bannett, chief of Soil Conservation Service looks at grass and other debris suspended on telephone wires during record-breaking floods during May, 2013, on the Arkansas River. Flood waters were 14 feet deep over the permanent at this location. OK-8535.

Photograph of Harry N. Chambers, OK State Conservationist is shown with his foot on top of fence post nearly buried in sand and silt deposited during the record breaking floods along the Canadian River between May 10 and May 26, 1943. From lands shown in the background were once operated as a nursery by the Soil Conservation Service. OK-8538.

Photograph of Clarence Dye, aged 10, fishing off a culvert on Hwy 64 following recent record-breaking floods. This drainage-way is ordinarily dry. With flood water still on a part of his land, Mr. W. L. Cotner is seen in the background with his team replanting the 100 acres of corn, cotton, and vegetables destroyed when the levee broke. determined to produce his share of war crops this year, he returned to the field the first day possible--Memorial Day Sunday [when Memorial Day was celebrated on May 30, from 1868 to 1970]. OK-8526.

Photograph of an UNIDENTIFIED man surveying a drainage ditch, also known as the Abney-Huey Project. The back of the photograph proclaims, "Looking upstream along drainage ditch known as Abney-Huey Project. Rod and chain show depth and shape of section, about 3 ft. deep with 3-1 sides and V bottom."