Administration Buildings

Caption says, "A-42 Altus Project. Photograph showing the administration section of the rock quarry. The sheet iron building at the left is the new compressor house, the building beyond the new ambulance is the store room and the building to the right is the headquarters building with a new bulletin board to the right of the entrance."
Date: January 16, 1941
Creator: Breitenstein, Frank C.
System: The Gateway to Oklahoma History

Barn Lot and Russian Thistles

Caption says, "A-48 Altus Project. A Barn lot of a farm on the south border of the N.Y.A. Experimental Plot north of Altus, Oklahoma, owned by Mr. W. M. Vandiver. Scenes such as this may be anywhere in the valley. Russian thistles are stopped by fence lines, farm impliments, and other obstacles in the path large enough to hold them."
Date: January 27, 1941
Creator: Breitenstein, Frank C.
System: The Gateway to Oklahoma History

Bureau of Reclamation Camp

Caption says, "A-36 Altus Project. Photograph of Bureau of Reclamation camp taken from top of water supply tower south of the camp. This camp was built and occupied by the Civilian Conservation Corps until mid-summer of 1939, when it was abandoned and placed under the management of Mr. Scantlin, the caretaker. The camp was released to the Bureau of Reclamation September 13, 1940. Mr. Nelson was placed in charge and a crew of W.P.A. men began repairing operations to recondition the camp to accommodate the men who will work in the Lugert-Altus Dam. The Community Building of the Quartz Mountain Park, National Park Service shown in the background to the right of the camp flag pole, will become the Administration Building during the construction of the new one."
Date: January 4, 1941
Creator: Breitenstein, Frank C.
System: The Gateway to Oklahoma History

Derrick Boom Overhead

Caption says, "A-41 Altus Project. Stiff-leg derrick boom over head lifting huge granite rocks into place for plug and feather drilling."
Date: January 10, 1941
Creator: Breitenstein, Frank C.
System: The Gateway to Oklahoma History

Derricks at Work

Caption says, "A-44 Altus Project, Photograph looking east from Photo Station No. 3 showing progress to date at rock quarry. The stiff-leg derrick is moving granite rocks to the area beyond derrick motor shed where they will be sorted into different sizes. Trucks will haul the blocks to the stock yard south and below the quarry where they will be placed in piles in respect to size. In foreground in the 6-inch compressor line. Telephone line is being strung in left foreground to pole in center of photograph. Photo taken during a sandstorm."
Date: January 21, 1941
Creator: Breitenstein, Frank C.
System: The Gateway to Oklahoma History

Derricks at Work

Caption says, "A-43 Altus Project. Photograph from Photo Station No. 1 looking west showing progress to date at the Rock Quarry. At lower left on built up foundation are WPA rock crushers No. 11 and No. 9. In right back ground is the stiff-leg derrick with a 100-foot boom. Its power unit, a Diesel hoist, is in the shed south of derrick. Photo taken while a sandstorm is blowing from the southwest."
Date: January 21, 1941
Creator: Breitenstein, Frank C.
System: The Gateway to Oklahoma History

Experimental Agricultural Plot

Caption says, "A-45 Altus Project. Photograph of Experimental Agricultural Plot looking north from the southeast corner. Mr. Myrl Gray, Supervisor of N.Y.A. at the Altus Junior College, holding a stalk of last year's growth of kafir corn. The area has been partially cleared of Russian Thistles. The experimental plot consisting of 39 acres was leased from Mr. W. M. Vandiver for one year with a three year option. Organizations interested in this experiment are the N.Y.A., Farm Security, Chamber of Commerce, County Agricultural Agency, County Commissioners, Altus Junior College, and the Bureau of Reclamation. It will be under the supervision of the N.Y.A. and the Bureau of Reclamation. Sixteen acres under N.Y.A and twenty-three under County Commissioners. The area will be divided into forty plots of one-quarter acre each. Twenty of the plots will be planted and farmed with improved methods of irrigation. The remaining 20 will have the same crops but farmed under natural conditions existing before irrigation and will serve as a check plot."
Date: January 27, 1941
Creator: Breitenstein, Frank C.
System: The Gateway to Oklahoma History

Farm Lot

Caption says, "A-47 Altus Project. Farm lots such as this may be seen throughout the dry farmed area in the valley. This farm joins the south border of the NYA experimental plot. The experimental plot can be seen above the barn. The west half has been plowed, the remaining area partially cleaned of Russian thistles."
Date: January 27, 1941
Creator: Breitenstein, Frank C.
System: The Gateway to Oklahoma History

Laborers Working with Large Derricks

Caption says, "A-38 Altus Project. Photograph taken from Photo Station No. 3A looking east over quarry area. The stiff leg derrick in the center of photograph is under construction. The two men left of the truck are standing at the eastern end of the quarry area."
Date: January 4, 1941
Creator: Breitenstein, Frank C.
System: The Gateway to Oklahoma History

Lake Altus Dam

Caption says, "A-37 Altus Project. Photograph of Lake Altus Dam with the reservoir filled taken from triangulation point "B" north of the dam. The height of the new dam to be built, represented by a white line painted on the rocks, can be seen at the right end of the photograph directly above the right (south) end of the concrete approach to the dam. The building at the lower right of the photograph is the pump house which will pump water to the pressure tank of the camp."
Date: January 4, 1941
Creator: Breitenstein, Frank C.
System: The Gateway to Oklahoma History

New Rock Crusher

Caption says, "A-49 Altus Project. New rock crusher securely fastened on Bureau of Reclamation large trailer to be transported to the rock quarry where it will be used to produce crushed rock material for the concreting program on the Altus Project."
Date: January 28, 1941
Creator: Breitenstein, Frank C.
System: The Gateway to Oklahoma History

Russian Thistles Caught on Fence

Caption says, "A-46 Altus Project. A typical scene of fences on dry farmed areas that can be seen throughout the valley. Fences are covered with great quantities of dry Russian thistles that are blown across the fields by the brisk wind. This fence has stopped all that is possible, while the rest have merely rolled along and over the pile until stopped by some other obstacle in their path. Photograph taken at the southeast corner of the N.Y.A Experimental Plot."
Date: January 27, 1941
Creator: Breitenstein, Frank C.
System: The Gateway to Oklahoma History

WPA Laborers Plug Drilling

WPA laborers working on large boulder. Caption says, "A-39 Altus Project. Two W. P. A. men plug drilling a large granite boulder at the quarry. Additional holes will be drilled six inches apart along the line left of the driller. The driller's helper is placing wedges and shims for splitting the boulder."
Date: January 4, 1941
Creator: Breitenstein, Frank C.
System: The Gateway to Oklahoma History

WPA Rock Crushers

WPA laborers using rock crushers that are sitting on a granite wall and dumping into a large pile of already crushed granite. Caption says, "A-40 Altus Project. WPA rock crushers Nos. 9 and 11 mounted on a masonry foundation of granite blocks on south edge of rock quarry. Granite that is too small for squaring into blocks will be crushed into material for concrete."
Date: January 10, 1941
Creator: Breitenstein, Frank C.
System: The Gateway to Oklahoma History