Semiweekly newspaper from Idabel, Oklahoma that includes local, state, and national news along with advertising.

Photograph used for a newspaper owned by the Oklahoma Publishing Company. Caption: "Mae Merrie, who left Smithville in 1950, found that she could indeed go home again, and she's happy living in the southeastern Oklahoma community."

Semi-weekly newspaper from Idabel, Oklahoma that includes local, state, and national news along with advertising.

Photograph showing how it takes good management to produce good logs on a sustained yield basis. Soil Conservation Service technicians mark timber to be harvested on a high percentage of land worked by Stauter Mill. He paid the government $44,000 for eleven 40-acre tracts for marked timber only. OK-338-1.

Photograph of managed timber here saved for curing before going to the planing mill. Well spaced pine under management turns out clean, clear lumber products so demanded by buyers today. It takes 25,000 feet per day to keep this mill operating. OK-338-3.

Photograph of showing the rapid growth of pine during the past 11 months. Notice the absence of hardwood. OK-10-456-2.

Photograph of a woodland area to be potentially seeded with pine. This overstory [i.e., giant, emergent trees that tower above the surrounding woodland canopy] of inferior hardwoods will be cut out to allow pine seedlings to grow. Alvin Howard, Project Conservationist, is in the picture. Follow-up in August 1951. OK-10-457-4.

Photograph of the interplanting of pine trees. Carried out in 1942. Compare with OK-10-564-B to contrast the growth rate. The hardwood has been girdled since the last picture was taken. More rapid growth should be expected. OK-10-565-B.

Photograph of a 40-acre unit that will be released from oak and brush to allow pine seedlings to grow. The release work is planned for August, 1950. Everything will be taken out (all hardwood) to allow light with the canopy and give the pine room to grow. Alvin E. Howard, project conservationist, inspects young pine in the picture. Follow-up shot to be made in August, 1951 (one year following the cutting of the hardwoods). OK-10-458.

Photograph of rapid growth of pine following release from hardwood overstory. Girdled hardwood falling with no damage to young pine. Hardwood sprouts are growing from stumps but pine has the lead. OK-10-457-C.

Photograph of Alvin Howard, project conservationist [PC], marks the pines on D + 6 that he wants to cut so to thin the stand. Marking is usually done with paint but Howard uses an ax here. OK-10-460.

Photograph of pine growth near Moon, Oklahoma. Observe the rapid growth of pine for the past 11 months. More than 1000 acres have been released cut on OK-LU-24 ["Oklahoma-Land Utilization-24"; the latter refers to the New Deal's Land Utilization Program, begun in 1934. This particular code specifically designates McCurtain County]. OK-10-458-C.

Photograph of Alvin Howard, project conservationist [PC], looks at hardwood oaks and brush on the left that is hindering young pine from growing. On the right are pines which have been released from hardwood brush oak so they might grow faster. OK-10-462.

Photograph of Carl and Jesse Park, permitees who cut timber on government tracts, go in to thin pine that Alvin E. Howard has marked. They also girdle hardwoods and clear out brush as a part of their contract. OK-10-461.

Photograph of Alvin Howard, SCS project conservationist, examines young pine on land utilization {LU] project which have been stunted by heavy overstory of inferior oaks. Hardwoods will be cut out to release young pines for growth. Follow-up shots will be made one year later. OK-10-458.

Photograph of overstory of inferior hardwoods that will be cut out to allow pine seedlings to grow. Alvin E. Howard, Project Conservationist, in picture. Follow up in August, 1951. OK-10-457.

Photograph of a 40-acre unit that will be released from oak and brush to allow pine seedlings to grow. The release work is planned for August, 1950. Everything will be taken out (all hardwood) to allow light with the canopy and give the pine room to grow. Alvin E. Howard, project conservationist, inspects young pine in the picture. Follow-up shot to be made in August 1951. (One year following cutting of hardwoods.) OK-10-456.

Photograph of the rapid growth of pine trees following release from hardwood overstory. Girdled hardwood falling with no damage to young pine. Hardwood sprouts are growing from some stumps but the pine has the lead. OK-10-457-C.

Photograph of woodland management. This is the way the tract looked after it had been thinned to D + 6 [= spacing between trees that equals the diameter of tree + 6 ft ]. Note cut timber on the ground. OK_10-459.

Photograph of G. L. Kirk, right, discussing conservation farm plan with John Bollinger, Work Unit Conservationist [WUC] at Valliant, Oklahoma. Mr. Kirk is chairman of the board of supervisors of the Little River Soil Conservation District [SCD]. He owns a dry goods store in Idabel and is director of the bank—but he had to start farming for his health. He has turned a worn out cultivated farm into a conservation grassland farm. It has been hard work but he thinks the effort is worth it. OK-10-472.

Photograph of the Forest Hill Baptist Church, Idabel, Oklahoma, which [as of 1950] is over 40 years old, but with the building in good repair. Most farms around the church are conservation farms, primarily grassland. Average attendance is 50 people; membership—140 people. Church services held every other Sunday, with Virgil McMillon, as pastor [Still active today, August 2020]. OK-10-467.

Photograph of the Forest Hill Cemetery. One of the best-kept rural cemeteries in Oklahoma. It is located in the middle of a conservation farming community. A cemetery association keeps the grounds in good repair. The association meets every Mother’s Day at the cemetery, with, usually, 200 to 300 in attendance. OK-10-468.

Photograph of the G. L. Kirk farm. Mr. Kirk’s cattle get coll fresh water anytime they want it. They drink from a concrete watering tank below the dam in the background which is fenced off. Trees cover keep the water cool. OK-10-470.

Photograph of Alvin E. Howard, project conservationist, marks the pines on DL-6 he wants to cut to thin stand. Marking is usually done with paint but Howard used an ax here.