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W.P.A. history of grazing collection

 Collection
Identifier: UUS_COLL MSS 008

Scope and Contents

The files of the WPA History of Grazing were accessioned by the Special Collections Department in February 1967 and October 1974 when a second portion, including virtually all of Chapter III,"The Westward Movement," was discovered in files otherwise devoted to Agricultural Experiment Station papers accessioned by University Archives.

Final processing has followed the pattern which we can assume to have been the Willison arrangement in December 1941. Individual state and general project materials have been filed separately. The different sections of the manuscript drafts are filed in the order that they were listed in the proposed outline as established in the circular of June 6, 1940. Though Willison had proposed to develop fourteen chapters for the final book, since the states submitted their individual histories based on the June 6, 1940 outline, he was compelled to put together the first drafts on a seven-chapter outline.*

The original order, numbering system, and section headings as outlined by the June 6, 1940 circular have been processed in the transfer from original folders. The collection is complete as it was transferred to the University with the exception of photographs from Kansas, Colorado, Nebraska, Texas, Washington, Okla-homa, Oregon, and Nevada which have been transferred from the Manuscript Collection to the Department's general photograph filewhere they comprise numbers A-0430 to A-0532.

*A close reading of the chapter contents show that the expansion from seven to fourteen chapters was to be accomplished largely by subdivision of Chapter IV, "Boom Days on the Western Range, 1866-1886." All of the states, but especially Texas, submitted a major portion of their texts on this twenty-year period. The Texas history was to be almost exclusively used for Chapter IV, "The Mustang, Longhorn, and Merino," and Chapter VIII, "The Long Trail."

Dates

  • Creation: 1680-1941

Language of Materials

Collection materials are in English.

Restrictions

Open to public research.

Copyright

It is the responsibility of the user to obtain permission to publish from the owner of the copyright (the institution, the creator of the record, the author or his/her transferees, heirs, legates, or literary executors). The user agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Utah State University Libraries, its officers, employees, and agents from and against all claims made by any person asserting that he or she is an owner of copyright.

Permission to publish material from the W.P.A. history of grazing collection must be obtained from the Special Collections Manuscript Curator and/or the Special Collections Department Head.

Extent

17 boxes (7 linear ft.)

Abstract

Correspondence and historical articles (drafts and completed) accumulated during the creation of the "Utah Chapter" of the Work Projects Administration's (WPA) History of grazing, in cooperation with the Grazing Service of the Department of the Interior. Project was intended as a historical companion volume to serial set #10005, "The western range," and included seventeen state histories focusing on western grazing, from the Pueblo Revolt of 1680 to 1941. Also includes correspondence concerning, and drafts of, the compiled work, edited by George F. Willison.

Arrangement

Arrangement: Chronological within state.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Produced by W.P.A. Federal Writer's Project, given to Utah Agricultural Experiment Station in 1941; transfered to USU Special Collections and Archives in 1967.

Related Materials

Colorado and Washington grazing interview transcripts (COLL MSS 016)

Utah grazing notes (COLL MSS 009)

Title
Guide to the W.P.A. history of grazing collection 1680-1941
Author
Finding aid created by Special Collections and Archives.
Date
©2008
Description rules
Finding Aid Based On Dacs (Describing Archives: A Content Standard, 2nd Edition)
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
Finding guide is in English in Latin script.
Sponsor
Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) grant, 2007-2008

Revision Statements

  • 2009: Template information was updated to reflect Archives West best practice guidelines.

Repository Details

Part of the Utah State University, Merrill-Cazier Library, Special Collections & Archives Repository

Contact:
Merrill-Cazier Library
Utah State University
3000 Old Main Hill
Logan Utah 84322-3000 United States
435 797-8248
435 797-2880 (Fax)