Aaron Parley Christiansen daybooks, 1915-1921

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Christiansen, Aaron Parley, 1889-1950
Title
Aaron Parley Christiansen daybooks
Dates
1915-1921 (inclusive)
Quantity
1 box, (.5 linear feet)
Collection Number
UUS_COLL MSS 094
Summary
The daybooks of Christiansen are a daily log of his activities as an assistant Forest Ranger in the Uintah Forest. There are fifteen books in total covering a six year period from 1915-1921. Each book accounts for one to two months of work. Some of the subject matters that are mentioned in the books are timber sales, grazing leases, road building, fighting forest fires, and reseeding projects. Christiansen spent a great deal of his time in the field primarily working out of the Salt Creek Ranger Station; many of the entries were noted from the Salt Creek area. Of particular interest are the commentaries concerning Forest Service philosophy and of Christiansen's philosophy of conservation.
Repository
Utah State University, Merrill-Cazier Library, Special Collections and Archives Division
Special Collections & Archives
Merrill-Cazier Library
Utah State University
Logan, UT
84322-3000
Telephone: 4357978248
Fax: 4357972880
scweb@usu.edu
Access Restrictions
Restrictions

Open to public research.

Languages
English.
Sponsor
Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) grant, 2007-2008

Biographical NoteReturn to Top

Christiansen was born July 17, 1889 in Ephraim, Utah, and died in Logan, Utah, in 1950. He began his career with the United States Forest Service in Nephi and, in 1939, transferred to the Cache National Forest. He was stationed in Logan, Utah from this point until his death in 1950.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

This collection consists of the soft bound daybooks of Aaron Parley Christiansen. Christiansen was a career Forest Service Ranger. These particular daybooks cover the period from 1915- 1921 when Christiansen was an assistant Forest Ranger on the Uintah Forest. Stationed out of Nephi, Utah, the books contain a log of his work activities in the field and in the office. In essence these records were a time card. The books contain an excellent account of the duties of a Forest Ranger in the early twentieth century.

Working the Uintah National Forest, Christiansen was required to keep a daily log of his activities and these books represent that record. Some of the subject matters that are mentioned in the books are timber sales, grazing leases, road building, fighting forest fires and reseeding projects. Christiansen spent a great deal of his time in the field primarily working out of the Salt Creek Ranger Station, many of the entries were noted from the Salt Creek area. Of particular interest are the comments concerning Forest Service philosophy and of Christiansen's philosophy about conservation.

The books number 15 in total and were turned in on a monthly basis to his supervisor. The words "examined by" followed by an initial appear throughout the books. The book after being scrutinized would be returned to Christiansen, many times he would then enter another month in to the book. This accounts for alternated months appearing in the same book.

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Restrictions on Use

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 Aaron Parley Christiansen daybooks must be obtained from the Special Collections Manuscript Curator and/or the Special Collections Department Head.

Preferred Citation

Aaron Parley Christiansen daybooks, 1915-1921. (COLL MSS 94). Utah State University. Special Collections and Archives Department.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Arrangement

Arrangement: Chronological.

Acquisition Information

The papers in this collection were donated by J. Arbon Christensen. He wrote and broadcast each transcript for radio station KVNU during the 1960s and 1970s. The papers were donated to USU on March 4, 1996, with the help of Milton Abrams, the former director of Merrill Library.

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

Description Dates
Book 1 : Daybook [Click to access] 1915 October - November
Book 2 : Daybook [Click to access] 1916 January - March
Book 3 : Daybook [Click to access] 1916 February - April
Book 4 : Daybook [Click to access] 1916 June - July
Book 5 : Daybook [Click to access] 1916 September - October
Book 6 : Daybook [Click to access] 1916 November - 1917 January
Book 7 : Daybook [Click to access] 1917 February - April
Book 8 : Daybook [Click to access] 1917 March - May
Book 9 : Daybook [Click to access] 1917 June
Book 10 : Daybook [Click to access] 1917 July - November
Book 11 : Daybook [Click to access] 1917 October - December
Book 12 : Daybook [Click to access] 1918 September - October
Book 13 : Daybook [Click to access] 1919 April
Book 14 : Daybook [Click to access] 1920 July
Book 15 : Daybook [Click to access] 1920 September - January, 1921

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Forest conservation--Utah--History--Sources
  • Forest management--History--Sources
  • Forest policy--Utah--History--Sources
  • Forest rangers--Utah--Uinta National Forest--Diaries
  • Forests and forestry--Multiple use--Utah--Uinta National Forest--History--Sources
  • Pasture, Right of--Utah--Uinta National Forest--History--Sources
  • Reclamation of land--Utah--History--Sources

Personal Names

  • Christiansen, Aaron Parley, 1889-1950

Corporate Names

  • Salt Creek Ranger Station (Utah)--History--Sources
  • United States. Forest Service. Uinta National Forest Supervisor's Office--History--Sources

Geographical Names

  • Nebo, Mount (Utah)--History--Sources.
  • Uinta National Forest (Utah)--History--Sources.