Archives West Finding Aid
Table of Contents
Utah Resettlement Project papers, 1910-1937
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Utah Resettlement Project.
- Title
- Utah Resettlement Project papers
- Dates
- 1910-1937 (inclusive)19101937
- Quantity
- 2 boxes, (1 linear foot)
- Collection Number
- UUS_COLL MSS 146
- Summary
- Records pertaining to Utah projects of the New Deal resettlement agencies. Included are records from Price River, Green River, Elberta, Blue Bench, Ashley Valley, LaSal, Ivin's Bench, Price, and Midvale. The records were obtained from the National Archives.
- 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
-
No restrictions on use, except: not available through interlibrary loan.
- Languages
- English
Historical NoteReturn to Top
During the Great Depression of the 1930s, the Federal Emergency Relief Administration dispensed federal funds to establish rural rehabilitation communities for farmers who had been displaced by the Depression to encourage the development of self-sustaining farm families.
One of the New Deal's most ambitious schemes for agricultural reform was the rural resettlement program. Four New Deal agencies - the Division of Subsistence Homesteads, the Federal Emergency Relief Administration, the Resettlement Administration, and the Farm Security Administration - participated in the effort. Thereunder, the government was to purchase submarginal farmland nationwide and resettle its inhabitants on viable farms. In Utah, the resettlement agencies proposed to buy 5,280 submarginal farms and resettle 1,200 farm families. In practice, the agencies permanently resettled fewer than fifty of the state's farm families, centering their activities in Widtsoe, a small town twenty miles north of Bryce Cannon. None of the projects proposed within this collection were ever implemented by the resettlement agencies. Nonetheless, the papers in this collection are valuable, for they reveal much about the nature of the New Deal resettlement program and about environmental, social, and economic conditions in southern eastern Utah during the Great Depression. It is fitting that these documents should be available at Utah State University since the university served as headquarters for the Resettlement Administration duding the 1930s
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
This collection consists of two boxes of material, 21 folders, discussing the following projects of the New Deal resettlement agencies: Price River, Green River, Elberta, Blue Bench, Ashley Valley, Lasal, Ivin's Bench, Price Suburban Homesteads, and Midvale Suburban Homesteads. The entire collection is composed of photocopied documents, the originals being in Record Group 96 of the National Archives in Washington, D.C.
The original filing order system has been maintained to preserve the integrity of the collection. The somewhat hasty manner in which documents were filed says much about the hustle and bustle of the New Deal resettlement agencies. Working with the collection, one can sense the frustration that the massive bureaucracy and endless paperwork of New Deal government provoked. The collection is small enough that preserving the original filing order will not inhibit the researcher's ability to use the documents.
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Restrictions on Use
It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain any necessary copyright clearances.
Permission to publish material from the Utah Resettlement Project must be obtained from the Special Collections Manuscript Curator and/or the Special Collections Department Head.
Preferred Citation
Initial Citation: Utah Resettlement Project USU_COLL MSS 146, Box [ ]. Special Collections and Archives. Utah State University Merrill-Cazier Library. Logan, Utah.
Following Citations:USU_USU COLL 146, USUSCA.
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Arrangement
Documents are generally arranged by project. For the three major projects - Price River, Green River, and Elberta - documents are further divided into 0-1000-level papers just as they were filed by the Resettlement Administration.
Processing Note
Processed in May of 2006
Acquisition Information
Acquisition information is unknown.
Related Materials
Additional sources of information: The best general work on the resettlement program is Paul K. Conkin, Tomorrow a New World: The New Deal Community Program (Ithaca, NY, 1959). (HD1761 .C66)
Brian Q. Cannon, "Remaking the Agrarian Dream: The New Deal's Rural Resettlement Program in Utah" (master's thesis, Utah State University, 1986), provides an overview of the Utah resettlement experience. Chapters 3 and 4 of that thesis extensively utilize the documents found in this collection.
Utah Resettlement Project oral histories, COLL MSS 401
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
"Price River Resettlement Project Report", 1936 JulyReturn to Top
Container(s): Box 1, Folder 1
78-page document discussing the location, physical features, social circumstances, and economy of the proposed project site, as well as photographs of the site. Also, a soils classification map of the project.
000-100-Level Correspondence and Reports, undatedReturn to Top
Container(s): Box 1, Folder 2
Project progress reports and correspondence re: equipment, personnel, and salaries
200-Level Correspondence, undatedReturn to Top
Container(s): Box 1, Folder 3
Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
---|---|---|---|
Item 1: Preliminary Legal Report of the project
(4 pp.)
|
undated | ||
Box | Folder | ||
1 | 3 | Item 2: Report of John M. Knighton, Ephraim Bergeson, and William Peterson to Governor Henry H. Blood
Regarding problems in the Price River irrigation districts (12 pp.)
|
undated |
1 | 3 | Item 3: Untitled report of the project by C. O. Stott (acting director of the RA in Utah)
(12 pp.)
|
undated |
1 | 3 | Item 4: Court Proceedings, Tidwell Canal Company v. Pioneer Ditch Company
(10 pp.)
|
1910 May 6 |
1 | 3 | Item 5: Correspondence
Regarding land project land acquisition
|
1936 |
1 | 4 | Item 1: John E. Guernsey and John P. Sparks, "Soil Report, Price Project, Utah"
(7 pp.)
|
1936 July 1 |
1 | 4 | Item 2: R. C. Pixton and Glenn F. Cowan, "Supplemental Agricultural Economic Report: Price River Resettlement Project"
(2 pp.)
|
1934 June 30 |
1 | 4 | Item 3: R. Earl Storie, "Preliminary Soil Report"
(2 pp.)
|
1936 May 1 |
1 | 4 | Item 4: J. Winter Smith, "Engineering Report"
(31 pp.)
|
1934 June 30 |
1 | 4 | Item 5: Correspondence
Regarding soils, economy, and maps of project
|
1936 |
1 | 5 | Item 1: Correspondence
Regarding project costs, funds, wages, hours
|
1936 |
1 | 5 | Item 2: F. O. Youngs and D. S. Jennings, "Preliminary Report on Land Classification of the Price River Area, Utah"
(5 pp.)
|
undated |
1 | 5 | Item 3: Informative transcript of telephone conversation between William I. Palmer, O. M. Johnson, and Omer Mills
Regarding status of Utah resettlement projects.
|
1936 April 12 |
400-Level Correspondence, 1936Return to Top
Container(s): Box 1, Folder 6
Regarding project funds, payroll, and proposed refinancing of the Price River Irrigation District by the Reconstruction Finance Corporation. The Resettlement Administration hoped that the RFC would refinance the irrigation district, because that would enable the RA to gracefully extricate itself from the region's economic morass.
700-Level Correspondence, 1936-1937Return to Top
Container(s): Box 1, Folder 7
Regarding the project's fate. Also, correspondence with the Soil Conservation Service regarding soil maps and reports of the project area. Also, general correspondence regarding project progress reports
Green River Resettlement Project RR-UT-10, 1936Return to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
---|---|---|---|
Box | Folder | ||
2 | 1 | 0-200-Level Papers
Discusses wages, hours, equipment, personnel, budgets, land acquisition, and engineering
|
undated |
Item 1: J. Winter Smith, "Engineering Report"
(16 pp.)
|
1936 July 15 | ||
2 | 2 | 400-1000-level paper |
undated |
400-level Payroll |
undated | ||
700-level: General Correspondence, including correspondence regarding project cancellation |
undated | ||
900-level: Glenn F. Cowan, "Community Manager's Report" (Preliminary Plan Book)
Includes reports on soils, socioeconomic conditions, and copies of letters by local residents regarding the proposed project.
|
1936 | ||
1000-level: Land acquisition options and appraisals |
undated | ||
2 | 3 | Resettlement proposal and budget |
undated |
2 | 4 | "Preliminary Plan Book"
Maps of proposed project.
|
1936 |
Elberta Resettlement Project RR-UT-13, 1936Return to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
---|---|---|---|
Box | Folder | ||
2 | 1 | 0-100-level papers
Discusses project costs, personnel, wages, and hours.
|
1936 |
"Labor Advisor's Statement on Elberta Project
(11 pp.)
|
1936 | ||
Map of project lands |
undated | ||
J. Winter Smith, "Brief Progress Report"
(4 pp.) Discusses soils, water, topography, economic and social surveys, appraisals, options, findings, and recommendations.
|
1936 | ||
2 | 2 | 200-level papers
Budgets, correspondence requesting project data, progress reports on studies of soil and water.
|
1935-1936 |
Abstract of Clyde and Israelson, "Utah Elberta Project"
(21 pp.)
|
undated | ||
C. O. Stott, "General Discussion of Elberta Area"
(3 pp.)
|
1935 | ||
2 | 3 | 400-700-level papers |
undated |
400-level: Payroll |
undated | ||
500-level: Relations with clientele |
undated | ||
700-level: Correspondence
Regarding maps, land acquisition, progress reports, and requests by the Bureau of Agricultural Economics for information on project lands
|
undated |
Blue Ranch Resettlement Project RR-UT-15, 1935-1936Return to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
---|---|---|---|
Box | Folder | ||
2 | 1 | General Correspondence regarding project |
1935-1936 |
"Outline of Proposed Resettlement Project" |
undated | ||
"Project Proposal"
(4 pp.)
|
1936 | ||
Budget |
undated |
Ashley Valley Resettlement Project RR-UT-16, 1936Return to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
---|---|---|---|
Box | Folder | ||
2 | 1 | General Correspondence |
1936 |
2 | 1 | "Outline of Proposed Resettlement Project"
(2 pp.)
|
undated |
2 | 1 | "Project Proposal"
(4 pp.)
|
undated |
2 | 1 | Budgets |
undated |
Lasal Resettlement Project RR-UT-17, undatedReturn to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
---|---|---|---|
Box | Folder | ||
2 | 1 | General Correspondence |
1936 |
"Outline of Proposed Resettlement Project"
(2 pp.)
|
undated | ||
Box | Folder | ||
2 | 1 | "Project Proposal"
(5 pp.)
|
undated |
2 | 1 | Budgets |
undated |
Ivins' Bench Resettlement Project RR-UT-18, undatedReturn to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
---|---|---|---|
Box | Folder | ||
General Correspondence |
1936 | ||
2 | 1 | "Outline of Proposed Resettlement Project"
(2 pp.)
|
undated |
2 | 1 | "Project Proposal"
(5 pp.)
|
undated |
2 | 1 | Budgets |
undated |
Price Suburban Homesteads Resettlement Project SH-UT-6, undatedReturn to Top
Container(s): Box 2, Folder 1
Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
---|---|---|---|
Box | Folder | ||
2 | 1 | General Correspondence
Regarding the project and its fate
|
1937 |
Midvale Suburban Homesteads Resettlement Project SH-UT-8, undatedReturn to Top
Container(s): Box 2, Folder 1
Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
---|---|---|---|
Box | Folder | ||
2 | 1 | General Correspondence |
1935-1936 |
Miscellaneous, 1936Return to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
---|---|---|---|
Box | Folder | ||
2 | 1 | Omer Mills to William I. Palmer
Requesting final plans for the Widtsoe project
|
1936 February 11 |
2 | 1 | Eunice E. Broyles to William I. Palmer
Inquiring regarding survey of project participants
|
1936 June 24 |
2 | 1 | List of correspondence
Regarding the Strawberry Land Utilization Project (LA-UT-5)
|
1936 |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Land tenure--Utah.
- New Deal, 1933-1939--Utah.
Corporate Names
- Midvale (Utah) Suburban Homesteads Resettlement Project.
- Price (Utah) Suburban Homesteads Resettlement Project.
- United States--Federal Emergency Relief Administration
- United States--Resettlement Administration
- Utah Resettlement Project.
Geographical Names
- Ashley Valley (Utah)--History.
- Blue Bench (Utah)--History.
- Elberta (Utah)--History.
- Green River (Wyo.-Utah)--History.
- Ivin's Bench (Utah)--History.
- La Sal (Utah)--History.
- Midvale (Utah)--History.
- Price (Utah)--History.
- Price River (Utah)--History.