UUS_mss008.xml Guide to the WPA History of Grazing records 1680-1941 WPA History of Grazing records 1680-1941 Finding aid created by Special Collections and Archives. Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) grant, 2007-2008 Utah State University, Merrill-Cazier Library, Special Collections & Archives ©2008
Merrill-Cazier Library Utah State University 3000 Old Main Hill Logan, Utah 84322-3000 Business Number: 435 797-8248 Fax Number: 435 797-2880 scweb@usu.edu https://archives.usu.edu/
This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2025-02-18. Finding guide is in English in Latin script. Finding aid based on DACS (Describing Archives: A Content Standard, 2nd Edition). 2009 Template information was updated to reflect Archives West best practice guidelines. Utah State University, Merrill-Cazier Library, Special Collections & Archives WPA History of Grazing records UUS_COLL MSS 008 17 boxes 7 linear feet 1680-1941 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. Collection materials are in English.

Open to public research.

It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain any necessary copyright clearances.

Permission to publish material from the WPA History of Grazing records must be obtained from the Special Collections and Archives manuscript curator and/or the Special Collections and Archives department head.

Produced by WPA Federal Writer's Project, given to Utah Agricultural Experiment Station in 1941, transferred to USU Special Collections and Archives in 1967.

WPA History of Grazing records, 1680-1941 (COLL MSS 008). Utah State University. Special Collections and Archives department.

The files of the WPA History of Grazing were accessioned by the Special Collections and Archives 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, Oklahoma, Oregon, and Nevada, which have been transferred from the Manuscript Collection to the department's general photograph file where they comprise numbers A-0430 to A-0532.

*A close reading of the chapter contents shows 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."

Arrangement chronologically within state.

Colorado and Washington grazing interview transcripts (COLL MSS 016)

Utah grazing notes (COLL MSS 009)

 Agriculture Western range. Grazing--West (U.S.)--History. Rangelands--West (U.S.)--History. Range management--West (U.S.)--History. Public lands--West (U.S.)--History. Cattle trade--West (U.S.)--History. Sheep industry--West (U.S.)--History. Arizona: Correspondence undated 1 1 Arizona: Non-project material undated 1 2 Arizona: History of grazing (part 1) undated 1 3 Arizona: History of grazing (part 2) undated 1 4 Arizona and the Southwest: Maps of cattle trails undated 1 5 California: Correspondence and non-state15 items material undated 1 6 California: Maps, grazing and Section IV,3 items "Advent of Railroads" undated 1 7 California (Northern): Master Bibliography typescript and 1st carbon undated 1 8 Colorado: Correspondence undated 1 9 Colorado: Non-project material undated 1 10 Idaho: Correspondence undated 1 11 Idaho: Non-project materials undated 1 12 Kansas: Correspondence undated 1 13 Kansas: Grazing Chapters: Cattle trails, Flint Hills, Territorial, and Post War Era undated 1 14 Montana: Correspondence and non-state materials undated 1 15 Montana: Trail Maps undated 1 16 Montana: Special Range Report undated 1 17 Nebraska: Correspondence and Cattle brand data undated 2 1 Nevada: Correspondence undated 2 2 Nevada: Non-project material undated 2 3 New Mexico: Correspondence undated 2 4 New Mexico: Non-project materials undated 2 5 North Dakota: Correspondence undated 2 6 North Dakota: History of grazing, Section IV (original) undated 2 7 North Dakota: History of grazing, Section IV (lst carbon) undated 2 8 North Dakota: History of grazing, Section 5 & 6 (original) undated 2 9 North Dakota: History of grazing, Section 5 & 6 (carbon) undated 2 10 North Dakota: History of grazing, Sections VII, VIII, Summary undated 2 11 Oklahoma: Correspondence undated 2 12 Oregon: Correspondence undated 2 13 Oregon: Non-state materials undated 2 14 Oregon: History of grazing, Sections I to III undated 3 1 Oregon:History of grazing, Section IV undated 3 2 Oregon:History of grazing, Section V undated 3 3 Oregon:History of grazing, Section VI undated 3 4 South Dakota: Correspondence undated 3 5 Texas: Correspondence undated 3 6 Texas: Non-state material undated 3 7 Texas: History of grazing: Growing Crisis on the Range, pp. 5-27 pp. 268-375 1886-1917 3 8 Texas: History of grazing:The New Era pp. 1-119 undated 3 9 Texas: Abstract of laws relating to grazing, 66 pp 1831-1939 3 10 Texas: Cattle brands undated 3 11 Texas: History of grazing, partial chapters III, IV undated 3 12 Utah: Correspondence undated 4 1 Utah: Highlights on grazing history of Forest Services Intermountain Region undated 4 2 Utah: Non-project materials undated 4 3 Utah: History of grazing, Section I (2 copies, original) undated 4 4 Utah: History of grazing, Section I (carbon) undated 4 5 Utah: History of grazing, Section II (original) undated 4 6 Utah: History of grazing, Section II (carbon) undated 4 7 Utah: History of grazing, Section III (original) pp. 1-93 undated 4 8 Utah: History of grazing, Section IV (carbon) in complete, pp. 1-93 undated 4 9 Utah: History of grazing, Section III (incomplete carbon) pp. 1-93 undated 4 10 Utah: History of grazing, Section IV (carbon) 153 pp undated 4 11 Utah: History of grazing, Section IV (original, carbon, imcomplete) undated 4 12 Utah: History of grazing, Section V (carbon) pp. 1-75 undated 4 13 Utah: History of grazing, Section VI (carbon) pp. 1-187 undated 4 14 Utah: History of grazing, Section VII (carbon) undated 4 15 Washington: Correspondence undated 5 1 Washington: History of grazing, partial final chapter and bibliography undated 5 2 Wyoming: Correspondence undated 5 3 Wyoming: Non-state materials undated 5 4 Wyoming: "The Wyoming Frontier" published by employees of Region 10, Grazing Service undated 5 5 History of grazing circular (2 copies) undated 5 6 The Taylor Grazing Act in operation undated 5 7 The Federal Range Code undated 5 8 National Forests and Field Offices of U. S. Forest Service undated 5 9 Range Research in the United States undated 5 10 History of grazing: Bibliographical material and notes undated 5 11 History of Grazing: Correspondence undated 5 12 History of grazing: Correspondence, suggested outlines, etc undated 5 13 History of grazing: Miscellany undated 5 14 History of grazing: Bibliographies, National undated 6 1 History of grazing: Bibliographies, State undated 6 2 Division of grazing: Emergency snow clearing, District 7 and 8 undated 6 3 History of grazing: General information undated 6 4 The Range Today: A 1-2 Extent and type of range undated 6 5 The Range Today: A 1-2 Extent and type of range (cont.) undated 6 6 The Range Today: A 1-2 Extent and type of range (cont.) undated 6 7 The Range Today: A 1-2 Extent and type of range (cont.) undated 6 8 The Range Today: A 3 Economic importance undated 6 9 The Range Today: B. Summary view of present practices, historical developments undated 6 10 The Range Today: B. 2(c) Crisis on the Range about 1932 undated 6 11 II Early Background A. 1 Wildlife undated 7 1 II Early Background A. 2 Indians, Use of Range, etc undated 7 2 II Early Background A. 3 Natural Stability of the Range undated 7 3 II The Range in Colonial Times, The Mustang (pt. 1) undated 7 4 II The Range in Colonial Times, The Mustang (pt. 2) undated 7 5 II B. The Range in Colonial Times, Old Spanish Southwest: Exploration, trails, etc undated 7 6 II B. The Range in Colonial Times, Old Spanish Southwest, Early Settlement (Texas, New Mexico, Arizona) undated 7 7 II B. The Range in Colonial Times, Old Spanish Southwest: Missions (Texas, New Mexico etc.) undated 7 8 II B. The Range in Colonial Times, Old Spanish Southwest: Ranchos (California) undated 7 9 II B. The Range in Colonial Times, Old Spanish Southwest: Vaquero, etc undated 7 10 II B. The Range in Colonial times, Old Spanish Southwest: Dominant Personalities undated 7 11 II B. The Range in Colonial Times. Old Spanish Southwest: Anglo-American Ranchers undated 7 12 II B. The Range in Colonial Times, Old Spanish Southwest (lst Draft) undated 8 1 II B. The Range in Colonial Times, Old Spanish Southwest (2nd Draft) undated 8 2 II B. The Range in Colonial Times, Old Spanish Southwest (3rd Draft) undated 8 3 II C. Indian Territory, Through the Civil War undated 8 4 II C. Indian Territory, After the Civil War undated 8 5 III Westward Movement, A. Early Exploration undated 9 1 III Westward Movement, B. Early Trails undated 9 2 III Westward Movement, C. First herds, ranches, markets, etc undated 9 3 III Westward Movement, D. Conflict with Indians, etc undated 9 4 III Westward Movement, E. Effects of Civil War undated 9 5 IV Boom Days, A. L. Accumulation of stock undated 9 6 IV Boom Days, A. 2. Growth of market in expanding industrial cities, etc undated 9 7 IV Boom Days, A. 3. Advent of Railroads undated 9 8 IV Boom Days, B. 1-2. Size and practices of large ranches (pt. 1) undated 9 9 IV Boom Days, B. 1-2. Size and practices of large ranches (pt. 2) undated 10 1 IV Bovm Days, B. 1-2. Size and practices of the average smaller ranch (pt. 1) undated 10 2 IV Boom Days, B. 1-2. Size and practices of the average smaller ranch (pt. 2) undated 10 3 IV Boom Days, B. 3-4. Ownership and profits of boom-day ranches undated 10 4 IV Boom Days, C. 1. Organization and operation of ranches undated 10 5 IV Boom Days, C. 2. Round-ups undated 10 6 IV Boom Days, C. 2(e). Brands undated 10 7 IV Boom Days, C. 3. Rustlers undated 10 8 Boom Days, D. 1. Organization of Great Cattle Drives undated 11 1 Boom Days, D. 3(a). Early trails to Baxter Springs, etc. (part 1) undated 11 2 Boom Days, D. 3(a). Early trails to Baxter Springs, etc. (part 2) undated 11 3 Boom Days, D. 3(b). Abilene Trail undated 11 4 Boom Days, D. 3(c). Chisholm Trail undated 11 5 Boom Days, D. 3(d). Dodge City Trail undated 11 6 Boom Days, D. 3(e). Goodnight Trail undated 11 7 Boom Days, D. 3(g). Trails to Northern Plains (part 1) undated 11 8 Boom Days, D. 3(g). Trails to Northern Plains (part 2) undated 11 9 Boom Days, D. 3(h). Trails in Pacific Northwest undated 11 10 Boom Days, D. 3(i). Trails in Pacific Southwest undated 11 11 Boom Days, D. Texas Fever, Quarantine undated 11 12 Boom Days, D. 4(a). Cow towns - Abilene undated 12 1 Boom Days, D. 4(b). Cow towns - Dodge City undated 12 2 Boom Days, D. 4(c). Cow towms - General undated 12 3 Boom Days, E. 1. The Cowboy - origins, nationality, etc. (part 1) undated 12 4 Boom Days, E. 1. The Cowboy - origins, nationality, etc. (part 2) undated 12 5 Boom Days, E. l. The Cowboy - origins, nationality, etc. (part 3) undated 12 6 Boom Days, E. 3. Cowboy's Accoutrements, shooting irons, etc undated 12 7 Boom Days, E. 4. Cowboy Lingo undated 12 8 Boom Days, E. 5. Cowboy songs and stories undated 12 9 Boom Days, E. 6. "Moonshine" about the cowboy undated 12 10 Boom Days, F. Personalities - Miscellaneous (part 1) undated 12 11 Boom Days, F. Personalities - Miscellaneous (part 2) undated 12 12 IV Boom Days, F. Personalities - Iliff undated 13 1 IV Boom Days, F. Personalities - King undated 13 2 IV Boom Days, F. Personalities - Miller and Lux undated 13 3 IV Boom Days, F. Personalities - Chisum undated 13 4 V Crisis on the Range, A. Fall in prices after 1885 undated 13 5 V Crisis on the Range, A. Losses from weather (part 1) undated 13 6 V Crisis on the Range, A. Losses from weather (part 2) undated 13 7 V Crisis on the Range, A. Losses from weather (part 3) undated 13 8 V Crisis on the Range, A. Barbed wire (part 1) undated 13 9 V Crisis on the Range, B. Barbed wire (part 2) undated 13 10 V Crisis on the Range, C. Introduction of sheep (part 1) undated 13 11 V Crisis on the Range, C. Introduction of sheep (part 2) undated 13 12 V Crisis on the Range, C. Introduction of sheep (part 3) undated 13 13 V Crisis on the Range, C. Introduction of sheep (part 4) undated 13 14 V Crisis on the Range, C. 3. Sheep grazing practices (part l) undated 14 1 V Crisis on the Range, C. 3. Sheep grazing practices (part 2) undated 14 2 V Crisis on the Range, C. 3. Sheep grazing practices (part 3) undated 14 3 V Crisis on the Range, C. 4. Pioneer Sheepman undated 14 4 V Crisis on the Range, C. 5. The Sheepherder undated 14 5 V Crisis on the Range, D. Homesteaders (part 1) undated 14 6 V Crisis on the Range, D. Homesteaders (part 2) undated 14 7 V Crisis on the Range, D. 1. Effect in state as of federal land policies undated 14 8 V Crisis on the Range, D. 2. State laws affecting farmers, homesteaders, ranchers, etc undated 14 9 V Crisis on the Range, D. 3. Progressive reduction of open range undated 14 10 V Crisis on the Range, E. 1. Open Range vs. Big Pasture (part 1) undated 14 11 V Crisis on the Range, E. 1. Open Range vs. Big Pasture (part 2) undated 14 12 V Crisis on the Range, E. 2. Cowmen vs. Nesters undated 14 13 V Crisis on the Range, E. 3. Cowmen vs. Sheepmen undated 14 14 V Crisis on the Range, F. Overgrazing (part 1) undated 15 1 V Crisis on the Range, F. Overgrazing (part 2) undated 15 2 V Crisis on the Range, G. World War Boom undated 15 3 VI Toward Conservation, A. Introduction of blooded stock (part 1) undated 15 4 VI Toward Conservation, A. Introduction of blooded stock (part 2) undated 15 5 VI Toward Conservation, A. Introduction of blooded stock (part 3) undated 15 6 VI Toward Conservation, B. Changes in handling stock -- feeding (part 1) undated 15 7 VI Toward Conservation, B. Changes in handling stock -- feeding (part 2) undated 15 8 VI Toward Conservation, B. Changes in handling stock -- breeding (part 1) undated 15 9 VI Toward Conservation, B. Changes in handling stock -- breeding (part 2) undated 15 10 VI Toward Conservation, B. Changes in handling stock -- transportation to market undated 15 11 VI Toward Conservation, B. Changes in handling stock -- local packing center, etc undated 15 12 VI Toward Conservation, C. The Modern Range (part l) undated 16 1 VI Toward Conservation, C. The Modern Range (part 2) undated 16 2 VI Toward Conservation, C. The Modern Range - 1. Size of herds undated 16 3 VI Toward Conservation, C. The Modern Range - 2. Typical rancher, cowhand, etc undated 16 4 VI Toward Conservation, D. Stockmen's Associations (part 1) undated 16 5 VI Toward Conservation, D. Stockmen's Associations (part 2) undated 16 6 VI Toward Conservation, D. Stockmen's Associations (part 3) undated 16 7 VI Toward Conservation, D. Stockmen's Assoications (part 4) undated 16 8 VI Toward Conservation, E. l(a). Forestry Service (part l) undated 16 9 VI Toward Conservation, E. l(a). Forestry Service (part 2) undated 16 10 VI Toward Conservation, E. l(a). Forestry Service (part 3) undated 16 11 VI Toward Conservation, E. l(b). Indian Service undated 16 12 VI Toward Conservation, E. l(c). National Parks undated 16 13 VI Toward Conservation, E. l(d). Reclamation (part l) undated 16 14 VI Toward Conservation, E. l(d). Reclamation (part 2) undated 16 15 VI Toward Conservation, E. 2(a). State livestock undated 17 1 VI Toward Conservation, E. 2(b). State livestock laws undated 17 2 VI Toward Conservation, E. 3. Crusaders for conservation undated 17 3 VII The New Era on the Range: Grazing Service statement on range conditions 1939 17 4 VII The New Era on the Range: Chapter outline undated 17 5 VII The New Era on the Range: Grazing Service statement - Final draft undated 17 6 VII The New Era on the Range: a) Taylor Grazing Act (part 1) undated 17 7 VII The New Era on the Range: a) Taylor Grazing Act (part 2) undated 17 8 VII The New Era on the Range: b) Grazing Service undated 17 9 VII The New Era on the Range: c) Operation of the Grazing Act undated 17 10 VII The New Era on the Range: d) Public reaction to Grazing Act undated 17 11 VII The New Era on the Range: e) Federal and state land use programs undated 17 12 VII The New Era on the Range - Completed chapter undated 17 13 VII The New Era on the Range - Completed chapter undated 17 14 VII The New Era on the Range - Completed chapter undated 17 15 VII The New Era on the Range - Conclusion undated 17 16