Marshall C. Edson was born in Boise, Idaho, in 1911. He became a conservation officer with the Idaho Department of Fish and Game in 1941 and in 1949 became head of the Public Information Division. He edited the department's magazine,
Edson served as chairman of the Idaho Public Employee Retirement System Board for almost 12 years. He has been a member of numerous conservation organizations, including the Idaho Wildlife Federation and Poachers Club.
Source: Derived from Edson's biographical sketch in
Edson died on February 9, 1997, at the age of 85, following a three-year battle with cancer.
Chiefly letters, studies, and reports collected by Edson relating to proposed logging in the Cuddy Mountain Roadless Area of the Payette National Forest (Idaho) and proposed piping of salmon smolt downstream from Idaho (Boylan fish pipeline); together with the organizational papers of the Idaho Wildlife Federation, a scrapbook documenting a boat trip down the Salmon River (1946) and photographs used by the Idaho Wildlife Federation publications.
Additions donated in 2022 include articles and research material (documentation, notes, copies of laws, etc.) for chapters of a book Edson planned to write about conservation in Idaho. He started compiling the material as early as 1980.
Response from Inquiries contains letters from Cecil Andrus, Robert Smylie, Donna Parsons, and Burtt Trueblood.
Chapter II ("Statehood and the First 50 Years") contains material on Soil Conservation; agricultural land data sheet; handwritten notes.
Chapter IV ("Idaho's Living Water") contains a reprint of one of Ernie Day's photos.
Chapter V ("Landmark Legislation") contains notes; list of Poachers' Club members from 1930-1973 ("Always Open Season on Politicians") indicating those deceased as well as the founders; lists of laws.
Chapter VIII ("Wildlife Resources and the Fish and Game Commission") contains handwritten notes; "Report to the Idaho Fish and Game Commission" by Ira N. Gabrielson, President, Wildlife Management Institute. Published by Idaho Fish and Game Commission, January 1953. Several other pamphlets on progress of the Commission. Also, an address by Governor Robert Smylie, "The New Day in Conservation, The Challenge for Tomorrow," given in 1966.
Chapter XIV ("College and University Influence") contains response to Edson's inquiries regarding Idaho Cooperative Fishery Research Unit from Paul D. Dalke, 1981; Wildlife Resources Program, College of Forestry, Wildlife, and Range Sciences of University of Idaho.
"Exploring the Future" contains handwritten draft notes; newspaper clippings; letter from Senator James A. McClure regarding Edson's book project.
Collection is available for research.
Gift of Marshall C. Edson, 1996.
Additions donated by Susan Stacy in 2022.
Additional manuscript material relating to Edson is held by the Idaho State Historical Society.
[item description], Marshall C. Edson Papers, Box [number] Folder [number], Boise State University Special Collections and Archives.
Papers from Edson's retirement years when he participated in conservation and environmental movements as a citizen activist. Included are single folders of letters, studies, and reports relating to organizational matters of the Idaho Wildlife Federation (of which he was an officer), the issue of logging in the Cuddy Mountain Roadless Area of the Payette National Forest, and the proposal to preserve salmon runs by piping salmon smolt downstream from Idaho (Boylan fish pipeline).
Newspaper clippings and photographs of a boat trip down the Middle Fork of the Salmon River in March, 1946. The trip was sponsored by the Idaho department of Fish and Game to count big game.
Fifteen envelopes of mostly 8x10 inch black and white photos of Idaho waterways, canyons, forests, and wildlife. Most images originate photographers from government agencies like the Soil Conservation Service, the United States Forest Service, or the Boise National Forest. Photos are arranged by the originating government agency. These photos were used for publications like the Idaho Wildlife Review.
Thirteen photos, mostly 8x10 in black and white, including scenes of the Idaho State Capitol, Fishing, Loon Creek, Hells Canyon, Sunbeam dam and Canyon Lake in Seven Devils mountain range.
Eight black and white photos of Idaho Wildlife Federation members with various Idaho government officials, including Idaho Governor's C. Ben Ross, Robert E. Smylie, Cecil D. Andrus.
Eight black and white photos used in the Idaho Wildlife Review, including images of fishing, duck hunting, park signs and mountain scenes.
Four black and white photos, including a group photos of Idaho department of Fish and Game employees, and Idaho Governor Robert Smylie at a ribbon cutting event. Photos are not dated, but might be from the 1950s.
Six photos from the Soil Conservation Service, including Idaho waterways and agricultural scenes.
Forty-one photos, mostly of waterways in Idaho, including aerial photos, lakes, Elk Creek Drainage, Pack bridge across the Middle Fork of the Salmon River, The Owyhee River, 1964 Orofino flood, Teton Valley, the Upper Bear Valley, William's Lake on the Salmon River, Bear Creek on the Boise River, etc.
Fourteen black and white photos of scenes in Idaho including American Falls Dam, Potato harvesters in Parma, Hopkins landing in Blackfoot reservoir, Stanly Basin, etc. Photos were taken by various photographers and are labeled as such.
Five black and white 8x10 inch photos of Idaho forests, timber industry, and petroglyphs.
Twelve black and white 8x10 inch photos of Idaho waterways, irrigation canals, agriculture, Teton river flood 1962, the Payette Lake, and more.
Four black and white photos of Silver City buildings and a group of people.
Twenty-six black and white photos of fishing, hunting, boating, the Salmon River, the Sawtooth Mountains, the Snake River, etc. All photos taken by the Idaho Department of Fish and Game.
Six Photos taken for the
Thirty photos without captions or credit lines or Idaho scenery including rivers, canyons, Idaho Fish and game workers, farming, logging and boating.
Three black and white photos, Boise National Forest, Boise River South fork, replanted forest near Idaho City.
Six black and white, three color, all 8x10 inch photos of Redfish Lake, Bonners Ferry, Bruneau Canyon and other Idaho locations.