Iowa Soil Conservation Districts records
Scope and Content
The collection (1940-1988, undated) consists of material related to Iowa soil conservation districts collected by Dr. Minoru Amemiya, a member of the Iowa State University Agronomy Department from 1960 to 1993. Files contain soil conservation district annual reports, planning documents and newspaper clippings. Reports date back to 1940, though most are from the 1960s and 1970s. The annual reports describe the steps taken to conserve Iowa soil from the effects of erosion and contain plans to establish areas where further soil conservation practices are needed.
Dates
- 1940-1988, undated
Language of Materials
English
Access Restrictions
Open for research.
Use/Re-use Restrictions
Consult Special Collections and University Archives
Biography/Profile
Soil conservation districts were established nationwide beginning in 1937 after President Franklin Roosevelt sent copies of suggested legislation for the establishment of soil conservation districts to states. Soil conservation efforts had been growing at the national level under the Soil Erosion Service (1933), later renamed the Soil Conservation Service (1934), both under the direction of Hugh Bennett. The idea of soil conservation districts came from the desire to get more farmers involved at the local level in soil and water conservation. Iowa passed legislation for soil districts in 1939, and the first county in Iowa to form a district was Marion County on April 22, 1940. By 1952 all Iowa counties had organized soil conservation districts, bringing the total number in Iowa to one hundred (Pottawattamie County was split into two districts). Especially in the beginning, soil conservation districts worked closely with the federal Soil Conservation Service and state agencies for funding and technical assistance. Soil conservation districts are still managed by elected commissioners in each county and continue to help improve, sustain and conserve the soil and water resources of the state.
Extent
20.11 Linear Feet (13 records center cartons, 1 half-document box)
Processing Information
Released on 2018-11-01.
- Annual reports Subject Source: Local sources
- Home economics--Iowa Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Households--Iowa Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Iowa Home Economics Association
- Plans Subject Source: Local sources
- Soil conservation--Iowa Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- United States. Soil Conservation Service
- Water conservation--Iowa Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Women--Social networks--Iowa Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Title
- MS-0264. Iowa Soil Conservation Districts records, 1940-1988, undated
- Date
- December 12, 2018
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- English
- Box: 1 (Mixed Materials)
- Box: 2 (Mixed Materials)
- Box: 3 (Mixed Materials)
- Box: 4 (Mixed Materials)
- Box: 5 (Mixed Materials)
- Box: 6 (Mixed Materials)
- Box: 7 (Mixed Materials)
- Box: 8 (Mixed Materials)
- Box: 9 (Mixed Materials)
- Box: 10 (Mixed Materials)
- Box: 11 (Mixed Materials)
- Box: 12 (Mixed Materials)
- Box: 13 (Mixed Materials)
- Box: 14 (Mixed Materials)
Repository Details
Part of the Special Collections and University Archives Repository
403 Parks Library
701 Morrill Road
Iowa State University
Ames Iowa 50011-2102 United States
(515) 294-6672
archives@iastate.edu