This collection of photos from the USDA Soil Conservation Service includes 1,151 images made by local conservation agents covering activities from the late 1940's through early 1970's. Most are high quality 4" x 5" prints, often with negatives and mostly with documentation of location, date and other information. Content includes a wide range of farming-related activities, soil erosion and land uses in the Matanuska Valley. Also included are photos of a number of soils and snow surveys conducted in other parts of Alaska.
Anchorage Air View 1
USDA Soil Conservation Service
Anchorage, Alaska
Image shows an oblique view of Anchorage looking west from above the Pine Street intersection with the Glenn Highway.
Anchorage, Alaska
Anchorage Air View 2
USDA Soil Conservation Service
Anchorage, Alaska
Image shows an oblique view of Anchorage looking west from above 3rd Avenue at about the intersection with Reeve Boulevard.
Anchorage, Alaska
Carrots Exposed
Tom Day, USDA Soil Conservation Service
Farming
Image shows a winter scene of several carrots in foreground sticking up from the soil indicating wind eroded the soil from around them. A black hat is nest to the carrots for scale. A typical Colony barn is in background across a barren field. Patches of snow are evident in the background.Farm identified as that of Al Saxton.
Two miles north of Palmer, Alaska
Cliff Marcus
T.H. Day
Cliff Marcus, Conservation Surveyor, evaluates a soil sample as he maps an area’s soil types
Image shows Conservation Surveyor Cliff Marcus, evaluating a soil sample he has extracted with his auger as he maps soil types on the Kenai Peninsula. Cliff worked out of the State Soil Conservation Service office in Palmer for many years, traveling to various areas of the state to identify and map the soils for their agricultural potential.
Kenai Peninsula, Alaska
Colony Farm 5
Tom Day, USDA Soil Conservation Service
Farm
Image shows a wire fence in foreground, numerous high tree stumps with several cows intermingled in the middle ground. Two typical Colony barns and other buildings are beyond with Bodenburg Butte and other mountains and forest in background. Caption: "Cows in stump pasture. One of the steps in land clearing."
Two Miles South of Palmer, Alaska
Erosion 1
Lew Hanks
Wind erosion of frozen soil
Image shows wind erosion of frozen roadside soil exposing stumps of trees previously buried by air-born soil deposited by winds off of the Matanuska River out of view to the left.
Palmer, Alaska
Erosion Control 1
Cliff Marcus, USDA Soil Conservation Service
Erosion Control Measures
Image is a low oblique view of several junk cars laid out in a curved line on a river gravel bar with logs between them. Extensive gravel expanse and the river channel are evident with mountains in background. Caption: "Butte area, shows cars as laid out for streambank control."
Near Bodenburg Butte, Alaska
Farm 15
Cliff Marcus
Havemeister Colony farm on tract # 167
Image is of the farmstead of Colonists Arnold and Emmy Havemeister on tract # 167 along East Bogard Road between Palmer and Wasilla. A typical Colony barn and other outbuildings are evident. Dairy cows are visible in the pasture and feed lot. Snow-capped Chugach Mountains are in background.
Matanuska Valley, Alaska
Farm 5
Cliff Marcus USDA Soil Conservation Service
Farming
Image shows a tractor pulling a grain binder in a grain field, cutting and bundling the grain, identified as barley. The foreground exhibits stubble where the grain had been cut, with numerous harvested bundles on the ground. One man is on the tractor, another on the binder at the edge of the uncut grain beyond. Roof tops of several buildings are visible beyond the grain field. Heavy forest is in background with clouds above. Location is identified as Art Thompson's farm on Scott Road just north of Palmer.
Palmer, Alaska
Farm 6
Cliff Marcus, USDA Soil Conservation Service
Farm
Image shows a summer season fenced in foreground with a farmstead in middle ground at the base of Bodenburg Butte. Mountains are in background. Caption: "Leonard William's farm. Brome fields with Bodenburg Butte in background."
Bodenburg Butte, Matanuska Valley, Alaska
Farming 14
T.H. Day USDA Soil Conservation Service
Farming
Image shows a man, identified as Max Sharrod, digging potatoes with his Ford tractor pulling a potato digger on his farm in north Palmer. Sharrod's house is visible behind two large cottonwood trees and a grain field is visible in middle ground. Trees, Talkeetna mountains and clouds are in the background.
Palmer, Alaska
Grain Dryer
Cliff Marcus, USDA Soil Conservation Service
Farm
Image shows a collection of structures including a large metal container with an exhaust tube and fan. A high-sided truck is backed up to the structures. A fuel barrel on a stand is evident, as is a power pole and power lines near a wooden shed. Location is identified as the Barney Hollembaek farm south of Palmer. Mountains are in background.
Palmer, Alaska
Lew Hanks and farmer LaRose
Lew Hanks
Conservationist Lew Hanks consults with farmer LaRose
District Conservationist Lew Hanks reviews a land use map with Matanuska Valley farmer and Colonist Henry LaRose during the winter of 1953. Temperature was noted to be minus 30 degrees.
Matanuska Valley, Alaska
Matanuska Valley Air View 5
T.H. Day, USDA Soil Conservation Service
Matanuska Valley
Image is an oblique aerial view looking northwest across the Matanuska Valley with the braided channel of Matanuska River in foreground. The City of Palmer, Palmer Airport, and surrounding farms are evident beyond the river. Land clearing patterns are apparent. Talkeetna Mountains are in background.
Palmer, Alaska
Max Sherrod and vegetables
Lew Hanks, Soil Conservation Service
Max Sherrod packing vegetables for shipment to market
Image shows Palmer farmer Max Sherrod in his packing shed preparing and crating vegetables for shipment to market. Vegetables shown include carrots, cauliflower, and lettuce. This produce was grown with the aid of irrigation.
Palmer, Alaska
Mine 3, Independence
Cliff Marcus, USDA Soil Conservation Service
Mine
Image is a southerly view of a mountain valley containing numerous buildings associated with the Independence Gold Mine. Several vehicles are visible. A small stream is evident as are roads leading up to the mine and to Hatcher Pass on the right. The photo was taken from the area developed for skiing at the time.
North of Palmer, Alaska
Palmer Air View 8
T.H. Day, USDA Soil Conservation Service
Matanuska Valley
Image is an oblique aerial view looking northwest across the Matanuska Valley with the City of Palmer in foreground. The fairgrounds and surrounding farms are evident. The Glenn Highway passing through Palmer, and the Palmer-Wasilla Road are evident. Land clearing patterns are apparent. Talkeetna Mountains are in background.
Palmer, Alaska
Palmer Street 14
USDA Soil Conservation Service
Palmer
Image shows a winter scene looking north along Alaska Street from the sidewalk in front of the 49 Club Bar. The bar sign is prominent as is a sign for Charlie's Bar B-Q. Blowing snow is evident. Plowed snow berm at the sidewalk is prominent. Three people are visible and several automobiles. The railroad depot is in middle ground as is the co-op garage, water tower, powerhouse, and a flatcar on the tracks. Talkeetna Mountains are in background.
Palmer, Alaska
SCS Palmer staff 1953
Ray Kent
Palmer SCS staff in 1953
Image is of the Soil Conservation Service staff at the Palmer office posing in front of a car.
Palmer, Alaska
SCS Staff 1958
Charles Wilson, Soil Conservation Service
SCS Staff at Palmer, summer 1958
Image shows the Soil Conservation staff at Palmer during the summer of 1958 posing in front of the Palmer office. Identified as (l to r): Flavia Marcus, Wanda Somerville, Dupree Sanders (detailed from Texas), James DeMent (detailed from Louisiana), Allan Linn, Edna Wehking, Sam Rieger, Cliff Marcus. Not shown is Charles Willson who took the picture. The two detailers were here for the season to conduct soil surveys.
Palmer, Alaska
Sawmill 3
Lew Hanks-USDA Soil Conservation Service
Sawmill
Image shows a man, identified as Bob Welch, standing next to a portable sawmill in a birch forest setting. The mill carriage and circular saw blade are obvious. A stack of lumber is evident in foreground and logs to be sawn are visible. Two fuel barrels are evident, one with a pump attached. Background is composed of a forest stand. largely composed of slender birch trees. Information associated with the photo indicates this was the only operation in Alaska specializing in producing birch lumber at the time.
Near Knik, Alaska
Sawmill 9
Unknown
The sawmill at Wasilla established to mill Valley cottonwood logs for export
Image is of the Wasilla sawmill established in the 1950’s to mill cottonwood logs for export. It was located in East Wasilla, below the hill later occupied by the Home Depot store, next to the railroad tracks visible in foreground.
Wasilla, Alaska
Soil Scientists
Art Hawk, Soil Conservation Service
Soil scientists evaluate a soil sample
Image shows three men, identified as soil scientists (l to r) Bobby Hinton, Dr. Sam Rieger, and Frank Carlisle, inspecting a soil sample drawn from the ground by a soils probe tool. Headquartered in Palmer, they were reviewing soils surveyed and mapped on the Kenai Peninsula. The soil survey is the basic tool of land-use planning in Alaska. SCS technicians use the survey to advise homesteaders on which land is most suitable to clear and the best use for each soil type on the homestead.
Kenai Peninsula, Alaska
Sprinkler Irrigation
Cliff W. Marcus, USDA Soil Conservation Service
Farming
Image shows a grass field with a pond in foreground. A farm tractor, pump and pipes are at the edge of the pond. A man attends the tractor with a pickup truck behind. A collection of barns, houses, silos, and Quonset huts are in background at the edge of the forest. Caption: "Pumping equipment and sprinkler system from pothole. Leonard Moffitt farm."
Near Palmer, Alaska
