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Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge photographs

 Collection
Identifier: UUS_P0020

Scope and Contents

The Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge photograph collection consists of over 3,000 photographs and negatives that document the earliest operations of the refuge in the 1920s and 1930s including the construction of dikes, canals, and service buildings. Also included are images that document duck Botulism, the Bear River Gun Club, fishing and fish kills (due to rhotenone), tourism and interpretation, various birds, personnel and the facilities and equipment of the refuge from the 1920s to the 1980s.

Dates

  • 1927-1979
  • Majority of material found within 1927-1950

Language of Materials

Collection materials are in English.

Restrictions

Open to public research.

Copyright

It is the responsibility of the user to obtain permission to publish from the owner of the copyright (the institution, the creator of the record, the author or his/her transferees, heirs, legates, or literary executors). The user agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Utah State University Libraries, its officers, employees, and agents from and against all claims made by any person asserting that he or she is an owner of copyright.

Permission to publish material from the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge Photographs must be obtained from the Special Collections Photograph Curator and/or the Special Collections Department Head.

Historical Note

In April 1928 the U.S. Congress set aside roughly 64,000 acres of the marshy area at the delta of the Bear River and the Great Salt Lake as a migratory bird refuge. This act was accomplished largely through the efforts of Alexander Wetmore and over concerns with Botulism that killed tens of thousands of birds in the 1920s. Before 1928 the area was popular among hunters who established several private duck clubs including the Bear River, Duckville, and Chesapeake. In the 1930s a series of dikes (to create habitat and protect against salt water intrusion) and service buildings were constructed. The buildings and dike system, however, were destroyed by rising water in the mid-1980s. Between 1990 and 2000 the dike system was rebuilt and in 2004 the U.S. Fish and Wildlife service created a new visitor education center and office complex.

Extent

15 boxes (9.5 linear feet)

Abstract

The Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge photograph collection consists of over 3,000 photographs and negatives that document the earliest operations of the refuge in the 1920s and 1930s including the construction of dikes, canals, and service buildings. Also included are images that document duck Botulism, the Bear River Gun Club, fishing and fish kills (due to rhotenone), tourism and interpretation, various birds, personnel and the facilities and equipment of the refuge from the 1920s to the 1980s.

Arrangement

Collection is organized into a processed and unprocessed sections. Processed photographs arranged numerically by assigned image number. Unprocessed materials are housed in boxes 14-15.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

The materials in this collection were donated to USU Special Collections in 2005 by Mary Frances Hatch Gordon, the daughter of Hezekiah Sumner Hatch.

Existence and Location of Copies

View selected digitized images in this collection from the Bear River Watershed Historical Collection.

Related Materials

  1. Compton Studio collection (P0313)
  2. L.M. Winsor photograph collection (P0343)

Processing Information

Register completed by Emily Allen Monson, 1997, revised by Rebecca Ruelle, 2003, and Daniel Davis, 2006.

Title
Guide to the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge photographs, 1927-1985, 1927-1950
Author
Finding aid created by the Special Collections Department at Utah State University
Date
©2008
Description rules
Finding Aid Based On Dacs (Describing Archives: A Content Standard, 2nd Edition)
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
Finding guide is in English in Latin script.
Sponsor
Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) grant, 2007-2008

Revision Statements

  • April 2, 2008: Template information was updated to reflect Utah Manuscript Association best practices.

Repository Details

Part of the Utah State University, Merrill-Cazier Library, Special Collections & Archives Repository

Contact:
Merrill-Cazier Library
Utah State University
3000 Old Main Hill
Logan Utah 84322-3000 United States
435 797-8248
435 797-2880 (Fax)