6. Descriptions of the Collections


between 1920 and 1925. Labor strikes and the environmental degradation which had turned the
Southern Plains into the "Dust Bowl," diminished the American cotton industry in the 1920s, though
cotton remained an important crop in Arizona. Migrant laborers who worked the fields became the
targets of Federal quota acts and the newly formed Border Patrol. Overworked and destitute farm
workers from Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas passed through Arizona on their way to California, many
staying a season or two to work in the fields. The literature of the day reveals that dust, drought, and their
effects left an indelible mark on Arizona's agricultural, rural, ecological, social, and political landscape.

Arizona's economy was severely affected during the Depression. But with the advent of World War II it
experienced a revival that lasted for decades. Copper was needed for munitions and machinery, and there
was a demand for beef, hides, and cotton. Air bases were built to train pilots year round in the clear
desert air. After the end of the War, the state saw a phenomenal amount of growth in population and new
industry. With the advent of refrigerated railway cars, much of the acreage that had once been planted in
cotton was converted to crops, such as lettuce, alfalfa, vegetables, and citrus. This in turn increased the
demand for water--the wild card in Arizona's landscape.

The history of Arizona and its agriculture revolve around water control. The Hohokam tried to control
water with their sophisticated canals and so did the Mormons. However, it was not until the 1900s that
Arizonans adopted a philosophy of domesticating water. This philosophy ushered in a profound new
relationship between Arizonans and the federal government. The literature surrounding the construction
of the Salt River Project, Roosevelt Dam, and the Central Arizona Project--all huge waterworks programs-
-document the solidification of an uneasy relationship between the federal government, Arizona
agriculture businesses, and the ever-growing multi-national corporations. The history of these projects is
key to understanding Arizona agricultural and rural history.

Real estate replaced cattle and cotton as the new speculative product in the last part of the 20th century.
Subdivisions displace ranches, orchards, and fields. Undaunted by desert temperatures and shaky
foundations, developers have moved into rural areas to plant golf courses and build air conditioned
homes. Land fraud, always a problem in Arizona, became epidemic in the 1970s and 1980s.

The expansion of urban centers into rural land has been accompanied by air pollution, traffic congestion,
and competing water demands to meet residential, industrial and agricultural needs. Arizona's economic
base changed from the Four Cs (cattle, cotton, citrus, copper) to service industries and high tech
manufacturing in the electronics and aerospace fields. Farmers continue to fight to protect their land and
water rights as Arizona becomes more and more urban. Agriculture, however, continues to play a key
role in the state's economy even as Arizona once again transforms itself.

The history of cattle and cotton in Arizona is well represented in the collections of University of Arizona
Library. Candidates for preservation include state and federal documents concerning Arizona water and
agriculture issues. Descriptions of the Arizona found in publications such as the Journal of Arizona
History (1960--) include overviews of Arizona's agricultural and rural history. The literature that makes
up the history of Arizona's agricultural and rural life reflect the forces and activities that helped to forge
Arizona's path to its present status. Since printing did not begin in Arizona until 1860, written accounts
by explorers, missionaries, settlers, entrepreneurs, and businesses were sent out of the territory to be
printed. Many accounts by ranchers and merchants are still in their original hand writing. Publications
of the Santa Fe and Southern Pacific Railroads make up part of the literature, as do agencies such as the
Commission of Agriculture and Horticulture, the Colorado River Commission, the Crop Improvement
Association, the Farm Bureau Federation, and the Pimacotton Growers Association. The University of
Arizona and the Agricultural Extension Commission produced, and still produce, a vast number of
publications.