USDA Division of Agricultural Engineering Records

Collection

Identifier: MS0256

Staff Only

Content Description

The USDA Division of Agricultural Engineering Records contain photographs, glass negatives, and acetate negatives of images relating to agricultural engineering. Some of the subjects include irrigation, drainage, farm buildings, farm power and machinery, crops and crop conditioning, harvesting, care and handling of products, road construction, and farm electrification. Additionally, there are articles on agricultural engineering and farm electrification. The collection also contains speeches and papers by Arthur William Turner, who was assistant chief of the Bureau of Plant Industry, Soils, and Agricultural Engineering in 1943. Also, there are materials collected by M. Conner Ahrens, assistant chief of the Farm Electrification Research Branch of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for a proposed book on the history of farm electrification.

Dates

Creation: 1913-1981
Creation: Majority of material found within 1919-1940

Conditions Governing Access

Contact Special Collections for access.

Organizational History

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) agricultural engineering research began in the Division of Irrigation Investigations in the Office of Experiment Stations in 1898. By 1915, the Division of Agricultural Engineering was created within the Office of Public Roads and Rural Engineering, Bureau of Plant Industry. Agricultural engineering attained bureau status in 1931, and included the Divisions of Irrigation, Drainage and Soil Erosion Control, Mechanical Equipment, Structures, and Plans and Services. In 1939, the Bureau of Agricultural Chemistry and Engineering was created, followed in 1943 by the establishment of the Bureau of Plant Industry, Soils, and Agricultural Engineering. The USDA reorganized in 1953, and the new Agricultural Engineering Research Branch became part of the Agricultural Research Service. In 1957, the branch became its own division with four branches, including Crop Production, Livestock Engineering and Farm Structures, Harvesting and Farm Processing, and Farm Electrification.

M. Conner Ahrens was former assistant chief of the USDA Farm Electrification Research Branch.

Arthur William Turner was assistant chief for the Bureau of Plant Industry, Soils, and Agricultural Engineering beginning in 1943.

Biographical / Historical

1898 Agricultural engineering research began in U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Office of Experiment Stations, Division of Irrigation Investigations 1915 Division of Agricultural Engineering created within the Bureau of Plant Industry’s Office of Public Roads and Rural Engineering 1931 Agricultural engineering attained bureau status and included the Divisions of Irrigation; Drainage and Soil Erosion Control; Mechanical Equipment; Structures; and Plans and Services 1939 Bureau of Agricultural Chemistry and Engineering created 1943 Bureau of Plant Industry, Soils, and Agricultural Engineering established 1953 Agricultural Engineering Research Branch became part of the Agricultural Research Service 1957 Agricultural Engineering Research Branch became its own division with four branches including Crop Production, Livestock Engineering and Farm Structures, Harvesting and Farm Processing, and Farm Electrification