Lawrence County Conservation District Collection

When settlers first moved to South Dakota, there was very little scientific information about soil and its water management. In the 1930s, low rainfall and high winds appeared preventing the growth of cover to protect the fields. High damage by wind and water erosion then happened to the lands. Economic disaster resulted from the lack of income. The farmers and ranchers took their problems directly to Washington and present them to the Secretary of Agriculture. The Officials informed the people o federal programs for agriculture and the people wanted the programs implemented. In 1933, the Soil Erosion Service was established to conduct erosion control investigations, under the Department of Interior. In 1935, name changed to Soil Conservation Service. Farmers entered a cooperative agreement to receive assistance from the Soil Conservation Service. In 1961, the name changes again from Soil Conservation District to Soil and Water Conservation District.

The Lawrence County Conservation District was organized on July 12, 1941 as the Lawrence Butte District. Its headquarters were located in the CCC camp at Fort Meade. In 1942, it moved to Spearfish, and in 1943 an additional office was established in Belle Fourche. The Lawrence County Conservation District split from the Butte District in 1948. The land was leveled, and dikes, dams, and drainage systems were created, fields were contoured, and 178 miles of terraces have been built since then. District Supervisors have included: F. A. Papousek, Alex Kling, Warren E. Johnson, James A. Vorhees, and R. D. Long between 1941 and 1948; Walter Tetrault, Harry Edwards, George Jeffery, Ernest Rataka, and Charles Jones on the first board of supervisors after the district split; Henry Lasher, Stanton E. Selway, Robert A. Eatherton, Leo Derosier, Charles Wennberg, Reuben Hoffman, Melvin Anderson, Darrell Nicholas, and Jim Voorhees on the board of supervisors in 1967; Stanton Schway, James Eddy, Ray Rezek, Leo Derosier, Melvin Anderson, and Cecil P. Haight on the board in 1969; other supervisors include: R. A. Etherton, Henry Lasher, James Vorhees, Sr., Charles Wimmering, Henry Frawley, and Darrell Nicholas.