Agricultural Change in the Tva Area, 1930–1945

268 Pages·012.743 MB·English

by  Strack, Charles Miller

AGRICULTURAL CHANGES IN THE TVA AREA* 1930*1945
by
Charles Miller Strack
A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the
requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy,
in the Department of Geography in the
Graduate College of the State
University of Iowa
February 1950
ProQuest Number: 10907185
All rights reserved
INFORMATION TO ALL USERS
The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted.
In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript
and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed,
a note will indicate the deletion.
uest
ProQuest 10907185
Published by ProQuest LLC(2018). Copyright of the Dissertation is held by the Author.
All rights reserved.
This work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code
Microform Edition © ProQuest LLC.
ProQuest LLC.
789 East Eisenhower Parkway
P.O. Box 1346
Ann Arbor, Ml 48106- 1346
T v ^ o
C op. S.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
The writer gratefully acknowledges
the valued guidance and generous assistance
of Professor Harold H* McCarty*
*
TABLE OF CONTENTS
page
Chapter 1 Introduction * • * * » • * * » • • 1
Chapter II The Hole of the TVA» * * • • * % * 7
Chapter III General Aspects of the
Agricultural Developments* . . * . ZO
Chapter IV The Crop Specialty Region* * * * * 36
Chapter V The Production«*For**Use Region* * * 83
Chapter VI The General Farming Region * * • » 127
Chapter VII Conclusion * • * * # • • * # • * * 174
Appendix A Computation and Selection of
Sample Counties* * • * * » * » • * 183
Appendix B County and Township Data * * * * * ZIZ
Bibliography * • * * * • * * • ♦ • • * • • • • 250
iii
TABLE OF FIGURES
Figure page
It The TVA and Non-TVA Areas of Study,
with Sample Counties and Land-Us©
Areas • Z6
Zt Type-of^Farming Regions in the TVA
and Non-TVA Areas, Composite Data,
1930, 1940, 1945* . . . . . . . . . . . . Z9
3* General Map, Limestone County,
Alabama • 37
4* General Map, Cross County, Arkansas • • • 36
5# Distribution of Farm Sizes by
Number of Farms and Acres in Farms
for 1930 and 1345, Limestone and
Cross Counties* . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
6* Total Population Density Per Square
Mile, 1930, 1940 and Percentage
Change, Limestone and Cross
Counties* • • • • • • • • . » • • • . . . 59
7* Rural Farm Population Density Per
Square Mile, 1930, 1945 and Per­
centage Change, Limestone and
Cross Counties* 60
8* Percentages of Land in Farms, 1930,
1945 and Change in Percent, Lime­
stone and Cross Counties* . . . . . . . . 6£
9* Average Sizes of Farms, 1930, 1945
and Percent Change, Limestone and
Cross C ounties....................... * • » » • 64
10* Percentages of Farmland in
Harvested Crops, 1930, 1945 and
Change in Percent, Limestone and
Cross Counties* 65
iv
TABLE OF FIGURES, (continued)
Figure page
II# Percentages of Farmland Used for
Pasture, 1930, 1945 and Change in
Percent, Limestone and Cross Counties » » 60
12* Percentages of Farmland in Woodland,
1930, 1945 and Change in Percent,
Limestone and Cross Counties# » • * # » » 69
13* Reported Average Per Acre Value of
Farmland and Buildings, 1930, 1945
and Percent Change, Limestone and
Cross Counties# « • » « . » * • » . * • • 71
14* Areas of Major Changes, 1930-1945,
Limestone and Cross Counties* » • » • # • 74
15* Distribution of Soils, Limestone
and Cross Counties# • • • • • • * • » • • 77
16# General Map, Morgan County, Tennessee # • 84
17* General Map, Searcy County, Arkansas# * * 85
18* Distribution of Farm Sizes by Number
of Farms and Acres in Farms for 1930
and 1945, Morgan and Searcy Counties. » » 93
19* Total Population Density Per Square
Mile, 1930, 1940 and Percentage
Change, Morgan and Searcy Counties# * • . 102
20* Rural Farm Population Density Per
Square Mile, 1930, 1945 and Percentage
Change, Morgan and Searcy Counties. . • • 103
21# Percentages of Land in Farms, 1930,
1945 and Change in Percent, Morgan
and Searcy Counties . » . . • * • • » • » 105
22* Average Sizes of Farms, 1930, 1945 and
Percent Change, Morgan and Searcy
Counties* . * * * » « • • • • « * . . * • 106
v
TABLE OF FIGURES* (continued)
Figure page
£3* Percentages of Farmland In Harvested
Crops* 1930* 1945 and Change in
Percent* Morgan and Searcy Counties • * . 109
24* Percentages of Farmland Used for
Pasture, 1930* 1945 and Change in
Percent* Morgan and Searcy Counties » * * 110
25* Percentages of Farmland in Woodland*
1930* 1945 and Change in Percent*
Morgan and Searcy Counties* * * » » » • • 111
26* Percentages of Farm® Reporting Work
Off Farm and Access to Surfaced Road*
1940* Morgan and Searcy Counties* * * * • 113
27* Reported Average Per Acre Value of
Farmland and Buildings* 1930* 1945
and Percent Change* Morgan and
Searcy Counties » • • • » • • * » * » » * 115
28* Areas of Major Changes* 1930-1945*
Morgan and Searcy Counties* • * * • * • * 117
29* Relative Relief* Morgan and Searcy
Counties* • « » * • • • » * » • * * • » • 119
30* Distribution of Soils* Morgan and
Searcy Counties • » * • * • » » * # » » • 121
31* General Map* Jefferson County*
Tennessee * • • • * • • • * * • * ■ • • • 128
32* General Map* Barry County* Missouri • * * 129
33* Distribution of Farm Sizes by Number
of Farms and Acres in Farms for 1930
and 1945* Jefferson and Barry
Counties* • * * • • ■ • • • • * • • * • * 138
vl
TABLE OF FIGURES* (continued)
Figure page
34* Total Population Density Per Square
Mile* 1930* 1940 and Percentage
Change* Jefferson and Barry Counties* » « 149
35* Rural Farm Population Density Per
Square Mile* 1930* 1945 and Percentage
Change* Jefferson and Barry Counties. • • 150
36* Percentages of Land in Farms, 1930*
1945 and Change in Percent* Jefferson
and Barry Counties* • • • • • * * • • * » 152
37* Average Sizes of Farms* 1930* 1945
and Percent Change* Jefferson and
Barry Counties* * » * » # • • • * » • » # 153
38* Percentages of Farmland in Harvested
Crops* 1930* 1945 and Change In Per­
cent* Jefferson and Barry Counties# • * » 156
39* Percentages of Farmland Used for
Pasture* 1930* 1945 and Change in
Percent* Jefferson and Barry Counties » • 157
40* Percentages of Farmland in Woodland*
1930* 1945 and Change in Percent*
Jefferson and Barry Counties» * • • • # • 159
41. Reported Average Per Acre Value of
Farmland and Buildings* 1930, 1945
and Percent Change, Jefferson and
Barry Counties# « • » » • » » » # * # • # 160
42* Areas of Major Changes* 1930-1945*
Jefferson and Barry Counties# • • » • • • 162
43# Relative Relief* Jefferson and
Barry Counties# # * # # * # # * * * # * * 164
44# Distribution of Soils* Jefferson
and Barry Counties# # # * « # • » • * • # 167
v ii
TABLE OF FIGURES, (continued)
Figure page
45* TVA, Crop Specialty Region, and
Sample County, Composite Data,
1930, 1940, 1945# ' , « » » » * » * # * * 139
46* TVA, Prodaction-for-Use Region, and
Sample County, Composite Data, 1930,
1940, 1945* * . ' . * ' * ' » * * ' « « • 192
47* TVA, General Farming Region, and
Sample County, Composite Data, 1930,
1940, 1945* * * * * * * * . * * » . * » • 195
48# Non«*TVA, Crop Specialty Region, and
Sample County, Composite Data, 1930,
1940, 1945* » • * # » » * • • » » * * * * 201
49# Non-TVA, Production-for-Use Region,
and Sample County, Composite Data,
1930, 1940, 1945* 204
50* Non-TVA, General Farming Region, and
Sample County, Composite Data, 1.930,
1940, 1945* # # * # * * # # * * * * # # * 206
v iil
TABLE OF TABLES
Table page
I Sample County Data# Crop Specialty
Region, TVA* » « • * » • • • • • » • « • 190
II Sample County Data, Production*for-
Use Region, TVA* 193
111 Sample County Data, General Faming
Region, TVA* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
IV Sample County Data, Crop Specialty
Region, Non**TVA* . . . . . . . . . . . . ZOZ
V Sample County Data, Product ion~for~
Use Region, Won^TVA* # * # # • * « * # • 205
VI Sample County Data, General Farming
Region, Non-TVA* « • • • • » * . • • • * 207
VII Crop Specialty Region, Sample
Counties, Combined Census Data, 1930,
1940, 1945 for Population, Farm
Income, Size of Farm, Livestock,
Crops, Farm Facilities, Commerce and
Industry • * • » • » » » # . » « . » • * 214
VIII Limestone County, Alabama, Population
and Land Use by Townships* . . . . . . . 218
IX Cross County, Arkansas, Population
and Land Use by Townships# . . . . . . . 223
X Product I on?-far Hlse Region, Sample
Counties, Combined Census Data, 1930,
1940, 1945 for Population, Farm
Income, Size of Farm, Livestock,
Crops, Farm Facilities, Commerce and
Industry • • • » » • » * • » » • • * » • 226
XI Morgan> County, Tennessee, Population
and Land Use by Civil D istricts. . • . • 230
ix