Destroyed Orchard in Cimarron County, Oklahoma, April 1936

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Courtesy of Library of Congress, Rothstein, Arthur, "Orchard destroyed by drifting sand. Cimarron County, Oklahoma," April 1936

Description 

The 1936 photograph by famed-American photographer Arthur Rothstein captures dry soil piling up high toward the top of dead trees in an orchard. The image was taken in Cimarron County, Oklahoma, which is the westernmost part of the state. 

Source-Dependent Questions

• Describe the image. Does this look like a farm in America? Explain.
• The image shows an orchard in Oklahoma. Explain what the farmer or family must have felt as they watched this orchard become choked and killed by the drifting soil.
• What options might the family have had when it came to their land and growing crops? What might you do?

Citation Information 

Rothstein, Arthur, "Orchard destroyed by drifting sand. Cimarron County, Oklahoma," April 1936. Courtesy of Library of Congress