State Historical Society of Iowa

Freshly Plowed Land in Greene County, Iowa, April 1940

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Image of Iowa land that has been freshly plowed on one side of the image, and not plowed on the other. There is a train and telephone poles in the background.
Courtesy of Library of Congress, Vachon, John, "Fresh plowed land, Greene County, Iowa," April 1940

Description

The image was taken in Greene County, Iowa, by photographer John Vachon in 1940. It shows a line down a field where one side is freshly plowed and the other is not. There is a train going by in the background.  

Source-Dependent Questions

  • What man-made features can be seen in the photograph?
  • Do you suppose the land on the right always looked this way in Iowa? Explain.
  • What has happened to the land on the left side of the image? Why has this happened?
  • What are some examples of things in the image that show how Iowa's land has been changed? Explain why they have been changed.

Citation Information 

Vachon, John, "Fresh plowed land, Greene County, Iowa," April 1940. Courtesy of Library of Congress