Papers of Mark W. T. Harvey

Collection

Identifier: WMWH

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The Papers of Mark W. T. Harvey consists of documents dated 1921 to 1991, with the bulk falling from 1949 to 1956. The materials were either collected or created by Dr. Harvey between 1980 and 1985 in relation to his work on A Symbol of Wilderness: Echo Park and the American Conservation Movement, a monograph that discusses the Echo Park Dam controversy of the mid-twentieth century. The controversy was a political fight between conservation groups and Western congressmen around part of the Colorado River Storage Project of the 1950s which proposed construction of a dam just downstream from Echo Park, an area on the Green River in the center of Dinosaur National Monument. Dinosaur National Monument is part of the National Park System located in northwestern Colorado and northeastern Utah. After a lengthy political battle, the proposal was defeated and the dam never built. Collected materials include copies of articles, newspaper clippings, political correspondence, and government publications from various manuscript collections including those at the National Archives, the Library of Congress, the Denver Public Library, and the Bancroft Library. Created materials include handwritten research notes and an article entitled "Echo Park Dam: An Old Problem of Federalism."

Dates

1921-1991
Majority of material found within 1949-1956

Creator

Harvey, Mark W. T. (Mark William Thornton) (Person)

Restrictions on Access

There are no access restrictions on this collection. However, it is stored off-site, so advance notice is required.

Restrictions on Use

Not all of the material in the collection is in the public domain. Researchers are responsible for addressing copyright issues.

Biography

Mark William Thornton Harvey, professor of history at North Dakota State University, has focused his research on the American West, environmental history, and public history. He has authored two books, including A Symbol of Wilderness: Echo Park and the American Conservation Movement, which explores the controversy surrounding a proposed dam in the Colorado part of Dinosaur National Monument. He has also authored several scholarly articles, book chapters, and conference papers, and was awarded the 2006 Charles A. Weyerhaeuser Award for his monograph Wilderness Forever: Howard Zahniser and the Path to the Wilderness Act.

Dr. Harvey was born on October 15, 1956. He received his M.A. and Ph.D. in history from the University of Wyoming in 1982 and 1986, respectively, and his B.A. in history from Luther College in 1978. He has taught at North Dakota State University since 1986. He served as the Book Review Editor of Environmental History from 1992 to 2001, was on the Executive Board of the American Society for Environmental History from 1999 to 2003, and served on the Editorial Board of Environmental History from 2011 to 2014.

Extent

2 linear feet (4 document boxes, 1 flat file)

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

Mark Harvey, professor of history at North Dakota State University, has written and taught extensively on western American and environmental history. This collection documents his research on the Echo Park Dam controversy which surrounded a proposed project in Dinosaur National Monument, part of the National Park System located in northwest Colorado and northeast Utah. The collection includes Harvey's notes, as well as collected articles, correspondence, and newspaper clippings related to the controversy.

Arrangement

The collection is organized as one series in four boxes and two oversize folders. Folders are arranged alphabetically according to Dr. Harvey's original titles.

Acquisition

The Papers of Mark W. T. Harvey were donated to the Water Resources Archive by Dr. Harvey in June 2010. Dr. Harvey donated a second installment of materials in June 2011.

Processing

Processing was completed in June 2011. Materials were rehoused using acid-free supplies. Metal paper clips and rusted staples were removed and replaced with plastic clips. Original newspaper clippings were inserted between sheets of acid-free paper. The collection was rearranged alphabetically by Dr. Harvey's original folder titles. Oversized materials were moved to a map drawer.

Inventory Note

Note: Title information supplied by the archivist is bracketed. Estimated paginationis preceded by an "e." Two identical copies of the same item are indicated by thephrase "2 copies" at the end of the entry, following the number of pages of eachcopy.