For The Trees An Illustrated History of the Ozark-St. Francis National Forests 1908-1978

This book came about because of the photographs and because over the past seventy years, some wise, anonymous soul refused to throw them out.

This book also happened because to some persons the photographs seemed as wonderful and valuable as any endangered specie. These people went to work and found ways and money so that a little-known resource of this forest might be shared. Chief among those persons has been Larry Henson, who got much of the project started. Bill Page, Quinten Cole, Bob Neelands, and Bob Atchison lent their support. So did Jim Crouch. Everyone asked to help gave more than necessary. But no one pushed and shoved harder or longer than Bud Corbett. Neither did anyone dig up more statistics and track down more obscure items. That the book exists is to his credit.

The photographs are part of a small collection, approximately 1,200 mounted pictures. Most of these photographs date from 1908 to the years of World War II. There are some photographs from the late 1940's and beyond, but the systematic and routine use of photography seems to have ended with the war years.

These photographs were filed both locally and in the Washington office where they were assigned the serial numbers seen in the accompanying captions of this book. In recent years the negatives for the entire U.S. Forest Service photographic collection have been turned over to the National Archives. This national collection numbers more than 500,000 black and white photographs, and it is possible to order reprints by writing the National Archives and mentioning the photo serial number.

The photographers of the Forest Service were not always professional photographers; but some of them became accomplished amateurs. James Maurice Wait of Dover, Arkansas was one. Others mastered the mechanics, and a few brought to the work a more subtle perception. The notes accompanying each photograph and the supporting information which date and identify the work significantly increases the value of this collection. The captions in this book have been taken, where possible, from these notes.

An old fashioned "overshot" water wheel which is operated or driven by the overflow from the Big Spring, Ozark National Forest.