ness, which amounted to $6,900,- 

 000 prior to adjustment, was reduced by 

 26 per cent and as a result of these re- 

 ductions more than $43,000 in delinquent 

 taxes was paid off. 



But, of course, as anybody who has 

 ever been through the farming regions 

 of "Little Egypt" knows, there are 

 thousands of Illinois farm families whose 

 poverty cannot be permanently remedied 

 by loans and debt adjustment. In some 

 of these counties in Southern Illinois 

 as many as fifty per cen^ of the farm- 

 ers are on relief. While farmers in the 

 rest of the State have made their come- 

 back, these poverty-stricken families in 

 Southern Illinois have remained on the 

 dole. A high relief rate and growing tax 

 delinquency are the outward signs of 

 a steady lowering of the standard of 

 living throughout these districts. 



Was Settled Early 



The problem of poverty in these re- 

 gions has been maturing over a long 

 period of years. "Little Egypt" was set- 

 tled long before the Grand Prairie re- 

 gion to the north. Late in the eighteenth 

 century, pioneer families of English, 

 Irish and German extraction pushed 

 westward along the Ohio River and took 

 up land in the hilly regions near the 

 junction of the Ohio and the Mississippi. 

 It was not until the 1820's that the tide 

 of immigration which brought Tom Lin- 

 coln and his stripling son Abe into Coles 

 County, moved into the rich plains of 

 Northern Illinois. 



The soils in this southern region are 

 silt loams, leached of carbonate, and are 

 moderately productive. The topography, 

 however, is largely rough and broken, 

 and once the trees were cleared away, 

 erosion rapidly removed the fertile top 

 soil. The consequent loss of fertility 

 has made farming more and more diffi- 

 cult. From 1900 to 1930 there was a 

 steady decline in population. During 

 this time it was hoped that the exodus 

 to factory and mines would automatically 

 solve the problem. But after 1930 there 

 was an increase in nopulat'on. People 

 moved back to the city from the coun- 

 try, only to meet failure and be forced 

 on relief. 



Making The Land Serve The People 



These three million acres of poor land 

 in Southern Illinois with their high re- 

 lief rates and delinquent taxes, are a 

 burden on both State and Nation. Some 

 way must be worked out by which this 

 land can be made to support its people. 



The Resettlement Administration is 

 attacking this problem in two projects 

 which will demonstrate how this land 

 can be made to yield a profit. The Dixon 

 Springs project includes 8,000 acres near 

 Robbs in Pope County; the Crabb Or- 

 chard Creek project, 24,000 acres, near 

 Carbondale in Williamson Countv. 



THEY LIKE THEIR NEW HOMES 

 Children at play on one of ihe ResettlemenI Adminittration's Rural Communitlei. The 

 houses in the background were erected by the government and will become the property of 

 the farm families occupying them by means of small rentals which apply to payments amortized 

 over 40 yaan. 



The Dixon Springs area consists of 

 upland farms whose fields drain so 

 rapidly that already eighty per cent of 

 the area has been seriously eroded. On 

 this project the Resettlement Adminis- 

 tration is setting up an experimental 

 farm where the use of these lands for 

 grazing and forestry will be studied. This 

 work involves terracing, the construc- 

 tion of gully erosion controls, improve- 

 ment of drainage in low areas, seeding 

 of grasses, and reforestation. At the 

 present time 630 men from the relief 

 rolls are being given employment on this 

 project. 



Crabb Orchard Creek 



In an area known as The Big Muddy 

 Basin is situated the Crabb Orchard 

 Creek project. This area was once cov- 

 ered with a good stand of timber. But 

 the forest was cut over many years ago, 

 and erosion on the hills and floods in the 

 bottom lands have made farming hope- 

 less. Work on this project will be simi- 

 lar to that on the Dixon Springs project. 

 Trees will be planted and eroded land 

 reclaimed. 



These two projects will bring 32,000 

 acres of wasted land back into produc- 

 tive use as forests and pastures. But 

 what is even more important, they will 

 serve as a kind of experimental labora- 

 tory for working out ways and means 

 of improving eroded and infertile land in 

 the 3,000,000 acre problem area of 

 Southern Illinois. 



Northward, near the junction of the 

 Illinois and the Mississippi is located an- 

 other land use project. This project com- 



prises 3,000 acres in Jersey County, 

 which, under the supervision of the Na- 

 tional Park Service, is being made into 

 a public park. It will be named after 

 the first white man to explore the Mis- 

 sissippi, Pere Marquette, who landed at 

 a nearby point, made peace with the 

 Illinois tribe and was. feasted by them. 



Erosion in this area has rendered the 

 land totally unfit for agriculture. 

 Crop yields in this area are very poor 

 and the standard of living of its few 

 inhabitants is low. However, although 

 farming is impracticable, the densely 

 wooded ravines and open fields of this 

 district make it ideal as a place for 

 camping and vacationing. Rising out of 

 the bottomlands are the picturesque 

 Piasa Bluffs, upon which the original 

 mini painted a grotesque figure known 

 as the Piasa Bird. At a point near the 

 project the Federal Government is build- 

 ing the Alton Dam. This dam will im- 

 pound a great stretch of water extend- 

 ing upstream some 30 miles, which will 

 provide a place for swimming, boating 

 and water sports. 



New Settlers 



Some of the present inhabitants of 

 these three areas will be able to find 

 permanent employment on the projects. 

 But most of them are planning to re- 

 settle on productive farms in other dis- 

 tricts. Those families who have not 

 received enough money from the sale 

 of their farms to effect their own re- 

 settlement, are being helped by the Re- 

 settlement Administration to move to 

 (Continued on page 11) 



1. A. A. RECORD 



