From the Archives: Building the UW Arborteum photo gallery

This photo, courtesy of UW Archives shows planting on the prarie at the UW Arboretum. This is one of many pictures UW Archives has from the construction phase of the arboretum from 1930-50.

The UW-Madison Archives recently posted a photo gallery on flickr documenting the construction of the UW Arborteum.

The pictures show Arboretum construction activities in Madison, Wisconsin dating roughly from 1930-1950. Images include land preparation and restoration, planting activities, wall and structure construction, and work to improve the water quality of Lake Wingra.

To view the gallery, click here.

Workers from the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), a Depression-era New Deal program to provide occupation for young men, did much of the early labor of building the University of Wisconsin (Madison) Arboretum between 1935-1941.

For more information about the early years of the Arboretum or if you have additional information about any of these photos, contact the UW-Madison Archives at uwarchiv@library.wisc.edu.

For more information about the Arboretum, visit the UW-Madison Arboretum Web site. "Our first 50 years: the University of Wisconsin-Madison Arboretum 1934-1984" is available online in the UW Digital Collections.

Story by UW Archives