Descriptive summary
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creator:
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Allen, George E. (1886-1944); Allen, Sewell E.
(1913-1975) |
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title:
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Papers |
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dates:
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1910-1972 |
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extent:
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4.5 linear ft. |
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collection number:
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MS
81 |
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repository:
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Special Collections Department, Iowa State University.
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Administrative
information
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access:
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Open for research
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publication rights:
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Consult Head, Special Collections Department
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preferred
citation:
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George E. Allen and Sewell E. Allen Papers, MS 81, Special Collections Department, Iowa State University Library.
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Biographical
note
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George E. Allen (1886-1944) and his son Sewell E.
Allen (1913-1975) were both lawyers. They worked in partnership from
1939 to 1944 in Onawa, Iowa. |
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Collection description
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The collection
(1910-1972) deals with farm foreclosures during the Great Depression
and complicated legal matters arising from drainage problems in
Woodbury, Harrison and Monona Counties. The collection contains
legal documents, correspondence, maps and printed matter. As
background to the drainage cases, it should be noted that the
problems of flooding and drainage in the Little Sioux River Valley
go back many years. The Monona-Harrison Drainage Ditch was built in
1906-1909.
In the 1910s the
Monona-Harrison Drainage District was formed. Some time afterwards
an "equalizer" (a connecting ditch) was built between the Drainage
Ditch and the Little Sioux River. This "equalizer" was blamed for
shifting the water at the time of heavy rains from the Little Sioux
to the Drainage Ditch. The Gaynor Plan (1953) was proposed to
correct the problem of periodic flooding. In the same year the
Monona-Harrison Flood Control Association, organized by R. W.
Fischer, was formed to oppose this plan and to support Plan "O" of
the Army Corps of Engineers for flood control. In 1955 the Gaynor
Plan was defeated and the "O" Plan was begun by the Corps which
finished it in 1958. As a means of helping the Corps with Plan "O"
the Little Sioux Intercounty Drainage District (Little Sioux I.D.D.)
was formed in 1955. John Beardsley, Sewell Allen and Michael Murray
were retained as attorneys for the Little Sioux I.D.D. |
Container list
A container list is available in the
Special Collections Department, 403 Parks Library.
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