Photos of Farming in Idaho - early 1900's

Grubbing the sagebrush from the desert soil using horse drawn equipment - and preparing for farm use.

Jack Rabbits were a continual nuisance - and would eat the hay and other vegetation quicker than the cattle would.
Community rabbit drives, where the rabbits were "herded" into an enclosed area and clubbed to death
 were a common event in early years.
 

The excavating of canals in the region such as the Aberdeen-Springfield Canal
 allowed farmers to finally bring the water to the dry land
and raise crops on what was previously arid desert land.

Sheep were sometimes used to keep the vegetation down along the canals

Early farmers sometimes planted orchards of apples, plums, apricots, pears
irrigated by the newly built canals.

Control Gates along the newly built canals were used to control the flow and distribution of water from the Snake River

Besides potatoes - Sugar Beets were found to be an good crop for the Idaho region.

An early example of  horse drawn "combine harvesters" used to harvest grains 

Iron wheeled tractor used at harvest time

Sheep herding in the Blackfoot, Idaho  Region

Hives of Bees - in the Idaho area - used to produce "clover honey" - from the alfalfa grown in the area

A new type of Cowboy in  a car ...

Horse drawn wheat harvesting equipment

Aberdeen Research and Extension Center - early 1900's

An early chicken farm

Potato Harvest Time

The American Falls Dam (first built in 1925) greatly affected agriculture in the region.

Life wasn't all work and no play - the Eastern Idaho State Fair surprisingly began as early as about 1902.
It is uncertain if this photo is related to the fair or not - but this is an early "Merry Go Round"
powered by steam in the Blackfoot, Idaho area about 1905 .

. . . and if farming really made you crazy - maybe you ended up in the Insane Asylam ("Blackfoot South")
(in Blackfoot since 1887)