Since Colorado history classes are making national headlines lately, we wanted to bring you a bit of the past—without controversy. From 1935 to 1945, the Dust Bowl era that devastated the economy and scarred Colorado’s landscape, the Farm Security Administration/Office of War Information sent photographers across the country to document what was happening, including recovery and assistance programs. Many of those images are now searchable online by county at Photogrammar. We dug through the images captured in Colorado to find 15 of our favorites (see the gallery above). Be warned: This fascinating trove might have you wasting part of your day searching through the rest. But trust us, it’s worth the time.

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Photo by Jack Allison. Original caption: “Two sisters and brother before their house. Great Western Sugar Company’s beet sugar workers’ colony at Hudson, Colorado. The father is dead, and the girls don’t attend school because they’re “too old,” and the boy because he is ‘sick all the time.'” (Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, FSA/OWI Collection, [reproduction number, e.g., LC-USF34-9058-C])
Photo by Jack Allison. Original caption: “In this single-room house on these two beds sleep the mother, three sisters and the brothers (six altogether). Great Western Sugar Company’s beet sugar workers’ colony at Hudson, Colorado.” (Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, FSA/OWI Collection, [reproduction number, e.g., LC-USF34-9058-C])
Photo by Russell Lee. Original caption: “Tourists looking for Indian hieroglyphic pointed out by ranger, Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado.” (Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, FSA/OWI Collection, [reproduction number, e.g., LC-USF34-9058-C])
Photo by Russell Lee. Original caption: “Serving the barbecue at the free barbecue on Labor Day, Ridgway, Colorado.” (Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, FSA/OWI Collection, [reproduction number, e.g., LC-USF34-9058-C])
Photo by Russell Lee. Original caption: “Boys’ sack race, Labor Day celebration, Ridgway, Colorado.” (Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, FSA/OWI Collection, [reproduction number, e.g., LC-USF34-9058-C])
Photo by Russell Lee. Original caption: “Carrying crates of peaches from the orchard to the shipping shed, Delta County, Colorado.” (Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, FSA/OWI Collection, [reproduction number, e.g., LC-USF34-9058-C])
Photo by Arthur Rothstein. Original caption: “Free lunch counter at farmers field day, U.S. Dry Land Experiment Station, Akron, Colorado.” (Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, FSA/OWI Collection, [reproduction number, e.g., LC-USF34-9058-C])
Photo by Arthur Rothstein. Original caption: “Meeting on courthouse steps. Baca County, Colorado. Drought committee.” (Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, FSA/OWI Collection, [reproduction number, e.g., LC-USF34-9058-C])
Photo by J. H. Ward. Original caption: “Dust storm. Baca County, Colorado.” (Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, FSA/OWI Collection, [reproduction number, e.g., LC-USF34-9058-C])
Photo by Arthur Rothstein. Original caption: “John Adams, FSA (Farm Security Administration) borrower, harvesting apples. Fremont County, Colorado.” (Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, FSA/OWI Collection, [reproduction number, e.g., LC-USF34-9058-C])
Photo by Arthur Rothstein. Original caption: “Mrs. R.C. Williams, wife of FSA (Farm Security Administration) borrower. Garden Park, Fremont County, Colorado.” (Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, FSA/OWI Collection, [reproduction number, e.g., LC-USF34-9058-C])
Photo by Arthur Rothstein. Original caption: “George Arnold and his son inspect some of the hives which produce a considerable amount of supplemental income on their farm in Chaffee County, Colorado.” (Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, FSA/OWI Collection, [reproduction number, e.g., LC-USF34-9058-C])
Photo by Arthur Rothstein. Original caption: “Farmer on load of potatoes, Rio Grande County, Colorado.” (Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, FSA/OWI Collection, [reproduction number, e.g., LC-USF34-9058-C])
Photo by Arthur Rothstein. Original Caption: “Mr. and Mrs. Howard Crowder and daughter in their garden, San Luis Valley Farms, Alamosa, Colorado.” (Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, FSA/OWI Collection, [reproduction number, e.g., LC-USF34-9058-C])
Photo by Arthur Rothstein. Original caption: “Children of resettlement families playing in the schoolyard, community building, San Luis Valley Farms, Alamosa, Colorado.” (Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, FSA/OWI Collection, [reproduction number, e.g., LC-USF34-9058-C])
Photo by Jack Allison. Original caption: “Two sisters and brother before their house. Great Western Sugar Company’s beet sugar workers’ colony at Hudson, Colorado. The father is dead, and the girls don’t attend school because they’re “too old,” and the boy because he is ‘sick all the time.'” (Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, FSA/OWI Collection, [reproduction number, e.g., LC-USF34-9058-C])
Photo by Jack Allison. Original caption: “In this single-room house on these two beds sleep the mother, three sisters and the brothers (six altogether). Great Western Sugar Company’s beet sugar workers’ colony at Hudson, Colorado.” (Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, FSA/OWI Collection, [reproduction number, e.g., LC-USF34-9058-C])
Photo by Russell Lee. Original caption: “Tourists looking for Indian hieroglyphic pointed out by ranger, Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado.” (Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, FSA/OWI Collection, [reproduction number, e.g., LC-USF34-9058-C])
Photo by Russell Lee. Original caption: “Serving the barbecue at the free barbecue on Labor Day, Ridgway, Colorado.” (Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, FSA/OWI Collection, [reproduction number, e.g., LC-USF34-9058-C])
Photo by Russell Lee. Original caption: “Boys’ sack race, Labor Day celebration, Ridgway, Colorado.” (Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, FSA/OWI Collection, [reproduction number, e.g., LC-USF34-9058-C])
Photo by Russell Lee. Original caption: “Carrying crates of peaches from the orchard to the shipping shed, Delta County, Colorado.” (Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, FSA/OWI Collection, [reproduction number, e.g., LC-USF34-9058-C])
Photo by Arthur Rothstein. Original caption: “Free lunch counter at farmers field day, U.S. Dry Land Experiment Station, Akron, Colorado.” (Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, FSA/OWI Collection, [reproduction number, e.g., LC-USF34-9058-C])
Photo by Arthur Rothstein. Original caption: “Meeting on courthouse steps. Baca County, Colorado. Drought committee.” (Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, FSA/OWI Collection, [reproduction number, e.g., LC-USF34-9058-C])
Photo by J. H. Ward. Original caption: “Dust storm. Baca County, Colorado.” (Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, FSA/OWI Collection, [reproduction number, e.g., LC-USF34-9058-C])
Photo by Arthur Rothstein. Original caption: “John Adams, FSA (Farm Security Administration) borrower, harvesting apples. Fremont County, Colorado.” (Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, FSA/OWI Collection, [reproduction number, e.g., LC-USF34-9058-C])
Photo by Arthur Rothstein. Original caption: “Mrs. R.C. Williams, wife of FSA (Farm Security Administration) borrower. Garden Park, Fremont County, Colorado.” (Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, FSA/OWI Collection, [reproduction number, e.g., LC-USF34-9058-C])
Photo by Arthur Rothstein. Original caption: “George Arnold and his son inspect some of the hives which produce a considerable amount of supplemental income on their farm in Chaffee County, Colorado.” (Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, FSA/OWI Collection, [reproduction number, e.g., LC-USF34-9058-C])
Photo by Arthur Rothstein. Original caption: “Farmer on load of potatoes, Rio Grande County, Colorado.” (Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, FSA/OWI Collection, [reproduction number, e.g., LC-USF34-9058-C])
Photo by Arthur Rothstein. Original Caption: “Mr. and Mrs. Howard Crowder and daughter in their garden, San Luis Valley Farms, Alamosa, Colorado.” (Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, FSA/OWI Collection, [reproduction number, e.g., LC-USF34-9058-C])
Photo by Arthur Rothstein. Original caption: “Children of resettlement families playing in the schoolyard, community building, San Luis Valley Farms, Alamosa, Colorado.” (Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, FSA/OWI Collection, [reproduction number, e.g., LC-USF34-9058-C])

Natasha Gardner
Natasha Gardner
Natasha Gardner is a Denver-based writer and the former Articles Editor for 5280.