ELWYN B. ROBINSON DEPARTMENT OF SPECIAL COLLECTIONS
CHESTER FRITZ LIBRARY
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH DAKOTA
GRAND FORKS, NORTH DAKOTA 58202

ELMER WORTHINGTON PAPERS

COLLECTION: OGL #940

DATES: 1955-1940

SIZE: .25 linear feet

INTRODUCTION

ACQUISITION: The Elmer Worthington Papers were deposited in the Orin G. Libby Manuscript Collection by Elmer Worthington, Mandan, North Dakota, on December 5, 1983 (Acc.#83-1249).

ACCESS: Open for inspection under the rules and regulations of the Department of Special Collections.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH

Elmer "Buck" Worthington was born on August 13, 1910, in Holland, Pennsylvania. He was the son of Frank Clayton Worthington and Edna (Balderson) Worthington. He graduated from Colorado State University in 1933 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Forestry. Following graduation, he found work as a Forester with the United States Forest Service in Deadwood, South Dakota. He married Helen Schladweiler on April 15, 1936, in Sturgis, South Dakota. The couple had three daughters: Edna Ann, Joann, and Phyllis Ann.

The family moved to North Dakota in 1936, where Worthington took a position with the United States Soil Conservation Service. He became active in the effort to plant shelter belts throughout the state. His first shelter belt was planted near Larimore, North Dakota, although his efforts were not confined only to North Dakota. He supervised their planting in both Dakotas, as well as parts of Montana. He retired from the Soil Conservation Service in 1969.

He retired in 1969, but found work soon thereafter as the Mandan city forester. When Mandan had the first case of Dutch Elm Disease in North Dakota, Worthington took the lead in fighting this tree malady. He also functioned as Superintendent of Morton County Parks.

Elmer Worthington was a member of the Masonic Lodge, Elks, Rotary, Nature Conservancy, and the Society of American Foresters. He also served as State President of the North Dakota Jaycees. Elmer Worthington died on August 4, 1990, in Mandan. Helen Worthington died on October 25, 1990, also in Mandan. Both are buried at Mandan Union Cemetery.

SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE

The Elmer Worthington Papers date from 1955-1990, and consist of photocopies of articles Worthington wrote on the subject of North Dakota natural history. The articles are arranged in chronological order, and the majority of them regard forestry. Also included is a folder of biographical information. This folder contains entries for Elmer Worthington from Who’s Who in North Dakota (1955, 1958, 1984), a newspaper clipping from the Mandan News (1979), and obituaries for Elmer and Helen Worthington (1990).

BOX AND FOLDER INVENTORY

Box 1
Folder

1. Biographical Information: 1955, 1958, 1979, 1984, 1990
2. “From 'Dust Bowl' to 'Tree Bowl',” American Forests: June 1960
3. “North Dakota Tree Growing in Washington is 'Living Symbol',” North Dakotan: February 1966
4. “Ice Cave Discovered Over 50 Years Ago,” North Dakotan: August 1967
5. “Petrified Badlands Logs,” North Dakotan: June 1969
6. “North Dakota’s Mystery Logs,” Dakota Farmer: February 1971
7. “Petrified Logs Reveal Dakota’s History,” Dakota Farmer: June 1971
8. “North Dakota’s Ice Cave Causes Natural Ice Box,” Dakota Farmer: June 1973
9. “Monarchs of the Plains,” Dakota Farmer: May 1974
10. “Trees Can Enhance Strip-Mined Areas,” Dakota Farmer: August 1974
11. “The Mystery Trees of North Dakota,” North Dakota REC Magazine: September 1975
12. “North Dakota’s Giant Trees,” North Dakota REC Magazine: April 1976
13. “Kaleidoscope of the Killdeers,” North Dakota REC Magazine: July 1977
14. “Living History in Our Rest Areas,” North Dakota REC Magazine: August 1981

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