Agricultural Collections

Subject Listing:
Agriculture

Day, Frederick T., 1842-1920.
Business papers, 1855-1910.
Milwaukee Manuscript Collection M
Papers, including cash and letter books, of a Milwaukee real estate and loan operator and president of the Plankinton Bank. Most of the collection relates to the operation of the loan business, especially the making of loans on farm lands in the Dakotas, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. There is a vast quantity of correspondence, much of it routine, with mortgagers and with local agents concerning the examination of applications for loans, collection of interest commissions, security, abstracts of title, extensions of mortgages, foreclosures, and taxes. The agents included Melvin Grisby, C. M. Harrison, Edward J. Hodgson, and George W. Wishard. The collection contains letterbooks dealing with the administration of the firm's assignee, William H. Momsen. Finding aid available in the Archives.

Delafield Men's Club (Wis.).
Records, 1925-1956.
Milwaukee Manuscript Collection EU
Records of a local men's society, organized in 1925 and disbanded in 1956, which promoted good fellowship in informal surroundings. The Club met monthly from October to May for dinners, lectures, and entertainment. Service projects conducted by the Club included Fathers and Sons Day with the boys and faculty of the Wisconsin Home and Farm School, and an annual community Christmas party. Includes brief minutes and a small amount of correspondence, membership lists, and financial statements and dues lists. Because the club was primarily a social organization, the minutes are usually short and do not reveal much information about club projects and activities. Finding aid available in the Archives.

Douglas, James.
James and Margaret Douglas papers, 1840-1930.
Milwaukee Small Collection 162
Letters, including typed transcriptions, describing America to family members in Scotland from James and Margaret Douglas, immigrants who first lived in Mount Morris, New York and then settled in Milwaukee in 1844. The letters describe their passage to New York, costs of goods, clearing of land, and farming conditions in New York and Wisconsin. Also includes one letter, written about 1930, transmitting the letters to a Douglas granddaughter from a cousin in New Zealand.

Evans, William, 1807-1882.
Diary, 1857.
Milwaukee Small Collection 210
Pocket diary of a Genesee Township, Waukesha County, Wisconsin farmer, accompanied by a 2-page history of the Evans family compiled by Katherine Parry. The diary contains scattered, very brief notations about the weather, prices, farm work, taxes due, and other topics. Some entries are written in Welsh. Finding aid available in the Archives.

Fairview Cheese Factory (Cedar Grove, Wis.).
Records, 1908-1949.
Milwaukee Manuscript Collection ET
Records of a Cedar Grove cheese factory operated by Ernest H. Fisher, including production and sales records for cream, butter, and cheese; payroll ledgers which also contain accounts with area dairy farmers; and personal and corporate tax returns. Also includes certificates, farm animal pedigrees, and licenses. Finding aid available in the Archives.

Greendale (Wis.). Clerk.

Development file, 1938-1965.

Milwaukee Series 49

Contains miscellaneous records concerning the development of Greendale, Milwaukee County, one of the three national Greenbelt towns. It includes a file from the U.S. Farm Security Administration pertaining to the selection of tenants and the application procedures and requirements. The Home Purchase Committee records document a 1949 attempt by some Greendale residents to purchase their homes from the federal government to prevent speculation on the property. The series also contains annual reports by the village board of trustees (1958, 1960, 1962, 1964-1965); and capital improvement plans (1938-1967) regarding education, utilities, and community infrastructure. Finding aid available in the Archives.

Heymanns, Charles, 1901-1993.
Papers, 1885-1990.
Milwaukee Manuscript Collection 148 and Milwaukee Micro Collection 72
Papers, mainly 1934-1990, of a Wisconsin labor leader which document his organizing work (1937-1963) for the Wisconsin AFL and later for the AFL-CIO, and two lengthy strikes at the Kohler Company. In addition to his weekly organizers reports, the collection includes correspondence, scrapbooks (only available on microfilm), photographs of commemorative marches, minutes, appeals for donations, financial records, picket rolls, and other records from the strike (1934-1941) of Federal Labor Union 18545 against the Kohler Company. About the 1954-1965 strike of UAW-CIO Local 833 there are scrapbooks, correspondence as director of Region XII of the AFL-CIO, daily strike bulletins, and material of the Kohler Workers Association, the company union. The subject files include correspondence, clippings, minutes and other materials pertaining to varied individuals, topics and organizations such as the American Party, Andrew Biemiller, the presidential candidacy of Henry M. Jackson, various state and regional COPE committees, the Sheboygan County Labor Council, the Milwaukee County Labor Council, the LaCrosse Cathedral of St. Joseph the Workman, and the organization of migrant farm workers in Wisconsin by Obreros Unidos. Finding aid available in the Archives.

Johnson, Joseph Jackson, 1819-1894.
Joseph and Eliza Johnson papers, 1860-1901.
Milwaukee Manuscript Collection 120
Papers of settlers Joseph Johnson and Eliza Shepherd Johnson, including diaries of Eliza from 1894-1898 and 1901 and two photographs (dated ca. 1860 and ca. 1900) of their homes near Hartland, Wisconsin. The diaries detail weather, farm work, visits of their children, expenditures, and earnings. Finding aid available in the Archives.

Kroehnke, John O., 1810- .
Diaries, 1884-1885.
Milwaukee Manuscript Collection 107
Four diaries of a farmer-painter who emigrated from Schleswig-Holstein to Sheboygan. The diaries, which are written in old German script, are supplemented by complete translations of the first volume (1848-1850) into modern German and into English and by notes on the other three volumes. Although the diaries reveal little about family life, they extensively discuss his journey to Wisconsin via New York City and the Erie Canal, the process of homesteading in the wilderness, economic conditions (especially during the Civil War), and ethnic assimilation and community life. Because Kroehnke was a relatively well educated man his diaries are also of note for linguists and paleographers. Finding aid available in the Archives.

Marsh, Eleanor, 1896- .
Papers, 1902-1998.
UWM Manuscript Collection 162
The collection contains the papers of Eleanor Marsh who was raised on and ran a farm with her husband Elwin for over forty years. The personal journals detail her daily life as a farm wife in rural Winnebago County, Wisconsin. The early journals were sporadically kept and contain mostly farm and household accounts. The collection also contains school composition books used by Marsh and an older sister, a few letters from family and friends written after she was no longer running the farm, and newspaper clippings from her 100th and 102nd birthdays. Finding aid available in the Archives.

Milwaukee Cooperative Milk Producers.
Records, 1907-1975.
Milwaukee Manuscript Collection 90
Records of a Milwaukee-based agricultural cooperative, originally formed in 1907 as the Milwaukee Milk & Cream Shippers Association. Records document early activities which included operation of a creamery, dairy plant, and manufacturing plant for milk powder and other products, and efforts to stabilize dairy prices throughout the Milwaukee "milk shed," take care of unpurchased milk, and work towards better product quality and sanitation at the farm and plant. The records include articles of incorporation, historical materials, correspondence, meeting minutes, annual financial and audit reports, and records of plant payments to participating farmers. Present are milk production records including a butterfat test ledger book, milk weight cards for each farmer member, and monthly records of milk weight received at participating dairies for each farmer. There are also materials relating to Federal Milk Market Order #30 (1966-1979) which proposed establishment of the Chicago-based milk pool. Finding aid available in the Archives.

Milwaukee (Wis.). Board of Review.
Assessment of Edward Bradley estate, 1913.
Milwaukee Small Series 8
Transcript of testimony regarding the assessment of the property of Edward Bradley, a wealthy lumberman and investor who died in December 1912. The Board reduced the $3 million assessment by more than half but rejected the claim that Bradley resided on his farm, "Fox Point," in the town of Milwaukee, and was not liable to assessment by the city of Milwaukee. Includes testimony by the clerk, assessor, and attorney of the town of Milwaukee, family members, and city of Milwaukee officials. The transcript provides detailed information on Bradley's activities and movements during his last years, his reasons for moving to "Fox Point," a description of his mansion, and his financial holdings.

Ogden, Marion G., 1875-1976.
Papers, ca. 1890-1970.
Milwaukee Manuscript Collection EF
Collection documents Ogden's many years as a Milwaukee social reformer, mainly 1900-1930. The collection's significance is in its coverage of one female social activist's efforts to cope with problems of urban youth during the Progressive Era in Wisconsin. Includes Ogden's diary, journal, and record books (1901-1924) which are filled with her ideas on child welfare reform and much information on Wisconsin's early treatment of juveniles. Also contains materials on the Farm School, a foster home at Lad Lake, which Ogden sponsored. Finding aid available in the Archives.

Revels, Ruth, interviewee.
Oral history interview, 1985.
Milwaukee Small Collection 207
Typed transcript of an interview with Ruth Revels, conducted by Zachary Cooper as the first of a proposed series on the experiences of rural Wisconsin Blacks as they became more urbanized. The interview concerns Revels' life in Milwaukee (circa 1935-1950), after moving there from Fort Dodge, Iowa for better opportunities. Also includes information on her work experiences in Mayor Zeidler's office and the Milwaukee Public Library Marine Collection, living conditions, family life and recreation, and the black community and business.

Rodenkirch, Michael, 1798-1880.
Letter, 1846.
Milwaukee Small Collection 203
Photocopied typewriten translation of a long letter written by Rodenkirch, one of the first settlers living at St. Michaels (Washington County), Wisconsin, sent to relatives and friends living in Germany, 26 December 1846, describing the journey to Milwaukee, land he purchased, farming methods, tools used, costs of many items, and experiences with nearby Indians, and comparing his life with that he left behind in Prussia. This translation was prepared by Sister Julianna, Mount Mary College, December 4, 1958.

Schlitz Audubon Center (Milwaukee, Wis.).
Records, 1942-1988.
Milwaukee Manuscript Collection 119 and Milwaukee Micro Collection 59

Thomas, John, Mrs.
History of Waterville, Wisconsin, 1929.
Milwaukee Small Collection 37
History of Waterville, a Waukesha County farming community near Dousman and Oconomowoc which flourished during the latter half of the 19th century. The history describes the settlement of the area, as well as the foundation of schools and mercantile establishments.

Timlin, William Henry, b. 1852.
Autobiography, 1915.
Milwaukee Small Collection 2
Autobiography of a former Wisconsin State Supreme Court associate justice (1907-1916), describing 19th-century Wisconsin rural farm life, labor, and education in Ozaukee County, Wisconsin; Wisconsin frontier settlement; an 1861 rebellion of Ozaukee County German-Americans against the Civil War conscription; an 1862 "Indian panic" in Wisconsin; lumber camps and saw mills of Muskegon, Michigan; the 1875-1876 Black Hills gold rush and subsequent Sioux Indian War; and school superintendency and law practice in Kewaunee County, Wisconsin. Finding aid available in the Archives.

Waukesha County (Wis.). Superintendents of the Poor.
Proceedings, 1857-1883.
Waukesha Series 16
Proceedings include county board resolutions relating to poor relief; minutes of meetings of the superintendents; by-laws; financial statements; superintendents and claimants accounts and remarks thereon; annual reports; inventories of property belonging to the county and superintendents; and some annual inventories of property on the county farm.

Zindl, Grace, 1911- .
Papers, ca. 1927-2001.
Milwaukee Manuscript Collection 180
Papers, mainly diaries (1954-2001), but also several scrapbooks (ca. 1927-1932), and a household cashbook (1939-1954) of a Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, farm wife who married Nick Zindl, August 24, 1929. The diaries contain commentary on local weather and events, family events, daily chores, national and international news, as well as clippings, greeting cards, and receipts. The scrapbooks contain clippings, drawings, poems, greeting cards, and ephemera. Finding aid available in the Archives.