North Dakota-Montana Wheat Growers Association Records, 1921-1938

North Dakota-Montana Wheat Growers Association Records

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Collection Overview

Title: North Dakota-Montana Wheat Growers Association Records, 1921-1938

ID: OGLMC016

Primary Creator: North Dakota-Montana Wheat Growers Association (1922-1930)

Extent: 68.75 Linear Feet

Date Acquired: 00/00/1955. More info below under Accruals.

Subjects: Agriculture, Business and Industry

Languages: English

Abstract

Wheat growing cooperative, headquartered in Grand Forks, from 1922-1930

Scope and Contents of the Materials

The North Dakota-Montana Wheat Growers Association Records date from 1921 to 1938 and have been divided into eleven series.

Series 1: National Agricultural Associations

Series 2: General Files

Series 3: Financial Correspondence

Series 4: Elevator Correspondence

Series 5: Organization Department

Series 6: Warehouse Company General Files

Series 7: Warehouse Company Correspondence

Series 8: Credit Company Loan Files

Series 9: Credit Company General Files

Series 10: Grower Files

Series 11: Pamphlet File

Series 12: Oversized Materials

Series 13: Photographs

Collection Historical Note

The North Dakota Wheat Growers Association was organized on January 23, 1922, and incorporated on February 21st of that year. The Association was headquartered in Grand Forks. The purpose of the Association was to stop the dumping of wheat on the market after the fall harvest. Using funds borrowed primarily from the government, the Association advanced its members seventy percent of market value upon delivery of their wheat. The Association then sold the wheat to millers and exporters throughout the year, thereby avoiding the low prices of the fall glut. After deducting its own expenses, returns where given back to the members.

August 22, 1922 saw the first shipment of wheat purchased by the Association. Members signed a five year contract, pledging to sell all of their wheat to the Association. In its first year of operation, the Association consisted of over three thousand members, and by 1923 that number had grown to over 9,000. 1923 also witnessed the beginning of The Wheat Grower, an official bimonthly publication sent to all members. By 1924, membership was nearly 16,000. Even at this level, however, only one-fifth of all North Dakota wheat farmers were members. The Association handled over $6 million worth of wheat that year, but it was a small percentage of a total crop of over $125 million.

Membership continued to grow in the years after 1924, but the amount of wheat put into the pool declined. There were several reasons for this: one, cash poor farmers needed to have all of their money up-front, not just the seventy percent offered by the Association. Second, many elevators were hostile to the pool. The Association addressed these problems in 1926 by three means: first, members were solicited from Montana. Second, the North Dakota Wheat Growers Credit Corporation was formed to lend money to its members, thereby "freeing them from antipool pressure by the holders of crop mortgages." Third, the North Dakota Wheat Growers Warehouse Company was established. The Warehouse Company sought to buy or lease grain elevators. This was followed in 1928 by the creation of the North Dakota Wheat Growers Cooperative Terminal Association, which purchased a 150,000 bushel elevator in Minneapolis. By 1930, it owned a total of over 80 elevators.

Membership grew in 1929 after the Federal Farm Board offered a guaranteed price through cooperatives. Since the Association was the only wheat cooperative in the state, farmers and elevators poured into the membership ranks. This boom was short-lived, however, as 1929 saw the price of wheat fall. The United States Grain Stabilization Corporation purchased the stored wheat, but yet did not pay for storage costs. In addition to these losses, the Association also lost the privilege of trading on both the Duluth and Minneapolis Boards of Trade. These factors caused the Association to go out of business after the 1930 harvest. The Association sued the Federal Farm Board for damages, but was unsuccessful. By 1931, most of the pool elevators were closed or were managed by others.

Source: History of North Dakota by Elwyn Robinson, page 384-86

Subject/Index Terms

Agriculture
Business and Industry

Administrative Information

Repository: Elwyn B. Robinson Department of Special Collections

Accruals: Additional material was transferred from the North Dakota Pamphlet File on August 30, 1984 (Acc.84-1325) and on August 11, 1998 (Acc.98-2230).

Access Restrictions: Open for inspection under the rules and regulations of the Elwyn B. Robinson Department of Special Collections.

Acquisition Source: A.J. Scott

Acquisition Method: Donation; the acquisition records are unavailable

Preferred Citation: (Description of Item). North Dakota-Montana Wheat Growers Association Records. OGLMC 16, Box #, Folder #. Elwyn B. Robinson Department of Special Collections, Chester Fritz Library, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks.

Finding Aid Revision History: Finding aid migrated to Archon in April 2015.

Box and Folder Listing

Browse by Series:

[Series 1: National Agricultural Associations],
[Series 2: General Files],
[Series 3: Financial Correspondence],
[Series 4: Elevator Correspondence],
[Series 5: Organization Department ],
[Series 6: Warehouse Company General Files ],
[Series 7: Warehouse Company Correspondence ],
[Series 8: Credit Company Loan Files ],
[Series 9: Credit Company General Files ],
[Series 10: Grower Files ],
[Series 11: Pamphlet File ],
[Series 12: Oversized Materials],
[Series 13: Photographs (177)],
[All]

Series 2: General Files

This series consists of a variety of material, including articles of incorporation, membership lists and correspondence, publicity files, statistical information, legal materials, financial information and political materials. The legal materials include a court case between F.W. Copeland and George Duis regarding the presidency of the NDMWGA. Legal material regarding the NDMWGA's claim versus the Federal Farm Board is also included. The folders are arranged alphabetically by the title of the folder.

Box 1

Folder 18: Weekly Sales Reports, 1923
Folder 19: Circular Letters (to members, businesses, bankers, etc)
Folder 20: Directors
Folder 21: Directors: Elections
Folder 22: Directors: Resolutions and Minutes
Folder 23: Directors: Duis, George (President): 1923-34
Folder 24: Duluth Board of Trade 1929-1933
Folder 25: Duluth Office: 1924-1925
Folder 26: Duluth Office: 1926
Folder 27: Duluth Office: 1930
Folder 28: Duluth Office: 1930 (McKindley, J.H.)

Box 2

Folder 1: Duluth Office: 1930-31 (McKindley)
Folder 2: Elevator Department: McLean, C.A. 1925
Folder 3: Elevator Department: Tacklind, Nels R. 1922-24
Folder 4: Elevator Department: Willis, Guy D. 1925-26
Folder 5: Financial: Bank reconcilement, 1922-24
Folder 6: Financial: Bank reconcilement, 1925-26
Folder 7: Financial: Bank reconcilement, 1927-32
Folder 8: Financial: Dun and Bradstreet
Folder 9: Financial: F.J. Lisman Investment Securities, N.Y. 1927
Folder 10: Financial: Miscellaneous records
Folder 11: Forms and blanks
Folder 12: Income taxes
Folder 13: Incorporation and initial financing, 1921-22
Folder 14: Insurance: Clayton V. Hamilton Company, 1927-29
Folder 15: Insurance Wirt Wilson Company, 1924
Folder 16: Jewett, George C: 1927-29
Folder 17: Legal: Burke and Burdick, Attorneys, 1922-24
Folder 18: Legal: Copeland et al vs. Duis et al, 1927
Folder 19: Legal: Arthur LeSueur, Attorney, 1931-1934
Folder 20: Legal: Miscellaneous
Folder 21: Legal: Murphy and Toner, Attorneys, 1926-33
Folder 22: Legal: Wheat Growers Association vs. Federal Farm Board, 1931-1937
Folder 23: Lycke, E.E.: 1926-30 (personal)
Folder 24: Lycke, E.E.: 1926-30 (personal)
Folder 25: Membership lists: Montana (by county)
Folder 26: Membership lists: Montana (miscellaneous)
Folder 27: Membership lists: North Dakota, Adams - Burleigh Counties
Folder 28: Membership lists: North Dakota, Case - Foster Counties
Folder 29: Membership lists: North Dakota, Golden Valley - Logan Counties
Folder 30: Membership lists: North Dakota, McHenry - Mountrail Counties

Box 3

Folder 1: Membership lists: North Dakota, Nelson - Ransom Counties
Folder 2: Membership lists: North Dakota, Renville - Sargent Counties
Folder 3: Membership lists: North Dakota, Sheridan - Stutsman Counties
Folder 4: Membership lists: North Dakota, Towner - Ward Counties
Folder 5: Membership lists: North Dakota, Wells - Williams Counties
Folder 6: Membership lists: North Dakota, Miscellaneous
Folder 7: Membership lists: North Dakota, Miscellaneous
Folder 8: Membership lists: North Dakota, Miscellaneous
Folder 9: Membership lists: North Dakota, Miscellaneous
Folder 10: Membership lists: North Dakota, Miscellaneous
Folder 11: Membership lists: North Dakota, Miscellaneous
Folder 12: Membership lists: North Dakota U.S. Grain Growers
Folder 13: Minneapolis Chamber of Commerce: 1929-32
Folder 14: Minneapolis Office: Jewett, C.C. 1930-31
Folder 15: Minneapolis Office: Jewett, C.C. 1930-31
Folder 16: Minneapolis Office: Storch, R.F. 1927-31
Folder 17: Miscellaneous
Folder 18: North Dakota Agricultural College 1927-30
Folder 19: North Dakota Workmen's Compensation Bureau 1926-32
Folder 20: Personnel matters
Folder 21: Petitions (agricultural)
Folder 22: Politics and Legislation: Correspondence with politicians
Folder 23: Politics and Legislation: Correspondence regarding legislation
Folder 24: Politics and Legislation: C.D. Lodbell, Lobbyist - Washington, D.C. 1929-32
Folder 25: Politics and Legislation: F.W. McLean, Secretary: Democratic State Committee: 1928-1932
Folder 26: Politics and legislation: Walton C. Peteet, Lobbyist -Washington, D.C. 1925-27

Box 4

Folder 1: Politics and Legislation: A.J. Scott, Chairman: Grand Forks Nonpartisan League Committee, 1928-1932
Folder 2: Potato business 1921-23
Folder 3: Publicity and public relations: correspondence with non-growers
Folder 4: Lowden, Frank- Gov. 1924
Folder 5: Publicity and Public Relations: Newspapers, 1922-32
Folder 6: Press Releases
Folder 7: Papke, S.A. -Publicity Director 1925-29
Folder 8: The Producer- Portland, Oregon
Folder 9: Publicity, Radio, General
Folder 10: Publicity, Radio KDLR-Devils Lake 1929
Folder 11: Publicity, Radio KFBB-Havre, Mont. 1929
Folder 12: Publicity, Radio KFJM-Grand Forks 1929
Folder 13: Publicity, Radio KFYR-Bismarck 1929-30
Folder 14: Publicity, Radio KFYR-Bismarck 1929-30
Folder 15: Publicity, Radio KFYR-Bismarck 1929-30
Folder 16: Publicity, Radio KGCX-Wolf Point, Mont. 1929
Folder 17: Publicity, Radio KGHL-Billings, Mont. 1929-30
Folder 18: Publicity, Radio WDAY-Fargo 1928-29
Folder 19: Speeches and articles
Folder 20: The Wheat Grower
Folder 21: Wheat Grower's Journal, Kansas City, Mont. 1922-26
Folder 22: Scott, A.J. personal
Folder 23: Committee of Sixteen: 1929
Folder 24: Statistics; prices, sales, etc. - summaries covering several pools
Folder 25: Statistics; prices, sales, etc. - 1922 Pool
Folder 26: Statistics; prices, sales, etc. - 1923 Pool
Folder 27: Statistics; prices, sales, etc. - 1924 Pool
Folder 28: Statistics; prices, sales, etc. - 1925 Pool
Folder 29: Statistics; prices, sales, etc. - 1926 Pool
Folder 30: Statistics; prices, sales, etc. - 1927 Pool
Folder 31: Statistics; prices, sales, etc. - 1928 Pool
Folder 32: Statistics; prices, sales, etc. - 1929 Pool
Folder 33: Statistics; prices, sales, etc. - 1930 Pool
Folder 34: Taft, R.L. personal
Folder 35: United States Department of Education
Folder 36: U.S. Farmers National Grain Corporation: 1929-30
Folder 37: U.S. Farmers National Grain Corporation: 1930
Folder 38: U.S. Farmers National Grain Corporation: 1931-33
Folder 39: U.S. Farmers National Grain Corporation: Miscellaneous

Box 5

Folder 1: U.S. Federal Farm Board: 1929-30
Folder 2: U.S. Federal Farm Board: 1930-33
Folder 3: U.S. Federal Trade Commission 1926-27
Folder 4: U.S. Grain Stabilization Corporation: 1930-35
Folder 5: Wheat Growers Terminal Co.
Folder 6: Wheat Growers Warehouse Company: Contracts
Folder 7: Misc. membership correspondence 1921-22
Folder 8: Misc. membership correspondence 1923
Folder 9: Misc. membership correspondence 1923
Folder 10: Misc. membership correspondence 1923
Folder 11: Misc. membership correspondence 1923
Folder 12: Misc. membership correspondence 1924
Folder 13: Misc. membership correspondence 1925-26
Folder 14: Misc. membership correspondence 1927
Folder 15: Misc. membership correspondence 1927-28
Folder 16: Misc. membership correspondence 1929-31

Box 33

Folder 1: Wheat Growers’ WHSE. Co. Elevator lists, Montana
Folder 2: Wheat Growers’ WHSE. Co. Elevator lists, North Dakota
Folder 3: Wheat Growers’ WHSE. Co. Elevator lists, North Dakota
Folder 4: Wheat Growers’ WHSE. Co. Elevator lists, North Dakota
Folder 5: Wheat Growers' Assn. Financial Statements 1922-25
Folder 6: Wheat Growers' Assn. Financial Statements 1926-28
Folder 7: Wheat Growers' Assn. Financial Statements 1929-31
Folder 8: Wheat Growers' Assn. Loan Applications, Federal Government
Folder 9: Wheat Growers' Assn. Loan Applications, Federal Government
Folder 10: Wheat Growers' Assn. Loan Applications) Federal Government
Folder 11: Wheat Growers' Assn. -School Officials (Lists) Montana by county
Folder 12: Wheat Growers' Assn. -Township Officials (Lists) North Dakota
Folder 13: Wheat Growers' Assn. -Township Officials (Lists) North Dakota
Folder 14: Wheat Growers' Assn. -Township Officials (Lists) North Dakota

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