Elk Valley Farms Records

Collection Overview

Abstract

Scope and Contents of the Materials

Administrative Information

Box and Folder Listing

Series 1: General Historical Information

The first series contains biographical information on the Larimore family and historical information on Elk Valley Farms.

Box 1

Folder 1: Larimore Family Biographical Information

Item 1: Genealogy of Thomas Jamison Larimore (1783-1852)

Item 2: Death Certificate for Clay Larimore, 14 February 1937

Item 3: Obituary for Jameson Larimore, Jr. (1905-1991), 1991

Item 4: "A Trip to Larimore, Missouri", Larimore Leader/Tribune, 19 April 2007

Item 5: Obituary for Jameson "Jim" Larimore III, 1938-2017

Folder 2: Elk Valley Farms Historical Information

Item 1: Souvenir Book: Larimore, N.D., Diamond Jubilee, 1881-1956, page 17

Item 2: "Furrows Were Long on 'Largest Farm': Storied Elk Valley Land Still in Larimore Family." by Marilyn Hagerty.  Grand Forks Herald.  8 June 1967

Item 3: "Elk Valley Farms: Larimore's 'Ponderosa'", Larimore Pioneer, 15 June 1967

Item 4: African Americans in North Dakota: Sources and Assessments, 1994, pages 62-67

Item 5: "Old Letter Tells of Pioneer Spud Farming," unknown date and publication

Series 2: Elk Valley Farms, 1879-2004

This is the largest series in the collection, contains material directly related to Elk Valley Farms, and has been divided into eight sub-series.

Sub-Series 1: General Correspondence, 1896-1957

Box 1

Folder 3: 1896-1916

Folder 4: 1917

Folder 5: 1918

Folder 6: 1919

Folder 7: 1920

Folder 8: 1921

Folder 9: 1922

Folder 10: 1923

Folder 11: 1924-1925

Folder 12: 1926-1930

Folder 13: 1931-1935

Folder 14: 1936

Folder 15: 1937

Folder 16: 1938

Folder 17: 1939

Folder 18: 1940

Folder 19: 1941-1942

Folder 20: 1943-1957

Folder 21: undated

Sub-Series 2: Letter Books, 1881-1892

The letter books contain carbon copies of hand written correspondence.

Box 7

Ledger 1: Elk Valley Farms Letter Book, 1881-1882

Ledger 2: Elk Valley Farms Letter Book, 1882-1883

Ledger 3: Elk Valley Farms Letter Book, 1888-1892

Ledger 4: Elk Valley Farms Letter Book, 1883-1887

Box 8

Ledger 5: Elk Valley Farms Letter Book, 1881-1882

Ledger 6: Elk Valley Farming Company Letter Book, 1892-1901

Ledger 7: Elk Valley Farming Company Letter Book, 1887-1892

Sub-Series 3: Executive Correspondence

This sub-series contains correspondence and documentation related to several named individuals at Elk Valley Farms: Clay Larimore, Jameson Larimore Jr., Newell G. Larimore, Walter Larimore, A.P. Lord., and Oscar Trippett.  Researchers should note that additional correspondence can be found in sub-series 1 and 2.

Box 1

Folder 22: Clay Larimore: Insurance Policy, 1896

Folder 23: Clay Larimore: California Land Documents, 1897-1898

Folder 24: Clay Larimore: Bank Books, 1916-1935

Folder 25: Clay Larimore: Farming Contracts, 1930-1933

Folder 26: Clay Larimore: Tax Documents, 1913-1928

Folder 27: Clay Larimore: Tax Documents, 1930-1938

Folder 28: Clay Larimore: Estate Documents, 1933-1939

Folder 29: Clay Larimore: Miscellaneous Documents, 1898-1934

Box 2

Folder 1: Jameson Larimore: Miscellaneous Documents, 1901-1947, 1956, 1987

Includes two telegrams from 1956 from Senator William Langer and Congressman Usher Burdick expressing congratulations to the city of Larimore for their 75th Anniversary

Folder 2: Jameson Larimore Jr.: Farming Contracts, 1933-1937

Folder 3: Jameson Larimore Jr.: Materials Related to Estate of Elizabeth Larimore, 1964

Folder 4: N.G. Larimore: Miscellaneous Documents, 1902-1903

Folder 5: Walter Larimore: Miscellaneous Documents, 1902-1926

Folder 6: A.P. Lord: Correspondence, 1912-June 1918

Folder 7: A.P. Lord: Correspondence, July 1918-1919

Folder 8: A.P. Lord: Assorted Banking Documents, 1908-1918

Folder 9: A.P. Lord: Business Receipts, 1917-1918

Folder 10: A.P. Lord: Assorted Business, Government, and Legal Documents, 1918

Folder 11: Oscar Trippett: Estate Materials, 1966-1991

Sub-Series 4: Financial Information, 1882-1995

Box 2

Folder 12: Financial Statements, 1925-1948

Folder 13: Financial Statements, 1949-1960

Folder 14: Financial Statements, 1961-1970

Folder 15: Financial Statements, 1971-1980

Folder 16: Tax Documents, 1909-1919

Folder 17: Tax Documents, 1920-1929

Folder 18: Tax Documents, 1930-1939

Folder 19: Tax Documents, 1940-1949

Folder 20: Tax Documents, 1950-1959

Folder 21: Tax Documents, 1960-1969

Folder 22: Tax Documents, 1970-1980

Box 3

Folder 1: Asset Documentation, 1893, 1937, 1941, 1989, 1993, 1995

Folder 2: Assorted Stock Certificates and Investments, 1882-1912

Folder 3: Assorted Financial Documents, 1902-1938

Folder 4: Bank Statements, 1916, 1938

Folder 5: Assorted Receipts, 1900-1918

Folder 6: Assorted Receipts, 1919-1920

Folder 7: Assorted Receipts, 1921-1939

Sub-Series 5: Tenant Farms, 1916-1987

These files regard the individual tenant farms which were part of Elk Valley Farms.

Box 3

Folder 8: Edison Farm #1, 1934-1947

Folder 9: Farm #1  (Home Farm), 1920-1987

Folder 10: Edison Farm #2, 1934-1948

Folder 11: Edison Farm #3, 1934-1948

Folder 12: Farm #3, 1916-1987

Folder 13: Farm #5, 1919-1987

Folder 14: Farm #6, 1924-1944

Folder 15: Farm #7, 1920-1987

Folder 16: Farm #8, 1922-1974

Folder 17: Farm #10, 1919-1978

Folder 18: Farm #13, 1918-1977

Folder 19: Farm #14, 1920-1973

Folder 20: Farm #15, 1920-1987

Folder 21: Farm #16, 1918-1987

Folder 22: Farm #17

Folder 23: Farm E.A. and E.E., 1936-1947

Folder 24: Farm Pi (Pifer), 1930-1986

Folder 25: Grand Forks County Agreement #133: Delmer Thorsell and Gladys E. Taylor, 1946

Folder 26: Grand Forks County Agreement #134: Adolph Marien and Gladys E. Taylor, 1946

Folder 27: Grand Forks County Agreement #176: W.E. Stormswold, 1946

Folder 28: Grand Forks County Agreement #244: Elk Valley Farms/Tony Markovich, 1948

Folder 29: Grand Forks County Agreement #245: Elk Valley Farms/Harley Ehlers, 1948

Folder 30: Grand Forks County Agreement #299: Elk Valley Farms/Clarence H. Meyer, 1948

Folder 31: Grand Forks County Agreement #365: Elk Valley Farms/John Farrell, 1948

Folder 32: Grand Forks County Agreement #370: Elk Valley Farms/Don Shide, 1948

Folder 33: Grand Forks County Agreement #373: Elk Valley Farms/William Shide, 1948

Folder 34: Grand Forks County Agreement #374: Elk Valley Farms/Gust Johnson, 1948

Folder 35: Grand Forks County Agreement #376: Elk Valley Farms/Sigurd Rasmussen, 1948

Folder 36: Grand Forks County Agreement #377: Elk Valley Farms/E. Fanning, 1948

Folder 37: Grand Forks County Agreement #378: Elk Valley Farms/Harold Warne, 1948

Folder 38: Grand Forks County Agreement #379: Elk Valley Farms/H.H. Pifer, 1948

Folder 39: Miscellaneous Farming Contracts, 1930, 1937, 1946

Sub-Series 6: Mexican Land, 1909-1951

This sub-series regards land owned by Elk Valley Farms in Mexico.

Box 4

Folder 1: Correspondence, 1911-1925

Folder 2: Correspondence, 1926

Folder 3: Correspondence, 1927

Folder 4: Correspondence, 1928

Folder 5: Correspondence, 1929

Folder 6: Correspondence, 1930

Folder 7: Correspondence, 1931

Folder 8: Correspondence, 1932

Folder 9: Correspondence, 1933

Folder 10: Correspondence, 1934

Folder 11: Correspondence, 1935-1936

Folder 12: Correspondence, 1937-1947

Folder 13: Land and Legal Documents, 1905-1951

Folder 14: Financial Documents, 1913-1944

Folder 15: Receipts, 1909-1925

Folder 16: Receipts, 1926-1929

Folder 17: Receipts

Sub-Series 7: General Files, 1884-2003

Box 4

Folder 18: Elk Valley Bank, Litton Real Estate Transaction, 1910-1919

Folder 19: Crop Yield Reports, 1928-1964

Folder 20: Crop Yield Reports, 1965-1984

Folder 21: Hoverson Farms Correspondence, 1997-2001

Folder 22: Hoverson Farms Assorted Land and Legal Documents, 1995-2003

Folder 23: Hoverson Farms Invoices, 1996-2003

Folder 24: Lake Agassiz Sugar Corporation, 1961-1967

Folder 25: Legal Documents, 1884-1908

Folder 26: Legal Documents, 1914-1965

Folder 27: Legal Documents, 1970-1994

Folder 28: Legal Documents, 1995-1999

Folder 29: Legal Documents, undated

Folder 30: New Office Building, 1970

Folder 31: North Dakota Worker's Compensation Bureau, 1919-1923

Folder 32: Potato Warehouse Construction Correspondence, 1944-1955

Folder 33: Potato Warehouse Construction Permits, 1944-1955

Folder 34: Potato Warehouse Construction Plans and Material Lists, 1942-1944

Folder 35: Potato Warehouse Receipts, 1930-1955

Folder 36: Potato Warehouse Construction Informational and Promotional Materials

Folder 37: Telephone Utility Annual Reports, 1931-1972

Box 5

Folder 1: Trippett Farms, 1965-1991

Folder 2: Trustees of Elk Valley Farms, 1937-1941

Sub-Series 8: Ledger Books, 1879-2004

This sub-series consists of bound ledger books related to Elk Valley Farms.  Some of these have been placed in Boxes 9 and 10, while others have been placed on the shelves adjacent to the collection.

Ledger 1: Elk Valley Farms Wage Journal Book, 1899-1919

Ledger 2: Elk Valley Farms Cash Book, 1916-1919

Ledger 3: Elk Valley Farming Company Cash Book, 1897-1916

Ledger 4: Elk Valley Farms Journal Book, 1907-1926

Includes Articles of Incorporation, By-Laws, Meeting Minutes, and Other Documents

Ledger 5: Elk Valley Farms Ledger Book, 1922-1929

Ledger 6: Elk Valley Farms Ledger Book, 1898-1920

Ledger 7: Elk Valley Farms Ledger Book, 1927

Ledger 8: Elk Valley Farming Co. Stock Ledger, 1881-1903

Ledger 9: Elk Valley Farms Employee Ledger Book, 1916-1917

Ledger 10: Elk Valley Farms Ledger Book, 1938-1962

Ledger 11: Elk Valley Farms Ledger Book, 1955-1978

Ledger 12: Elk Valley Farms Ledger Book, 1955-1962

Ledger 13: Elk Valley Farms Property Ledger Book, 1946-1980

Ledger 14: Elk Valley Farms Ledger Book, 1931-2004

Ledger 15: Elk Valley Farms Potato Ledger Book, 1935-1996

Ledger 16: Elk Valley Farms Ledger Book, 1930-1955

Ledger 17: Elk Valley Farms Ledger Book, 1979-2004

Ledger 18: Elk Valley Potato Growers Association Ledger Book, 1956-1986

Ledger 19: Elk Valley Farms Potato Growers Ledger Book, 1950-1955

Box 9

Ledger 25: Elk Valley Farming Company Stock Certificate Book, 1881-1903

Ledger 26: Elk Valley Farms Stock Certificate Book, 1907-1921

Ledger 27: Elk Valley Farms Stock Ledger and Journal, 1907-1921

Ledger 28: Elk Valley Farms Wheat Ledger Book, 1879-1880

Ledger 29: Elk Valley Farming Company Record of Larimore Town Lots and Farming Lands, 1900-1920

Ledger 30: Elk Valley Farms Time Book, 1916-1918

Ledger 31: Elk Valley Farms Employee Ledger Book, 1916-1929

Ledger 32: Elk Valley Farms Employee Ledger Book, 1930-1935

Ledger 33: Elk Valley Farms Renters Ledger Book, 1916-1929

Box 10

Ledger 34: Elk Valley Farms Ledger Book, 1913-1914, 1935

Ledger 36: Elk Valley Farms Ledger Book, 1914-1933

Ledger 37: Elk Valley Farms Ledger Book, 1918-1935

Series 3: Elk Valley Farms Elevator, 1901-1996

Series 3 contains material related to Elk Valley Farms Elevator, which was incorporated separately from Elk Valley Farms.  The series consists largely of financial information, although meeting minutes, correspondence and newspaper clippings are also included.

Box 5

Folder 3: Executive Binder, 1974-1994

Contents of the folder were originally in a 3 Ring Binder.  The original order of the binder was maintained. Contains sections entitled "Minutes & By-Laws", "Certificate Book", and "Transfer Ledger"

Folder 4: Minutes of Meetings of the Board of Directors, 1975-1992

Folder 5: General Correspondence, 1934-1936, 1960

Folder 6: Newspaper Clippings, 1948, 1953-1954, 1968

Regarding elevator fires in 1948 and 1953

Folder 7: Financial Documents, 1911-1914

Folder 8: Financial Statements, 1975-1985

Folder 9: Financial Statements, 1986-1995

Folder 10: Tax Documents, 1926-1975

Folder 11: Burlington Northern Railroad Correspondence, 1935-1996

Folder 12: Burlington Northern Railroad Spur Agreement Blueprints, 1901-1974

Folder 13: Burlington Northern Railroad Spur Agreement Leases, 1924-1996

Folder 14: Assorted Legal Documents

Ledger 20: Elk Valley Farms Elevator Ledger Book, 1942-1952

Ledger 21: Elk Valley Farms Elevator Expense Account Ledger Book, 1962-1979

Ledger 22: Elk Valley Farms Elevator Ledger Book, 1980-1995

Series 4: Elk Valley Supply, Inc., 1975-1994

Series 4 contains materials related to Elk Valley Supply, Inc., a separately incorporated business from Elk Valley Farms.  This small series contains executive information and financial materials.

Box 5

Folder 15: Executive Binder, 1975-1994

Folder 16: Financial Statements, 1975-1985

Folder 17: Financial Statements, 1986-1993

Ledger 23: Elk Valley Supply Company Ledger Book, 1972-1995

Series 5: Edison Farms, 1881-1941

Edison Farms was another farming operation near Larimore.  In addition to geographic proximity, the Edisons were related to the Larimore family, through Sarah (Moore) Larimore, the wife of Jameson Larimore I.  Elk Valley Farms had an extensive business relationship with Edison Farms.

Box 5

Folder 18: Correspondence, 1892-1920

Folder 19: Abstracts of Title, 1883-1898

Folder 20: Abstracts of Title, 1906

Folder 21: Abstracts of Title, 1911

Folder 22: Assorted Land Documents, 1889-1916

Folder 23: Assorted Land and Property Lists, 1902, but mainly undated

Folder 24: Public Land Certificates, 1883-1889

Folder 25: Assorted Court Documents, 1894-1920

Folder 26: Assorted Business Receipts, 1881-1914

Folder 27: Tax Statements from Grand Forks County, 1935-1941

Box 6

Folder 1: Miscellaneous Financial Materials, 1891-1911

Folder 2: Legal Documents Related to the Estate of Thomas S. Edison, 1898-1914

Folder 3: Assorted Materials Related to the 1940 Barn Construction

Box 10

Ledger 38: J.S. Edison Estate Ledger Book, 1900-1919

Ledger 39: Edison Estate Ledger Book, 1900-1917

Series 6: Crystal Springs Stock Farm, 1900-1922

Series 6 contains materials related to the Crystal Springs Stock Farm, which has also located near Larimore.  The nature of the relationship between Crystal Springs and Elk Valley is unclear,

Box 6

Folder 4: Correspondence, 1900, 1901, 1916

Folder 5: Correspondence, April-September 1917

Folder 6: Correspondence, October-December 1917

Folder 7: Correspondence, 1918

Folder 8: Correspondence, 1919

Folder 9: Correspondence, 1920

Folder 10: Correspondence, 1921

Folder 11: Correspondence, 1922

Folder 12: Correspondence, undated

Folder 13: Assorted Receipts, 1916-1919

Folder 14: Assorted Receipts, 1920-1922

Folder 15: Assorted Receipts, undated

Folder 16: Miscellaneous

Folder 17: E.W. Cunningham, Correspondence, 1914

Folder 18: E.W. Cunningham, Correspondence, 1917

Folder 19: E.W. Cunningham, Correspondence, Undated

Folder 20: E.W. Cunningham, Assorted Land, Real Estate and Tax Documents, 1913, 1914, 1917

Folder 21: E.W. Cunningham, Business Receipts, 1914, 1917

Series 7: Charles Olmstead Materials, 1862-1917

Series 7 contains records related to Charles Olmstead (1842-1917), who ran a general store in Larimore.  He was born December 28, 1842, in Orleans County, New York.  During the Civil War, he served in the Union Army, with both the Second Ohio Volunteer Infantry Regiment and the Second Michigan Cavalry.  He moved to Larimore in 1881.  His connection to Elk Valley Farms is uncertain, as is how the Elk Valley Farms came into possession of these documents.  Charles Olmstead died March 7, 1917, in Grand Forks County.

Box 6

Folder 22: Biographical Materials

Folder 23: Civil War Enlistment and Discharge Papers, 1862, 1865

Folder 24: Civil War Assorted Documents, 1862

Folder 25: Civil War Pension Materials, 1865-1914

Folder 26: Correspondence: Hiram Olmstead (brother), 1888-1913

Folder 27: Correspondence: Knights of Pythias, 1883-1916

Folder 28: Business Correspondence, 1886-1917

Folder 29: Business Documents from Elk Valley Farms and Elk Valley Bank, 1882-1914

Folder 30: Business Receipts

Folder 31: Business: Fire Insurance Policies, 1898, 1899, 1910, 1913

Folder 32: Assorted Legal Documents, 1870-1913

Folder 33: Patent Assignments to Olmstead, 1877-1878

Folder 34: Guardianship of Lena M. Olmstead, 1883-1887

Folder 35: Grand Forks County Fair Association, 1903-1906

Folder 36: Stock from the Larimore Improvement Company, 1902

Series 8: Double LL Stores of Crosby, Inc., 1980-1984

The 8th series consists of one accounting ledger book from Double LL Stores in Crosby, North Dakota.  The business had dealings with Elk Valley Farms, beginning in 1980.

Ledger 24: Ledger Book, 1980-1984

Series 9: J.B. Streeter Real Estate Company, 1893-1908

Series 9 contains one ledger related to the J.B. Streeter Real Estate Company, which was likely located in Larimore.  The ledger is dated 1893-1908. The firm had numerous dealings with Elk Valley Farms, as evidenced by entries in the ledger.

Box 10

Ledger 40: J. B. Streeter Real Estate Company Journal and Ledger Book, 1893-1908

Series 10: Photographs

Box 6

Folder 37: Larimore Family Members

Photograph 1: Women's Relief Corps, Appomattox Chapter No. 6, 1903

Members had to be relatives of Civil War Veterans.  Includes Lizzie Mathews (later Mrs. Walter Larimore) and Ellen Olmstead (Mrs. C.H. Olmstead)

Photograph 2: Lizzie Mathews (Mrs. Walter Larimore), undated

King Studios, Northfield, Minnesota

Photograph 3: Unidentified group of school children and teacher, May 1877

Photograph 4: Group photograph (Jameson Larimore Jr. second from the right), July 1956

Photograph 5: Jameson Larimore Jr., undated

Folder 38: Various Exterior Photographs of the Elk Valley Farms Elevator

Folder 39: Various Interior Photographs of the Elk Valley Farms Elevator

Folder 40: Interior Photographs of the Elk Valley Farms Elevator with People

Photograph 6: Unidentified man with equipment.  Likely from the first elevator, undated

Photograph 7: Unidentified man with Jameson Larimore Jr., undated

Photograph 8: Two unidentified men near a scale, undated

Photograph 9: Unidentified man with equipment, undated

Folder 41: Elk Valley Farms Elevator Fire, 14 December 1953

Photograph 10: Night Scene of the Fire, 14 December 1953

Photograph 11: Morning Scene of the Fire, 14 December 1953

Series 11: Separated Materials

The contents of this series were separated and placed in the Oversize File Cabinets.

Oversize Folder 1

Item 1: Poster: "Forty-three Deering Binders at work on the Elk Valley Farm, Larimore, North Dakota, in the presence of the Foreign Commissioners of the World's Columbian Exposition."  The poster includes the autographs of the Foreign Commissioners., 29 August 1893

Item 2: Plat map of Larimore, showing the location of Elk Valley Farms, undated

Item 3: Illustration of Elk Valley Farming Co., drawn by Capel Rowley, undated

Item 4: Loose Letter Book Pages, 1902-1903

Item 5: Civil War Document:  "Volunteer Descriptive List and Account of Pay and Clothing of Charles Olmstead, Private", 29 August 1862