.
Collection Overview
Scope and Contents of the Materials
Primarily a collection documenting financial history, the Farmers Elevator Company Records trace the development of a large agribusiness in Kendall County, Illinois. Records date from 1908 to 1985 and include an incomplete set of meeting minutes containing the articles of incorporation and lists of stockholders, the constitution and by-laws, audit reports (1930-1975), correspondence, legal agreements, court claims, and financial ledgers. The financial ledgers document grain sales, shipments, and purchases, and coal sales. Of particular interest is the correspondence from the United States Food Administration (1917-1918) describing company reporting procedures for railroad shipments and grain purchases.
Collection Historical Note
Incorporated on October 3, 1908, the Farmers Elevator Company’s first board of directors elected J. Wampah, president, Lewis Christiansen, vice president, E. B. Thomas, secretary, L.C. Martner, treasurer, and appointed Guy Corzine, company manager. The Porport property in Yorkville, Illinois, purchased for $2500 on December 5, 1908, became the site of the company’s first business offices and elevators. On October 26, 1912, the firm approved a second elevator site in Kentland, Illinois. Annual picnics, started in 1909, provided social entertainment br stockholders and company employees.
In February, 1909 the Farmers Elevator Company signed an agreement with the Chicago, Burlington, and Quincy Railroad which agreed to construct a side track to the elevator to facilitate shipping and receiving operations. Two years later the Fox and Illinois Union Railroad built a short line between Yorkville and Morris, Illinois connected to the C. B. & Q. railroad in Yorkville. The Kentland elevator site used this track for moving grain, coal, and lumber. Working closely with area agribusinesses, the Farmers Elevator Company provides needed supplies to the farmers of Kendall County.
Subject/Index Terms
Administrative Information
Repository:
Northern Illinois University
Accruals:
An addendum was added at a later date.
Access Restrictions:
There are no restrictions on access to the collection.
Use Restrictions:
Property rights in the collection remain with the Farmers Elevator Company; literary rights are dedicated to the public.
Acquisition Source:
Steve Bazan
Acquisition Method:
Steve Bazan, President, deposited the Farmers Elevator Company Records with the Regional History Center on August 27, 1980.
Related Materials:
Researchers should note other collections held by the Regional History Center documenting agribusiness in northern Illinois: Embree Lumber Company (RC 7); Lindenwood Grain Co-op (RC 11); Uplinger Lumber, Grain, and Coal Company (RC 16); Mighell and Wakefield Smithy, Grain and Coal Company (RC 22); H. W. Colwill Collection (RC 47); North Corn Belt Seed Growers, Inc. (RC 90); Colehour Grain Elevator (RC 91); Will-DuPage Service Company (RC 94); Kendall-Grundy FS Company (RC 105); and the DeKalb, Kane, Winnebago, DuPage, Carroll, Kendall, and Grundy County Farm Bureau Collections (RC 52, 76, 79, 87, 96, 103, 106).
Box and Folder Listing
Browse by Box:
[
Box 1],
[
Volume 1: Financial Account Ledger (1 volume), 1909-1910],
[
Volume 2: Daily Journal (1 volume), 1909-1913],
[
Box 2],
[
Box 3],
[
Volume 3-4: General Ledgers (2 volumes), 1926-1929],
[
Volume 5-11: General Ledger Trial Balances (7 volumes), 1922-1929],
[
Box 3A],
[
Volume 12-23: General Ledgers (12 volumes), 1934-1951],
[
Volume 24-34: Day Books (11 volumes), 1910-1942],
[
Volume 35-36: (Kentland ?) Day Books (2 volumes), 1926-1927, 1936-1943],
[
Box 4],
[
Box 5],
[
Volume 37-46: Financial Ledgers (10 volumes), 1912-1917],
[
Volume 47-49: Check Registers and Index (3 volumes), 1909-1913],
[
Box 6],
[
Volume 50-53: Grain Scale Books (4 volumes), 1909-1913],
[
Box 7],
[
Volume 54-56: Grain Scale Books (3 volumes), 1939-1943],
[
Box 8],
[
Box 9],
[
Volume 57-61: Grain Sales, Shipments, and Returns (5 volumes), 1909-1966],
[
Volume 62: Grain Receiving Ledger (1 volume), no date],
[
Box 10],
[
Box 11],
[
Box 12],
[
Addendum 1],
[All]
- Box 1
- Folder 1-3: Minute Books, 1908-1923, 1960-1969
- Folder 4: Constitution and By-Laws, 1909, 1922
- Folder 5: Financial Reports, 1926, 1967, 1970
- Folder 6-13: Audit Reports, 1930-1975
- Folder 14: Agreement with Chicago, Burlington, and Quincy Railroad, 1909
- Folder 15: Correspondence and Contracts with Chicago, Burlington & Quincy (C. B. & Q.) Railroad, 1910-1915
- Folder 16: Correspondence From U. S. Food Administration, 1917-1918
- Folder 17: Complaint against Fox and Illinois Union Railroad, 1911-1914
- Folder 18: Contracts, 1911-1914
- Folder 19: Court Claim against Charlie Jones, 1933-1940
- Folder 20: Stock Certificates, 1909
- Folder 21: Proxies, 1930-1931
- Folder 22: Annual Meeting and Picnic Announcement, 1910
- Folder 23: Insurance Policy, 1910
- Volume 1: Financial Account Ledger (1 volume), 1909-1910
- Volume 2: Daily Journal (1 volume), 1909-1913
- Box 2
- Volume 1: Record of Paid Stock Shares (1 volume), 1909-1915
- Volume 2-5: General Ledgers (4 volumes), 1915-1921
- Box 3
- Volume 1: General Ledger (1 volume), 1921-1922
- Folder 1: General Ledger Sheets, 1922
- Volume 2-4: Kentland General Ledgers (3 volumes), 1915-1920
- Folder 2-6: General Ledger Trial Balances, 1915-1920
- Volume 3-4: General Ledgers (2 volumes), 1926-1929
- Volume 5-11: General Ledger Trial Balances (7 volumes), 1922-1929
- Box 3A
- Folder 1-3: General Ledger Trial Balances, 1951-1961
- Volume 12-23: General Ledgers (12 volumes), 1934-1951
- Volume 24-34: Day Books (11 volumes), 1910-1942
- Volume 35-36: (Kentland ?) Day Books (2 volumes), 1926-1927, 1936-1943
- Box 4
- Folder 1-5: Financial Journals, 1910-1913
- Folder 6: Wage Record, 1915
- Folder 7: Treasurer's Cash and Ledger, 1908
- Folder 8-14: Financial Record Books, 1909-1915
- Box 5
- Folder 1-5: Financial Record Books, 1913-1919
- Folder 6-10: Sales Records, 1920-1925
- Folder 11: Cash Book, 1931-1933
- Folder 12: Lumber Price List, no date
- Volume 37-46: Financial Ledgers (10 volumes), 1912-1917
- Volume 47-49: Check Registers and Index (3 volumes), 1909-1913
- Box 6
- Volume 1: Inventories (1 volume), 1914-1939
- Volume 50-53: Grain Scale Books (4 volumes), 1909-1913
- Box 7
- Folder 1-8: Grain Scale Books, 1920-1937
- Volume 54-56: Grain Scale Books (3 volumes), 1939-1943
- Box 8
- Folder 1-9: Grain Scale Books, 1937-1939, 1943-1952
- Box 9
- Volume 1-8: Grain Scale Booksb (8 volumes), 1952-1961
- Volume 9: Grain Purchase Account (Kentland?) (1 volume), 1915
- Volume 57-61: Grain Sales, Shipments, and Returns (5 volumes), 1909-1966
- Volume 62: Grain Receiving Ledger (1 volume), no date
- Box 10
- Volume 1: Kentland Grain Purchase Accounts (1 volume), 1921-1926
- Box 11
- Volume 1: Kentland Grain Purchase Accounts (1 volume), 1937-1939
- Folder 1-2: Coal Wagon Load Records, 1909-1911
- Folder 3: Coal Sales Book, 1916-1917
- Folder 4-5: Coal Record Books, 1958-1966
- Box 12
- Volume 1: Grain Purchase Accounts (1 volume), 1940-1947
- Addendum 1
- Box 13
- Folder 1-2: Audit Reports, 1976-1984
- Folder 3: Share Holders, 1955-1962
- Folder 4: Statement of Financial Condition, 1963-1964, 1976
- Folder 5: Trustee's Agreement, August 27, 1921
- Folder 6: Court Case File - Gerald Anderson, 1977-1978
- Volume 1-2: Minute Books (2 volumes), October 22, 1969-July 30, 1985
Browse by Box:
[
Box 1],
[
Volume 1: Financial Account Ledger (1 volume), 1909-1910],
[
Volume 2: Daily Journal (1 volume), 1909-1913],
[
Box 2],
[
Box 3],
[
Volume 3-4: General Ledgers (2 volumes), 1926-1929],
[
Volume 5-11: General Ledger Trial Balances (7 volumes), 1922-1929],
[
Box 3A],
[
Volume 12-23: General Ledgers (12 volumes), 1934-1951],
[
Volume 24-34: Day Books (11 volumes), 1910-1942],
[
Volume 35-36: (Kentland ?) Day Books (2 volumes), 1926-1927, 1936-1943],
[
Box 4],
[
Box 5],
[
Volume 37-46: Financial Ledgers (10 volumes), 1912-1917],
[
Volume 47-49: Check Registers and Index (3 volumes), 1909-1913],
[
Box 6],
[
Volume 50-53: Grain Scale Books (4 volumes), 1909-1913],
[
Box 7],
[
Volume 54-56: Grain Scale Books (3 volumes), 1939-1943],
[
Box 8],
[
Box 9],
[
Volume 57-61: Grain Sales, Shipments, and Returns (5 volumes), 1909-1966],
[
Volume 62: Grain Receiving Ledger (1 volume), no date],
[
Box 10],
[
Box 11],
[
Box 12],
[
Addendum 1],
[All]