Farmers Elevator Company Records (Yorkville), 1908-1985 | Northern Illinois University

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Collection Overview

Title: Farmers Elevator Company Records (Yorkville), 1908-1985

ID: RHC/RC/109

Extent: 25.5 Linear Feet

Date Acquired: 08/27/1980. More info below under Accruals.

Subjects: Coal trade, Farmers Elevator Company, Farm supply industries, Grain, Kentland (Ill.), Yorkville (Ill.)

Languages: English

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

Coal trade
Farmers Elevator Company
Farm supply industries
Grain
Kentland (Ill.)
Yorkville (Ill.)

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