Farmer's Union Cooperative Shipping Association (Greenwood, Wis.) Records, 1929-1971
Content Description
Records of a non-profit association which bought, sold, and transported livestock for its members, and which affiliated with the Equity Cooperative Livestock Sales Association in 1931. Included are minutes, correspondence, annual reports, auction sales records, tax returns, and other records.
The records primarily document the 1950s and early 1960s and are divided into three series: Administrative, Financial, and Published Material. Within the ADMINISTRATIVE series, the Record Book is the best source of history for the cooperative. Minutes from annual membership and quarterly directors meetings are recorded from the birth of the organization to its dissolution in 1966. The volume also provides an undated listing of members. Scattered documents comprise the Equity annual meetings file while clippings, correspondence and undated administrative documents, including a draft of bylaws, constitute the Miscellany file.
The Ledger in the FINANCIAL series is indexed and lists the expenses and income of the co-op from 1950 to 1966. The 1954 Federal Census of Business is a copy of the co-op's return. Composing the largest portion of this series are the Sales reports, records indicating the prices received for various types of livestock by individual farmers. They note at which auction the animal was sold as well as the association fees and other expenses deducted.
The Equity Livestock News Round-Up and the Wisconsin Council of Agriculture Cooperative Newsletter constitute the PUBLISHED MATERIAL series. The issues contained within the files are for scattered months during the years listed.
Dates
- Creation: 1929-1971
Creator
Access Restrictions
Collection is open to the public.
Use Restrictions
Researchers are responsible for using in accordance with 17 U.S.C. For more information regarding the copyright status of this collection please contact the Wisconsin Historical Society.
Biographical/Historical Note
The Farmer's Union Cooperative Shipping Association, known also as the Greenwood Shipping Association, was founded at Greenwood, Wisconsin, on December 3, 1929. Located in a small town in west-central Wisconsin, the co-op functioned as a non-profit association that bought, sold and transported livestock for its members. By 1931 it affiliated with the Equity Cooperative Livestock Sales Association, Milwaukee, to which it shipped livestock for sale. Equity opened regional markets, first for direct shipments to packers and later as auction markets. The Farmer's Union Cooperative shipped primarily to the Stratford and Altoona markets. These records best document the co-op's part in Equity's auction marketing system.
In 1966 the members of the Farmer's Union Cooperative voted to join with other area sales co-ops that were members of Equity Cooperative to form the Equity Stratford Livestock Marketing Cooperative. The last meeting of the Farmer's Union Co-op, at which the directors determined what property and records to turn over to Equity Stratford, was recorded on January 28, 1967.
Extent
1.6 Linear Feet (2 archives boxes, 1 flat box)
Language of Materials
English
Summary
Records of a non-profit association which bought, sold, and transported livestock for its members, and which affiliated with the Equity Cooperative Livestock Sales Association in 1931. Included are minutes, correspondence, annual reports, auction sales records, tax returns, and other records.
Wisconsin Historical Society Descriptive Finding Aid
A duplicate copy of the information in this finding aid is also available through the Wisconsin Historical Society: Register of the Farmer's Union Cooperative Shipping Association (Greenwood, Wis.) Records, 1929-1971
Acquisition Information
Presented by Ernest Elmer, Greenwood, Wisconsin, 1977.
Accession Number
M77-267
Processing Note
Processed by Vivian Laflamme and Joanne Hohler, February 1983.
Subject
- Equity Cooperative Livestock Sales Association (Organization)
- Farmer's Union Cooperative Association (Organization)
- Greenwood Shipping Association (Wis.) (Organization)
- Equity Stratford Livestock Marketing Cooperative (Organization)
- Status
- Published
- Author
- Kierstin Wagner
- Date
- April 5, 2024
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Eau Claire Area Research Center, McIntyre Library, UW-Eau Claire Repository
103 Garfield Avenue
Eau Claire Wisconsin 54701 United States
715-836-2739
library.archives@uwec.edu