Tradition Farms Questionnaires and Supplemental Material, 1986 – [ongoing]

Ms. Collection 216

• Introduction
• Historical Sketch
• Scope and Content
• Suggested Citation
• Container List
• Appendix A: Alphabetical Listing of Owners of Tradition Farms Where County Is Unknown
• Appendix B: Tradition Farms Listing by County

Introduction

The farming tradition is an important component found in Kansas. Families are proud of their heritage. They want to share their endeavors with others.

In July, 1986, the Kansas Tradition Farms program began when Governor John Carlin formed a committee to plan for Kansas’ one hundred twenty-fifth statehood anniversary. The main criteria stipulated that the farms must have been obtained by an ancestor of the current owner’s family one hundred or more years ago. It must either have been farmed or resided upon by a descendant of that founder today. The recipients have received a certificate presented by the Kansas secretary of agriculture and signed by the Kansas governor. The Kansas Tradition Farms program has not changed since its inception in 1986.

Included in the collection are four boxes of questionnaires with supplemental material. The additional material is comprised of correspondence, notes, and photocopied pictures and clippings, from 1986 to the present. Many of the Kansas Tradition Farms’ families sent in original pictures of their farms and family members. The Kansas Historical Society's photographs staff has made copies of those originals for the photo collection. The originals were sent back to the participants.

The collection is composed mainly of questionnaires sent by the Kansas Department of Agriculture. In addition, historical and modern photograph copies are included in the files. Both the Kansas Department of Agriculture and the Kansas Historical Society’s manuscripts collection have the farm history records.

Linear feet of shelf space occupied: 1.698

There are no restrictions on access to these papers.

This collection has been arranged to the document level, listed to the box level, and cataloged and described to the collection level.

Historical Sketch

From its inception in July, 1986, the Tradition Farms project has recognized farm families’ contributions to Kansas. A certificate is given to the farm recipients upon complying with the requirements. Carole A. Jordan, public information officer for the Kansas Department of Agriculture, felt gratified at the response of the people to the project. “People love to talk about their families and farms. It makes you feel good to talk with them.” (Carole A. Jordan, “Program Honors Old Family Farms,” Hutchinson News, July 27, 1986.)

Scope and Contents

The Tradition Farms collection contains questionnaires and supplemental material of farms held by family members for one hundred or more years. Beginning in 1986 to the present, the program has continued to flourish in Kansas. The collection is composed of completed questionnaires, correspondence, and photocopied pictures and notes.

Two significant aspects of the collection pertain to the willingness of the farm families to share their experiences and the pride they have in being Kansas Tradition Farms members. A researcher wishing to pursue the subject would find substantial material relating to the “families’ times on the farm.”

Numerous situations seem to come to life from the papers. Droughts, grasshoppers, blizzards, and rattlesnakes seemed to be present in many of the scenarios. Yet, the Kansas farmers not only survived, but seemed to become more resilient from the experience. One example involved a young lady who was scalped by the Indians, survived the harrowing encounter, married, and had children.

Kansans have a special pride in their heritage. One farm family is a cousin to Jean Stratton Porter, the writer. Another farm family was a cousin to the late Walt Disney.

The questionnaires and supplemental material are arranged in alphabetical order with A-G in box 1, H-K in box 2, L-R in box 3, and S-Z in box 4. (There is a newspaper clipping pertaining to the project in box 1, folder 1.)

Suggested Citation

The suggested citation form for this collection is:

[name of document], [date of document], [series, if applicable], Tradition Farms ms. collection, no. 216, State Archives & Library, Kansas Historical Society.

Series and folder designations are not necessary but often can help archivists locate materials more quickly.

An example of a specific citation:

Baldwin, Joe. File, box 1, Questionnaires and Supplemental Material, Tradition Farms ms. collection, no. 216, State Archives & Library, Kansas Historical Society.

Container List

Appendix A: Alphabetical Listing of Owners of Tradition Farms Where County Is Unknown

• Abrahamson, Roy
• Allen, Duane and Sharon
• Bartholomew, Kenneth
• Beggs, Eugene V.
• Bell, Phyllis
• Bloomberg, Elton Edstal
• Bortz, Mrs. Walter (Nellie)
• Bourne, Mrs. B. A. (Dorothy R.)
• Brownback, Judith West
• Burns, Gene
• Christiansen, Mrs. Arthur (Pauline Kubler)
• Cole, Robert and Geraldine
• Cooper, Lowell E.
• Dettmer, Paul F.
• DeVault, E. N.
• Dodson, Carl E.
• Dooley, Donald and Louise (Hyde)
• Dresher, Howard S.
• Ellis, Ray H. and Helen
• Ellison, Elwyn D.
• Farris, Eldon Eugene
• Fisher, Fred R.
• Forssberg, Keith Eugene and Patricia Ann Scollin
• Freace, Charlotte
• Gaines, Ada
• Gilstrap, Alva Grace
• Goebel, Emma
• Gustafson, Carl M.
• Hageman, Lewis
• Hager, Mina Snook
• Hain, Henry
• Hancks, Elizabeth Howell
• Harper, C. Wayne
• Hathaway, Ralph and Beth
• Hazen, Sterling Wyatt
• Hemme, David Joseph
• Hetzke, Susanne K.
• Hill, Frances Shellito
• Hommertzheim, Gerhard J.
• Horchem, Chloe Scott
• Horn, Robert L.
• Hoskinson, Mrs. Cecil L.
• Hoskinson, Lorene E.
• Hulstine, Ivan E.
• Humberg, Thomas and Carolyn Joan (Dirks)
• Jenista, J. R.
• Johnson, Mildred A.
• Johnson, Lawrence W.
• Johnson, Mrs. L. P.
• Jory, Carol A.
• Kaufman, Lorraine
• Kilgore, Theron C.
• Kinnamon, Wilbur
• Kirkpatrick, Edward L.
• Kirkwood, Arlyn
• Koch, Joseph C.
• Kolbeck, Ivan
• Kolling, Henry M. and Phyllis I. (Long)
• Kubin, Dale
• Landgren, Marvin
• Landis, Mrs. Samuel D.
• Lanham, Edna G.
• Leis, Norma
• Lewis, Dorothy Ann
• Loring, Glenn R.
• Lucas, Daisy A.
• Marken, Harland L.
• Marte, P. Junior
• Mast, Fred and Katie
• Meseke, Arthur H.
• Mueller, John and Nell
• Mueller, Fay A. and Edith
• Nelson, Mel
• Newman, Sara Marie (Stielow)
• Nichols, Wilma M. (Fuller)
• Nikkel, Theodore P. and Helen
• Norris, Dolores Louise (Klink)
• Osborn, Neal
• Ostberg, Ted A.
• Peterson, Arden D.
• Powers, Mrs. Aca (Hazel)
• Raup, Rowland S.
• Ricker, Mrs. Faye Edith (Corwin)
• Riordan, Vincent J.
• Sandberg, Mrs. T. W.
• Sanders, John L. and Zelma G. (Tarr)
• Schlochtermeier, Mrs. Pete (Susanne Dikes)
• Schmidt, Mrs. Marion C.
• Schmidt, Norman D.
• Scott, Harold B.
• Shields, Fred and Virginia
• Skolout, Frank
• Smith, William T. and Nellie E. (Cottrell)
• Smith, Ronald and Marge
• Soodsma, Vernon Dale
• Sorem, James R., Jr., and Mary Joanne
• Stadler, David G. and Phyllis B.
• Steele, Dale
• Stoughton, Ellis and Mary E.
• Ten Eyck, Ralph and Juanita
• Timberlake, Helen and Harry
• Toothaker, Willis
• Turner, William Leonard
• Weihe, Genevieve M.
• Wheaton, Dorothy L.
• Wheeler, Norris E.
• White, Ernest A.
• Wiebe, Leland and Anna Lee
• Wight, Albert
• Wise, Norman Keith
• Woodrow, Tyrell
• Wright, Bill R.

Appendix B: Tradition Farms Listing by County

Processed by: Patty Emmerich, Lela Barnes Intern, 1991