Records of the National Western Stock Show

Collection

Identifier: ANWS

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

Records of the National Western Stock Show consists of documents dated 1906 to 1979, with the bulk falling from 1946 through 1970. Subjects include the history of the organization, participants in the annual shows, involvement by 4-H Club members, and judging contest results. The collection includes meeting minutes, charter and by-laws, membership lists, press releases, programs, judging results, premium lists, 4-H Roundup reports, clippings, visual materials, phonograph records, and a trophy. Due to the obsolescence of playback equipment for the phonograph records, items from Series 10 are not currently available for listening.

Dates

Creation: 1906-1979
Creation: Majority of material found within 1946-1970

Creator

National Western Stock Show (Organization)

Restrictions on Access

There are no access restrictions on this collection. However, the collection is stored off-site, so advance notice is required.

Restrictions on Use

Not all of the material in the collection is in the public domain. Researchers are responsible for addressing copyright issues.

History

The National Western Stock Show was organized in 1906 in Denver, Colorado, and continues to be an important agricultural event every January. It attracts ranchers and farmers from around the world, who display their stock and learn about advances in livestock management techniques.

In 1905, several forward-thinking agriculturalists realized the need to hold an annual stock show to demonstrate better breeding and feeding techniques to area stockmen. This group included Elias M. Ammons, president of the Colorado Cattle and Horse Growers Association and later governor of Colorado; George Ballentine, general manager of the Denver Union Stock Yard Company; and Fred P. Johnson, publisher of the Record Stockman. The first National Western Stock Show was held January 29 through February 3, 1906. The show has been held every January thereafter with the exception of 1915, when a serious outbreak of hoof and mouth disease in other states caused its cancellation

Originally limited to the western United States, the show was expanded by 1908 to include entrants from around the world. A horse show was included as an annual event in 1908, and a rodeo was added in 1931. By 1925, the 4-H Roundup event was also held in conjunction with the stock show. With the ever-growing numbers of people in attendance, the city of Denver and the Union Stock Yards began to construct buildings and set aside land to enlarge the site. By 1981 the organization owned numerous buildings, more than twenty acres of stockyards, several acres of parking, and total assets of about five million dollars. Each year the National Western Stock Show continues to attract crowds, setting new records for attendance.

More historical information is available in Ten Days Every January: a History of the National Western Stock Show by Willard E. Simms, published by the Western Stock Show Association, c. 1980.

Extent

10.5 linear feet (5 record cartons, 1 document case, 2 oversize folders, 1 oversize shelf)

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

The National Western Stock Show was organized in 1906 in Denver, Colorado, to display livestock from local ranches and to educate ranchers about new and innovative technology in the agriculture industry. The collection documents the history, early development, and activities of this organization. Material types include minutes, charter and by-laws, membership lists, programs, judging results, premium lists, 4-H Roundup reports, clippings, visual materials, phonograph records, and a trophy.

Arrangement

The collection consists of 10 series in 5 record cartons, 1 document case, 2 oversize folders, and 1 oversize shelf:

Series 1: Minutes, 1909-1974

Series 2: Stock Show organizational materials, 1906-1979 and undated

Series 3: Souvenir programs, 1946-1970

Series 4: Judging contest reports, 1947-1964

Series 5: 4-H Roundup reports, 1934-1967

Series 6: News releases, 1944-1970

Series 7: Premium lists, 1957-1970

Series 8: Visual materials, 1951, c. 1954, 1966 and undated

Subseries 8.1: Photographs, 1951 and undated

Subseries 8.2: Films, c. 1954 and 1966

Series 9: Artifacts, 1911, 1917 and undated

Series 10: Phonograph records, c. 1935-1946 and undated

Subseries 10.1: Twelve-inch records, 1946 and undated

Subseries 10.2: Sixteen-inch records, c. 1935-1946 and undated

Acquisition

The Records of the National Western Stock Show was donated to the Colorado Agricultural Archive by the National Western Stock Show on June 17, 1981. One box of scrapbooks was returned to the Stock Show in 1986. The Colorado Agricultural Archive became part of the Colorado State University Libraries in 2004.

Related Collections

Additional information related to stock production and judging may be found in the Records of the Cattle Feeders Association, the Records of the Cattlemen's Association, and the Records of Colorado Cooperative Extension, all housed in the Colorado Agricultural Archive at Colorado State University. A collection of scrapbooks concerning the National Western Stock Show is preserved at the Denver Public Library.

Processing

During processing, this collection was arranged into series based on material type. Each bound journal was placed in a labeled acid-free folder. Loose photographs within bound volumes were enclosed in plastic sleeves, and photographs that were glued to the pages were interleaved with acid-free paper. Newspaper clippings were also interleaved with acid-free paper. Films were examined and left in original canisters, and duplicate prints beyond three copies were removed from the collection. Oversized items were unfolded and moved to a map file drawer. Phonograph records remain in the custom-made box in which they arrived.