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Records of the Colorado State Grange

 Collection
Identifier: ACSG

Scope and Contents

The Records of the Colorado State Grange consists of documents dated 1873 to 1985 which were created largely in relation to the association's meetings, financial transactions and the activities of the Subordinate and Pomona Granges. Materials include the Colorado Granger newspaper, scrapbooks, correspondence, meeting minutes, financial documents, and membership lists.

Dates

  • Creation: 1873-1985
  • Creation: Majority of material found within 1917-1974

Creator

Restrictions on Access

There are no access restrictions on this collection. However, some items are stored off-site, so advance notice is recommended.

Restrictions on Use

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

History

Originally called the Order of Patrons of Husbandry, the Colorado State Grange was established in 1874, seven years after the National Grange was formed and two years before Colorado became a state. The National Grange, oldest national agricultural organization in the United States, supervises State Granges in thirty-seven states.

Upon establishing a state charter, the Colorado State Grange organized forty-six subordinate Granges and applied for membership to the National Grange. The establishment of district or county Granges occurred in 1889 with the first Pomona Grange in Darden, Colorado.

The Grange organization is a fraternal society based on both Christian and Greek thought. Privately, those who become members are taught the secret rituals of the organization. Through the fraternal rites, members can move up in the organization. Publicly, the club supports the community. Because farming and ranching was widely a family and independent industry, the primary goal of the Grange was to unite and organize these private agricultural businesses and create united rural communities. During monthly meetings, the Colorado Grange addressed the needs of Colorado's agricultural communities and worked to better the lives of those living within these rural areas.

Colorado Grange's activism peaked during and following World War II. In the 1940s and 1950s, the Grange spear-headed many military support programs while maintaining the rural communities' interests. Membership and interest in the Grange slipped during the 1970s, causing the Grange to re-evaluate the need for agricultural industry support and shift their focus to both rural and urban needs.

Also included in this collection are files from Subordinate and Pomona Granges that have discontinued their association with the Colorado State Grange. The Pomona Granges are district or county Granges which supervised and supported the local Subordinate Granges. The Subordinate Granges served their neighborhoods by offering activities such as potluck suppers and dances to bring together members of the community. Both Pomona and Subordinate Granges were active in assessing their communities' needs and appealing to the State Grange for support.

Extent

15.25 linear feet (7 record cartons, 1 document case, 9 flat boxes, 4 flat items)

Language of Materials

English

Abstract

The Colorado State Grange was established in the Colorado Territory in 1874 to give support and encouragement to rural and agricultural communities. This fraternal society remains active in supporting communities through education, emergency relief, and legislative activism. The collection contains financial ledgers, meeting minutes, scrapbooks, issues of the organization's newspaper Colorado Granger, correspondence and other material related to the Colorado State Grange operations.

Arrangement

The collection consists of three series 7 record cartons, 1 document case, 9 flat boxes, and 4 flat items:

Series 1: Colorado State Grange, 1873-1985

Subseries 1.1: Administration, 1874-1981

Subseries 1.2: Building fund, 1945-1956

Subseries 1.3: Financial records, 1900-1971

Subseries 1.4: History, 1876-1975

Subseries 1.5: Minutes, 1917-1972

Subseries 1.6: State, Subordinate, Pomona and Youth Granges, 1933-1985

Series 2: Subordinate and Pomona Granges, 1873-1977

Series 3: Colorado Granger, 1940-1978

Acquisition

The Records of the Colorado State Grange was donated to the Colorado Agricultural Archive on December 3, 1981, by Grace B. Kiplinger, the secretary of the Colorado State Grange. When the Colorado Agricultural Archive was transferred from the Colorado State University Department of History to the Colorado State University Libraries (CSUL) in 2004, the Records of the Colorado State Grange was moved to the CSUL Archives and Special Collections Department.

Related Collections

Other materials relating to the legislative concerns and educational aspects of rural communities can be found in Records of the Colorado Cattlemen's Association in this archive. The Papers of Daniel W. Working also contain material related to the Colorado Granges.

Processing

The processing of this collection was completed in May 2005 and included removal of all metal paperclips and staples. Special attention was given to the Colorado Granger, a newspaper published by the Colorado State Grange, which is not available anywhere else. Two scrapbooks were also given special attention because of their value in telling the history of this organization through newsletters, forms and brochures on events that the organization has sponsored over the years. Acid-free paper was inserted between any newspaper clippings in the scrapbooks. The collection was then placed in acid-free folders and boxes. Oversized documents have been separated from the other materials and include five charter certificates and one photograph. Some books and all of the brochures about the Grange's proceedings were removed from the collection. These publications have been added to the library holdings.

Title
Guide to the Records of the Colorado State Grange
Status
Edited Full Draft
Author
Prepared by Gayle Sharp
Date
Copyright 2005
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
Finding aid written in English.

Repository Details

Part of the CSU Libraries Archives & Special Collections Repository

Contact:
Fort Collins Colorado 80523-1019 USA
970-491-1844