Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

Collection open for research.

Use Restrictions

Physical characteristics and conditions affect use of this material. Photocopying not permitted.

Preferred Citation

Lincoln Farmers' Club Minutes, 1867-1880 (SC 0129), Thomas Balch Library, Leesburg, VA.

Acquisition Information

Loudoun County Historical Society, Leesburg, VA

Alternative Form Available

None

Accruals

2004.0001

Processing Information

Max Arlett, 25 May 2017

Historical Information

During Reconstruction, the era following the end of the American Civil War, agrarian areas across the South struggled to recover from the disruption and destruction of the War. In Loudoun County, economic instability and deprivation were further exasperated by raids by both Union and Confederate forces that slaughtered animals and destroyed crops through the area. In response, post-war farmers were anxious to look for new opportunities and innovations to stimulate growth. Local farmers began to form regional organizations aimed at pooling their resources and expertise. From these organizations, farmers gained cooperative purchasing power, were able to share equipment, learned about new pesticides and fertilizers, and were able to more effectively lobby for their needs with the local government.

One of the organizations created during this movement, the Lincoln Farmers' Club was founded and centered in Lincoln, Virginia. Organized on 17 March 1867 Loudoun farmers gathered to discuss issues such as improvement of local hogs stock. Officers were elected at the next meeting and committees were formed to report on topics including livestock, rain, fruit and vegetables, farming implements, and fertilizers. Essays were presented at each meeting by a designated member on a topic of interest selected at the previous meeting. The Club's officers, including President, Vice-President, and Treasurer and Secretary, were elected on a yearly basis. The minutes noted the events of each meeting and were recorded by the Secretary. Along with subjects discussed by Club members, the minutes include the yearly election results, reports on the quality of crops and soil, and interactions with other local organizations such as the Catoctin Farmers' Club. Meetings were held at member's residences in Loudoun County including farms such as Pleasant Valley, Locust Hill, Solitude, Meadow Brook, and Montrose. Members who are frequently mentioned in the minutes include James M. Hoge (1839-1924), Amos Hughes (1823-1890), H. R. Holmes (1830-1914), and Joseph Nichols (d. 1896).

Scope and Content

This collection contains the minutes of the Lincoln Farmers' Club from 1867-1880. Previously collected in a ledger book, the volume is disbound, with its spine and front cover missing. Pages are loose, and gaps in page numbers indicate that pages may be missing. Minutes from September to November 1877 are not present in this volume.

Arrangement

Folder

Related Material

Catoctin Farmers' Club Records (M 034); Loudoun Agricultural Society Records (SC 0122); Planters' Club Records (M 061); Loudoun County Historical Society Records, 1954 - 2008 (M 0111).

Adjunct Descriptive Data

Bibliography

Catoctin Farmers' Club Records (M 034), Thomas Balch Library, Leesburg, VA.

Loudoun Cemetery Database Lookup, http://www.leesburgva.gov/services/library /cemetery/default.asp

Poland, Charles P. Jr. From Frontier to Suburbia. Missouri: Walsworth Publishing, 1976.

Williams, Harrison. Legends of Loudoun. Richmond: Garrett and Massie, 1938.

Other Finding Aid

None

Technical Requirements

None