A Guide to the Planters' Club Records, 1915-2013
A Collection in the
Thomas Balch Library
Collection Number M 061
Thomas Balch Library
Thomas Balch Library208 West Market Street
Leesburg, Virginia 20176
USA
Phone: (703) 737-7195
Fax: (703) 737-7195
Email: balchlib@leesburgva.gov
URL: http://www.leesburgva.gov/departments/thomas-balch-library/
© 2006 By Thomas Balch Library. All rights reserved.
Processed by: Donna Jamison and Elizabeth E. Preston
Administrative Information
Access Restrictions
Collection open for research.
Use Restrictions
No physical characteristics affect use of this material.
Preferred Citation
Planters' Club Records (M 061), Thomas Balch Library, Leesburg, VA.
Acquisition Information
Planters' Club, Loudoun County, VA
Alternative Form Available
None
Accruals
1992.0008, 2006.0104, 2007.0058, 2008.0029, 2009.0104, 2010.0152, 2011.0012, 2012.0023, 2013.0020, 2014.0005
Processing Information
Formerly cataloged as NUCMC 35. This is an open collection.
Donna Jamison and Elizabeth E. Preston, 19 February 2013
Historical Information
Loudoun County was home to several farmers' organizations founded in the years between the Civil War and World War I. These organizations were products of Populism and the Progressive Era, and were part of Loudoun County's effort to recover economically and agriculturally from the destruction of the Civil War. Farmers' clubs fostered cooperation among the county's farmers, leading to improvements in animal husbandry and agricultural techniques. Advances in farming led to the desire to purchase fertilizer and farm implements from outside the county, and clubs made it possible for farmers to make expensive purchases cooperatively. Clubs also kept farmers' aware of current prices on many products, allowing them to make informed decisions on when to buy and sell, and at what price.
Several clubs operated in the years following the Civil War, including the Patrons of Husbandry, also called the Grange, Catoctin Farmers' Club, and Aldie Farmers' Club. The Grange ceased operation after a few years, but the farmers' clubs gained traction. Lovettsville Farmers' Club was formed in 1911, and the Planters' Club in 1915. Meetings were similar across the clubs, with most held at the home of one of the members. They included reports of current market prices, presentations by members or invited speakers on topics of concern to the farmers, tours of the hosts' farms and barns, and refreshments.
Most clubs restricted their membership to ensure that club meetings could be held comfortably at the homes of members. As the effectiveness and popularity of the clubs grew, it became necessary to either expand membership or form new clubs. In 1915, Catoctin Farmers' Club was full and turning away new applicants for membership. Several farmers met in Leesburg on 19 February 1915 to discuss the possibility of starting a new farmers' club. In attendance were LeRoy Chamberlin (1883-1952), Henry Clarke Winslow (1877-1968),Thomas M. Fendall (1875-1948), Frank E. Saunders (1886-1966), and William A. Metzger (1874-1948). The new club, called the Planters' Club, was officially organized on 6 March 1915. The club elected officers: president , Winslow; vice president , Fendall; secretary, Metzger. While the Planters' Club drew some of its membership from the Catoctin Farmers' Club, there does not seem to have been any animosity or competition between the two clubs.
The Planters' Club followed the template set by earlier clubs and their meetings resembled them in most details. Initially only farmers were invited to join the club, but the membership now includes people associated with rural life in other ways, such as veterinarians, farm machinery dealers, and county extension agents. The topics covered by meeting programs have also expanded, and often include political developments, agricultural subsidies, and inheritance laws. Real estate prices and development have dominated discussions in recent years. The Planters' Club is still active.
Scope and Content
This collection is made up of the minutes of the Planters' Club, including many of reports and presentations by the members during meetings. Also included are newspaper clippings circulated to members; correspondence and receipts that were part of the official minutes; printed materials such as brochures and advertisements that were handed out at meetings; and tables of commodity prices and real estate sales.
Arrangement
Chronological
Related Material
Catoctin Farmers' Club Records (M 034), Thomas Balch Library, Leesburg, VA.
Adjunct Descriptive Data
Bibliography
Black, Karen Marshall. "Farm clubs a key part of local agricultural life." Loudoun Times-Mirror , July 30, 1997.
Catoctin Farmers' Club Records, 1868-1983 (M 034), Thomas Balch Library, Leesburg, VA.
Loudoun County Cemetery Database, http://www.leesburgva.gov/index.aspx?page=940 (accessed 19 February 2013).
Planters' Club Records, 1915-2012 (M 061), Thomas Balch Library, Leesburg, VA.
Poland, Charles Jr. From Frontier to Suburbia: Loudoun County Virginia, One of America's Fastest Growing Counties . Westminster, MD: Heritage Books, 2005.
Scheel, Eugene. Telephone interview with Elizabeth E. Preston, 19 Februrary 2013.
Other Finding Aid
None
Technical Requirements
None
Other Finding Aid
None
Bibliography
Black, Karen Marshall. "Farm clubs a key part of local agricultural life." Loudoun Times-Mirror , July 30, 1997.
Catoctin Farmers' Club Records, 1868-1983 (M 034), Thomas Balch Library, Leesburg, VA.
Loudoun County Cemetery Database, http://www.leesburgva.gov/index.aspx?page=940 (accessed 19 February 2013).
Planters' Club Records, 1915-2012 (M 061), Thomas Balch Library, Leesburg, VA.
Poland, Charles Jr. From Frontier to Suburbia: Loudoun County Virginia, One of America's Fastest Growing Counties . Westminster, MD: Heritage Books, 2005.
Scheel, Eugene. Telephone interview with Elizabeth E. Preston, 19 Februrary 2013.
Contents List
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Folder 1: Miscellaneous, undated
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Folder 2: Minutes, 1915
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Folder 3: Minutes, 1916
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Folder 4: Minutes, 1917
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Folder 5: Minutes, 1918-1920
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Folder 6: Minutes, 1921-1923
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Folder 7: Minutes, 1924-1927
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Folder 8: Minutes, 1935
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Folder 9: Minutes, 1936
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Folder 10: Minutes, 1937-1938
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Folder 11: Minutes, 1939-1940
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Folder 12: Minutes, 1941
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Folder 13: Minutes, 1942
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Folder 14: Minutes, 1943
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Folder 15: Minutes, 1944
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Folder 16: Minutes, 1945
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Folder 17: Minutes, 1946
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Folder 18: Minutes, 1947
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Folder 1: Minutes, 1948
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Folder 2: Minutes, 1957-1958
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Folder 3: Minutes, 1959
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Folder 4: Minutes, 1960
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Folder 5: Minutes, 1961
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Folder 6: Minutes, 1962
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Folder 7: Minutes, 1963
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Folder 8: Minutes, 1964
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Folder 9: Minutes, 1965-1966
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Folder 10: Minutes, 1967-1968
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Folder 11: Minutes 1969-1970
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Folder 12: Minutes, 1971-1973
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Folder 13: Minutes, 1974-1976
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Folder 14: Minutes, 1977
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Folder 15: Minutes, 1978
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Folder 1: Minutes, 1979
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Folder 2: Minutes, 1980
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Folder 3: Minutes, 1981
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Folder 4: Minutes, 1982
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Folder 5: Minutes, 1983-1984
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Folder 6: Minutes, 1985
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Folder 7: Minutes, 1986-1987
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Folder 8: Minutes, 1988-1989, 1992
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Folder 9: Minutes, 1995-1996
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Folder 10: Minutes, 1997
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Folder 11: Minutes, 1997
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Folder 12: Minutes, 1998
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Folder 13: Minutes, 1998
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Folder 14: Minutes, 1999
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Folder 1: Minutes, 2000
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Folder 2: Minutes, 2000
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Folder 3: Minutes, 2001
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Folder 4: Minutes, 2001
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Folder 5: Minutes, 2002
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Folder 6: Minutes, 2002
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Folder 7: Minutes, 2004
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Folder 8: Minutes, 2005
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Folder 9: Minutes, 2005
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Folder 10: Minutes, 2006
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Folder 11: Minutes, 2006
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Folder 12: Minutes, 2007
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Folder 13: Minutes, 2007