Title: North Dakota Horticultural Society
Dates: 1935-2012
Collection Number: 11167
Quantity: 1 foot
Abstract: Consists of the records of the North Dakota Horticultural Society, including the constitution, history of the organization, Executive Committee minutes, ledger with membership information, a register of annual meeting attendees, annual meeting information, financial records, and newsletters (North Dakota Horticulture).
Provenance: The collection was donated to the State Historical Society of North Dakota by Donna Maston, Secretary/Treasurer of the North Dakota Horticultural Society on April 16, 2013.
Property Rights: The State Historical Society of North Dakota owns the property rights to this collection.
Copyrights: Copyrights to this collection remain with the donor, publisher, author, or author's heirs. Researchers should consult the 1976 Copyright Act, Public Law 94-553, Title 17, U.S. Code or an archivist at this repository if clarification of copyright requirements is needed.
Access: This collection is open under the rules and regulations of the State Historical Society of North Dakota.
Citation: Researchers are requested to cite the collection title, collection number, and the State Historical Society of North Dakota in all footnote and bibliographic references.
Transfer: One foot of the original donation (five publications) were transferred to the State Archives’ publications in April 2013.
HISTORICAL SKETCH
From the “North Dakota Nurserymen’s Association 6th Annual and the North Dakota State Horticultural Society 50th Anniversary” 1973 program
North Dakota horticulturists have participated in the activities of three territorial and state societies which have served the area intermittently for more than 89 years. On December 18, 1884, the Dakota Horticultural and Forestry Association was organized in Huron (SD). At that time the two Dakotas were part of the vast Dakota Territory. It was logical for this society to originate in the southeastern part of the area and to hold its meeting there because of population density.
There were members, however, in the northern section. The records show that at the 1887 meeting, also held in Huron, Mr. Oscar H. Will of Bismarck was present and gave a paper on "Forestry in North Dakota." At the same meeting Mr. E. A. Webb of Fargo spoke on the subject "Evergreens in Dakota." After the division of the states in 1889, South Dakota inherited the society and the name was changed to South Dakota State Horticultural Society.
For its first 15 years of statehood North Dakota was apparently without the services of a state horticultural society. During this period, however, Professor C. B. Waldron, head of the Department of Horticulture at the State Agricultural College, was a frequent visitor at meetings of the Minnesota Society and he became determined to develop a similar organization in his own state. Accordingly he invited all interested persons and a group from the Minnesota society to attend a proposed organizational meeting in Fargo on January 21, 1904.
Between 1904 and 1908 membership grew to 183, but dwindled to none by 1919. After a lapse of four years the present North Dakota State Horticultural Society was organized in 1923. Dr. A. F. Yeager, who succeeded Professor Waldron as head of the Department of Horticulture in the Agricultural College, comments upon the chain of events in the North Dakota Handbook, 1926-1933, as follows: "Years ago there was a North Dakota Horticultural Society which was carried on as an organization affiliated with the Minnesota Horticultural Society. Its meetings were held during the Tri-State Grain Growers Convention early in January each year. It never thrived very much and meetings had ceased to be held by 1919."
Dr. Yeager continued as secretary until 1938 when he left the state. The late Harry Graves, extension horticulturist, then ably guided the society until his retirement in 1967. The object of the society shall be the advancement of horticulture throughout the state.
BOX / FOLDER INVENTORY
Box 1:
1 Constitution, organization history
2 Executive Committee minutes, 1973
3 Membership ledger, 1935-1943
4 Annual meetings register, 1956-1973
5 Annual meetings, 1986-1998
6 Annual meetings, 1999-2011
7 Financial records, 1972-2012
8 Newsletter, 1958-1959
9 Newsletter, 1960-1963
10 Newsletter, 1964-1967
11 Newsletter, 1968-1969
12 Newsletter, 1970-1973
13 Newsletter, 1974-1976
14 Newsletter, 1977-1983
15 Newsletter, 1984-1989
16 Newsletter, 1990-1995
17 Newsletter, 1996-2000
18 Newsletter, 2001-2005
19 Newsletter, 2006-2009
20 Newsletter, 2010-2012
21 Miscellaneous: North Dakota State Horticultural Society’s Annual Classes, Tours and State Fruit Show 2007 Final Report; blank membership cards, n. d.; program from the North Dakota Nurserymen’s Association 6th Annual and the North Dakota State Horticultural Society 50th Anniversary, August 1973
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