Series Descriptions
Inventory
Collection Summary |
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| Creator: | National Western Stock Show | |
| Title: | Records of the National Western Stock Show | |
| Dates: | 1906-1979 | |
| Bulk Dates: | 1946-1970 | |
| Quantity: | 10.5+ linear feet | |
| Identification: | ANWS | |
| 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. | |
| Contact Information: | Colorado Agricultural Archive Archives and Special Collections Morgan Library Colorado State University Fort Collins, Colorado 80523-1019 USA Phone: 970-491-1844 Fax: 970-491-1195 Email: specialcollections@library.colostate.edu URL: http://lib.colostate.edu/archives/agriculture/ |
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There are no access restrictions on this collection. However, the collection is stored off-site, so advance notice is required.
Not all of the material in the collection is in the public domain. Researchers are responsible for addressing copyright issues.
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Index Terms |
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| This collection is indexed under the following headings in the Colorado State University Libraries online catalog. Researchers seeking materials about related subjects, persons, organizations or places should search the catalog using these headings. | ||
| Subjects: | ||
| Livestock exhibitions. | ||
| Horse-shows. | ||
| 4-H clubs. | ||
| Organizations: | ||
| National Western Stock Show. | ||
| Special Document Types: | ||
| Photographs. | ||
| Artifacts. | ||
| Motion pictures (visual works). | ||
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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.
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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 X are not currently available for listening.
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The collection consists of ten series in seven boxes,one flat file and one oversize shelf:
| Series I: Minutes, 1909-1974 | ||
| Series II: Stock Show organizational materials, 1906-1979 and undated | ||
| Series III: Souvenir programs, 1946-1970 | ||
| Series IV: Judging contest reports, 1947-1964 | ||
| Series V: 4-H Roundup reports, 1934-1967 | ||
| Series VI: News releases, 1944-1970 | ||
| Series VII: Premium lists, 1957-1970 | ||
| Series VIII: Visual materials, 1951, c. 1954, 1966 and undated | ||
Subseries A: Photographs, 1951 and undated |
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| Series IX: Artifacts, 1911, 1917 and undated | ||
| Series X: Phonograph records, c. 1935-1946 and undated | ||
Subseries A: Twelve-inch records, 1946 and undated |
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Records of the National Western Stock Show, Colorado Agricultural Archive, Colorado State University.
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.
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.
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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.
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Series III: Souvenir programs, 1946-1970 (0.2 linear feet) |
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| This series consists of souvenir programs, with editions missing for the years of 1951-1956, 1960, and 1966. Arrangement is chronological. | |||||||||||||
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Series VII: Premium lists, 1957-1970 (0.4 linear feet) |
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| This series contains premium list booklets for the horse show and for the Stock Show. Folders are arranged alphabetically. | |||||||||||||
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Series VI: News releases |
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| Box | Folder | ||||||||||||
| 4 | 1 | Stock Show and rodeo awards and sale prices. 1944. | |||||||||||
| 4 | 2-12 | Stock Show desk copy news releases of judging results. 1945-1955. | |||||||||||
| 4 | 13-16 | Press releases. 1968-1976. | |||||||||||
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Series IX: Artifacts |
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| Box | Folder | ||||||||||||
| 6 | 1 | John E. Painter Trophy, Best Student Judge for Beef. 1911. | |||||||||||
| 6 | 2 | Second Place Red Ribbon in frame. 1917. | |||||||||||
| Drwr 6 | 1 | Cardboard poster of a steer's head. undated. | |||||||||||
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