Amenia and Sharon Land Company Records
Collection
Identifier: Mss 134-Mss 1596.2-Oversize Collection 11
Scope and Content
The Amenia and Sharon Land Company represent the most complete set of records for a North Dakota
bonanza farm that have survived. The records were deposited in the Institute by members of the Chaffee
family over a span of twenty years. Inventories of the early records were compiled by William C. Hunter,
and in early 1990s the records were processed incorporating all the accessions. The records have been
organized into eight series: Historical research, Personal correspondence, Business correspondence,
Estate and personal legal papers, Amenia & Sharon Land Co. general business records, Other related
companies general business records, Amenia & Sharon Land co. business records, and Other related
companies business records. Within each series the records have been organized alphabetically by the
name or type of record. Oversize ledgers are listed on the box & folder listing, however they are stored
separately due to their size.
The Historical Research Series includes handwritten and typed drafts of the history of the Amenia & Sharon Land Company, compiled by William C. Hunter. He was a long-time professor of history at NDSU and later became the curator for the Institute for Regional Studies. In addition are his research files of documents, notes and information used in writing the history. In addition there are general research files on the Chaffee and Reed families as well as information regarding Amenia, N.D.
The Personal Correspondence Series consists primarily of Chaffee family letters spanning from 1840 to 1965. Of particular note is the early family letters of Eben Whitney Chaffee (1840-1900), and H.F. Chaffee and wife Carrie (H.F., 1887-1911 and for Carrie, 1913-1945). There are quite a number of poignant letters between H.F. and his wife Carrie as well as back to family in Connecticut. In addition there are letters of William Guy Sr. (1920-1942), Robert Reed (1923, 1933-1942) Walter R. Reed (1849- 1939), as well as the Togood family (Carrie Chaffee’s maiden name).
The Business Correspondence Series consists primarily of the correspondence of Herbert L Chaffee and is organized alphabetically, spanning from 1896 to 1966, although most dates from the 1940s to 1960s. Some correspondents have been broken out and placed in their own file. In addition there are small series of correspondence for Chaffee-Miller Milling Co., H.F. Chaffee Company, The John Miller Company, and the Miller-Chaffee-Reed Company.
The Estate and Personal Legal Papers Series contains mostly of estate related documents for members of the Chaffee family. Of note are those for Herbert F. Chaffee who died on the sinking of the Titanic. The Amenia & Sharon Land Company General Business Records Series contains the basic, general documents related to the company including articles of incorporation, minutes, by-laws, and annual reports. The Legal Business Records Subseries contains chattel mortgage documents, farm contracts spanning from 1882 to 1942, mortgage documents, and warranty deeds.
The Other Related Companies General Business Records Series contains the general business records such as incorporation documents, by-laws, meeting minutes and certain legal documents for companies that were subsidiaries or affiliated with the Amenia & Sharon Land Company. The files are arranged alphabetically by the name of the company. Among the major companies represented include the Amenia Elevator Company, Chaffee-Miller Land Company, Chaffee-Miller Milling Company, H.F. Chaffee Company, John Miller Company, Miller-Chaffee-Reed Company, and Wanotan Land Company. Consult the Box and Folder List for a complete listing.
The Amenia & Sharon Land Company Business Records Series contains the core business records for the company. They are organized alphabetically by the type or name of the document. It includes financial journals and ledgers, grain statements, insurance documents, inventories, mileage records, payroll records, seed journals, stocks, tenant records, time sheets, and vouchers. Researcher should consult the Box and Folder list for specific holdings and time periods covered.
The Other Related Companies Business Records Series contain primarily the financial ledgers, journals, statements, etc. for the many business subsidiaries and related companies of the Amenia and Sharon Land Co. The files are arranged in alphabetical order by the name of the company. This series does include certain business files for individual members of the Chaffee family. Consult the box & folder listing for specific companies included. Included are records of Amenia Garage, Amenia Telephone Company, Chaffee-Miller Land Company, Chaffee-Miller Milling Company, John Miller Company, Miller-Chaffee-Reed Company, Red River Valley Land and Investment Company and Wanotan Land Company. The Chaffee family business records include for Lester F. Chaffee, H.L. Chaffee, and Carrie T. Chaffee.
The Artifact Series holds two artifacts; a metal Amenia Seed & Grain Co. name plate, and a steel printing plate of H.F. Chaffee.
Carolyn Chaffee Good Donation Series contains documents received from this Chaffee family descendant in 2007. The series is composed of a mixture of business and Chaffee family related documents, including early business receipts, store account booklets, Boy Scout items, private tutor schoolwork, and small publications.
The Oversize Documents Series includes a variety of documents and ephemera related to the Amenia and Sharon Land Company and people associated with it that have been separated from the main collection due to size. The smaller items are in Mss 1596.2. It includes three files; 1-- various insurance documents and papers; 2-- Certificates including land deed of St. Pierre Wallette from the Red Lake and Pembina Bands of Chippewa Indians for Section 34, T141N R52W, dated June 4, 1881. 3-- List of S.S. Titanic passengers, Davenport, N.D. Pioneer Days, and auction sale notice for Carrie Chaffee estate. In Oversize Collection 11 there are Great Northern Railroad right-of-way maps for Amenia, N.D.; certificates of corporate existence for various subsidiary companies, and a landscape design maps for the homes of H.F. Chaffee and W.R. Reed at Amenia.
The Historical Research Series includes handwritten and typed drafts of the history of the Amenia & Sharon Land Company, compiled by William C. Hunter. He was a long-time professor of history at NDSU and later became the curator for the Institute for Regional Studies. In addition are his research files of documents, notes and information used in writing the history. In addition there are general research files on the Chaffee and Reed families as well as information regarding Amenia, N.D.
The Personal Correspondence Series consists primarily of Chaffee family letters spanning from 1840 to 1965. Of particular note is the early family letters of Eben Whitney Chaffee (1840-1900), and H.F. Chaffee and wife Carrie (H.F., 1887-1911 and for Carrie, 1913-1945). There are quite a number of poignant letters between H.F. and his wife Carrie as well as back to family in Connecticut. In addition there are letters of William Guy Sr. (1920-1942), Robert Reed (1923, 1933-1942) Walter R. Reed (1849- 1939), as well as the Togood family (Carrie Chaffee’s maiden name).
The Business Correspondence Series consists primarily of the correspondence of Herbert L Chaffee and is organized alphabetically, spanning from 1896 to 1966, although most dates from the 1940s to 1960s. Some correspondents have been broken out and placed in their own file. In addition there are small series of correspondence for Chaffee-Miller Milling Co., H.F. Chaffee Company, The John Miller Company, and the Miller-Chaffee-Reed Company.
The Estate and Personal Legal Papers Series contains mostly of estate related documents for members of the Chaffee family. Of note are those for Herbert F. Chaffee who died on the sinking of the Titanic. The Amenia & Sharon Land Company General Business Records Series contains the basic, general documents related to the company including articles of incorporation, minutes, by-laws, and annual reports. The Legal Business Records Subseries contains chattel mortgage documents, farm contracts spanning from 1882 to 1942, mortgage documents, and warranty deeds.
The Other Related Companies General Business Records Series contains the general business records such as incorporation documents, by-laws, meeting minutes and certain legal documents for companies that were subsidiaries or affiliated with the Amenia & Sharon Land Company. The files are arranged alphabetically by the name of the company. Among the major companies represented include the Amenia Elevator Company, Chaffee-Miller Land Company, Chaffee-Miller Milling Company, H.F. Chaffee Company, John Miller Company, Miller-Chaffee-Reed Company, and Wanotan Land Company. Consult the Box and Folder List for a complete listing.
The Amenia & Sharon Land Company Business Records Series contains the core business records for the company. They are organized alphabetically by the type or name of the document. It includes financial journals and ledgers, grain statements, insurance documents, inventories, mileage records, payroll records, seed journals, stocks, tenant records, time sheets, and vouchers. Researcher should consult the Box and Folder list for specific holdings and time periods covered.
The Other Related Companies Business Records Series contain primarily the financial ledgers, journals, statements, etc. for the many business subsidiaries and related companies of the Amenia and Sharon Land Co. The files are arranged in alphabetical order by the name of the company. This series does include certain business files for individual members of the Chaffee family. Consult the box & folder listing for specific companies included. Included are records of Amenia Garage, Amenia Telephone Company, Chaffee-Miller Land Company, Chaffee-Miller Milling Company, John Miller Company, Miller-Chaffee-Reed Company, Red River Valley Land and Investment Company and Wanotan Land Company. The Chaffee family business records include for Lester F. Chaffee, H.L. Chaffee, and Carrie T. Chaffee.
The Artifact Series holds two artifacts; a metal Amenia Seed & Grain Co. name plate, and a steel printing plate of H.F. Chaffee.
Carolyn Chaffee Good Donation Series contains documents received from this Chaffee family descendant in 2007. The series is composed of a mixture of business and Chaffee family related documents, including early business receipts, store account booklets, Boy Scout items, private tutor schoolwork, and small publications.
The Oversize Documents Series includes a variety of documents and ephemera related to the Amenia and Sharon Land Company and people associated with it that have been separated from the main collection due to size. The smaller items are in Mss 1596.2. It includes three files; 1-- various insurance documents and papers; 2-- Certificates including land deed of St. Pierre Wallette from the Red Lake and Pembina Bands of Chippewa Indians for Section 34, T141N R52W, dated June 4, 1881. 3-- List of S.S. Titanic passengers, Davenport, N.D. Pioneer Days, and auction sale notice for Carrie Chaffee estate. In Oversize Collection 11 there are Great Northern Railroad right-of-way maps for Amenia, N.D.; certificates of corporate existence for various subsidiary companies, and a landscape design maps for the homes of H.F. Chaffee and W.R. Reed at Amenia.
Dates
- 1856-1967
Creator
Access
The collection is open under the rules and regulations of the Institute.
Copyrights
Copyrights to this collection remain with the donor, publisher, author, or author’s heirs; while portions are owned by the Institute.
History
History of Amenia and Sharon Land Company, by William C. Hunter http://hdl.handle.net/10365/10510
Extent
60 Linear Feet (60 linear ft.)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
The Company was a Cass County Bonanza farm managed and later owned by the late Chaffee family. The collection consists of company records, its subsidiaries, and persons involved.
Provenance
Donated by H.L. Chaffee and Robert B. Reed, 1953 (Acc. 134); L.F. Chaffee, 1971
(Acc. 1875); Faye Chaffee, 1982 (Acc. 2082 & 2084); Ken McIntyre, 1982 (Acc. 2085), Carolyn Chaffee Good, 2007 (Acc. 2941).
Property rights
The Institute for Regional Studies owns the property rights to this collection.
- Amenia (N.Y.)
- Amenia Farms (N.D.)
- Amenia and Sharon Land Company.
- Bonanza farms -- North Dakota.
- Caddigan, C. W.
- Decedents' estates -- North Dakota.
- Farm corporations -- North Dakota.
- Farms -- North Dakota.
- Gold.
- Grain -- North Dakota.
- Grain elevators -- North Dakota.
- Holding companies -- North Dakota.
- Land companies -- North Dakota.
- Land companies -- United States.
- Land use, Rural -- North Dakota.
- Miller, John, 1843-1908. -- : Estate.
- North Dakota -- Genealogy.
- Northern Pacific Railroad Company.
- Public utilities -- North Dakota -- Telephone.
- Railroad land grants -- North Dakota.
- Railroads -- North Dakota.
- Real property -- North Dakota.
- Scandals -- North Dakota.
- Sharon (Conn.)
- Telephone companies -- North Dakota.
- Vail, J. B. (James Bradford), b. 1861. -- : Estate.
- Wheat -- North Dakota.
- Wheat farmers -- North Dakota.
Creator
- Hunter, William C. (William Columbus), 1882-1973. (Person)
- Reed, J. H. (John Horace), 1846-1925. (Person)
- Reed, Robert B., 1874-1960. (Person)
- Guy, William Lewis, 1890-1942. (Person)
- Stroud, Peter E. (Person)
- Reed, Walter R. (Walter Russell), 1871-1940. (Person)
- Chaffee, Carrie T. (Carrie Toogood), 1864-1931. (Person)
- Chaffee, Herbert F. (Herbert Fuller), 1864-1912. (Person)
- Chaffee, E. W. (Eben Whitney), 1824-1892. (Person)
- Amenia and Sharon Land Company. (Organization)
- Manor Farms (N.D.) (Organization)
- John Miller Company. (Organization)
- Red River Valley Land and Investment Company. (Organization)
- Chaffee Grain Co. (Organization)
- Chaffee-Miller Milling Company (Casselton, N.D.) (Organization)
- Wanotan Land Company. (Organization)
- Chaffee-Miller Land Company. (Organization)
- Miller-Chaffee-Reed Company. (Organization)
- H.F. Chaffee Company. (Organization)
- Amenia Elevator Company (Amenia, N.D.) (Organization)
- Cresent Elevator Company (Amenia, N.D.) (Organization)
- Title
- Finding Aid to the Amenia and Sharon Land Company Records
- Description rules
- Appm
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Institute for Regional Studies Repository
Contact:
West Building N
3551 7th Avenue North
Fargo North Dakota 58102 United States
ndsu.archives@ndsu.edu
West Building N
3551 7th Avenue North
Fargo North Dakota 58102 United States
ndsu.archives@ndsu.edu