Sanitary Home
North Dakota Farmer and Sanitary Home
North Dakota Farmer
Sanitary Home (later called North Dakota Farmer and Sanitary Home, and North Dakota Farmer) was a monthly periodical published for rural North Dakotans from 1899-1918. It was conceived and edited, and the early issues mostly written by Edwin Fremont Ladd, professor of chemistry at North Dakota Agricultural College, 1890-1916, and president of NDAC 1916-1921. The magazine was a communication link between NDAC and the rural community of North Dakota; it served the extension function of the College well before the Smith-Lever Act of 1914 authorized U.S. Cooperative Extension Service.
Sanitary Home was published 1899-1902 in Fargo by the North Dakota Agricultural College. In 1902-1904, the title changed to North Dakota Farmer and Sanitary Home, and Ladd took on two partners (W.L. Van Horne, and J.W. Hilborn), and a manager W.G. Crocker. During this time the magazine was published in Fargo by E.F. Ladd & Co. In 1904 the title again changed to North Dakota Farmer, and publication shifted to Lisbon, N.D. still published by E.F. Ladd & Co. and with associate editors J.H Shepperd, E. E. Kaufman, and W.R. Waldron. In 1918, it was sold and publication discontinued with vol. 19 no. 11/12, May/June 1918.
Its original function was (according to 1899 masthead) as "a magazine devoted to foods, hygiene, and university extension work"; later mastheads reflected changing emphasis and circumstances: 1910, "North Dakota Farmer for North Dakota farmers"; and during WWI in 1918, "With Malice Toward None". Issues included information for farmers and homemakers, articles by NDAC staff, and many times feature articles by John H.Worst, President NDAC 1895-1916. Over the years, the emphasis of the magazine changed from home life to predominantly agricultural related articles, but always included some articles of interest to rural homemakers. Topics ranged from cooking, fashion and family life, to farming and livestock production, to water quality, food adulteration and patent medicines. For a number of years a Nature Study section was regularly included, intended to support natural history courses in rural schools.
The magazine was distributed throughout North Dakota and surrounding states for a subscription cost ranging from 50 cents per year to one dollar per year; it was distributed for free to public school teachers of the Dakotas and Minnesota.
All issues of the magazine have been microfilmed and are available for InterLibrary Loan from NDSU library.