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Elms Planting Company

Record Books, 1934-55

Manuscript Collection 793

INFORMATION ABOUT THE COLLECTION

"The Elms" plantation estate, later the Elms Planting Company, was established in 1866.  It was a center for the agricultural economy of Altheimer, Arkansas, and provided the cotton for which the local gins were built.  Five cotton gins (of which the Elms Planting Company constituted the main concern) flourished during the 1920s in Altheimer.  "The Elms" had a commissary at which tenant farmers and their families could buy necessary items; partial records of this commissary are in the present collection.  The surviving records are incomplete.

Materials include the records of the Elms Planting Company and its various divisions:  the Altheimer Gin Company, the Jefferson Gin Company, and the Merchants and Farmers Gin and Supply Company.  Records consist of handwritten cotton yield, seed, and gin ledgers.  The collection includes an Elms Planting Company accounts receivable book, an Elms Mercantile Company general ledger, and two One Day Books from the Elms Mercantile Company.  A positive photocopy of a plat book, showing the disposition of lots in Altheimer, complements the collection.
 
The Elms Planting Company Record Books were donated to Special Collections by Clyde H. Sites of Altheimer (Jefferson County), Arkansas, May 1, 1987.

Prepared by Janet G. Tucker, Special Collections Division, University of Arkansas Libraries, Fayetteville, Arkansas, in June 1988.

CONTENTS OF THE COLLECTION
9 linear feet
(64 volumes, 1 box)

Series 1.  Altheimer Gin, 1941-49.   Volumes 1-16.
Series 2.  Elms Cotton Planting Company, 1938-55. Volumes 17-40, Box 1.
Series 3.  Jefferson Gin, 1941-49. Volumes 41-48.
Series 4.  Merchants and Farmers Gin and Volumes 49-55. Supply Company, 1944-49.
Series 5.  Outside Cotton, 1942-49. Volumes 56-62.
Series 6.  Other Record Books, 1938-49. Volumes 63-70.

Series 1.  Altheimer Gin (Volumes 1-16)
 
This series consists of handwritten cotton yield, seed, and gin records.

Volume 1.  Aug 22-Nov 11, 1941.
Volume 2.  Nov 11-Dec 6, 1941.
Volume 3.  Sept 7-Nov 7, 1942.
Volume 4.  Nov. 7-Dec 6, 1943.
Volume 5.  Aug 17-Oct 28, 1943.
Volume 6.  Oct 28, 1943-Feb 4, 1944.
Volume 7.  Aug 28-Nov 4, 1944.
Volume 8.  Nov 4, 1944-Sept, 1945.
Volume 9.  Nov 21, 1945-Feb 4, 1946.
Volume 10. Feb 5-July 9, 1946.
Volume 11. Aug 28-Oct 31, 1946.
Volume 12. Oct 31, 1946-July 10, 1947.
Volume 13. Aug 21-Dec 4, 1947.
Volume 14. Dec 4, 1947-Aug 30, 1948.
Volume 15. Aug 25-Dec 3, 1948.
Volume 16. Dec 3, 1948-Aug 23, 1949.

Series 2. Elms Cotton Planting Company (Volumes 17-40, Box 1)
 
Series 2 contains handwritten cotton yield, seed, and gin records.  A box of receipts and the Elms Planting Company Accounts Receivable Book are included, and the records of the Elms Mercantile Company (the company store) conclude the series. Volumes 17-36 are the Elms Cotton Planting Company Records, Volume 37 is the Elms Cotton Planting Company, Accounts Receivable, and Volumes 38-40 pertain to the Elms Mercantile Company.

Volume 17.  Aug 28-Nov 16, 1939.
Volume 18.  Aug 26-Nov 27, 1941.
Volume 19.  Sept 7, 1942-Feb 6, 1943.
Volume 20.  Aug 17, 1943-Jan 20, 1944.
Volume 21.  Aug 28-Nov 15, 1944.
Volume 22.  Nov 15, 1944-May 5, 1945.
Volume 23.  Mar 7-Aug 26, 1945.
Volume 24.  Sept 12, 1945-Mar 7, 1946.
Volume 25.  Aug 28-Oct 3, 1946.
Volume 26.  Sept 6, 1946-July 28, 1947.
Volume 27.  Oct 23, 1946-July 22, 1947.
Volume 28.  Aug 21-Oct 30, 1947.
Volume 29.  Sept 5-Nov 28, 1947.
Volume 30.  Oct 30, 1947-Mar 23, 1948.
Volume 31.  Nov 28, 1947-Mar 23, 1948.
Volume 32.  Sept 2-Oct 22, 1948.
Volume 33.  Sept 2-Nov 4, 1948.
Volume 34.  Oct 22-Dec 20, 1948.
Volume 35.  Nov 4, 1948-Aug 24, 1949.
Volume 36.  Dec 20, 1948-Aug 24, 1949.
Volume 37.  1944-45.
Volume 38.  1938-40.
Volume 39.  1944-49.
Volume 40.  Oct 4, 1955.

Series 3.  Jefferson Gin (Volumes 41-48)

This series contains the handwritten cotton yield, seed, and gin records for the Jefferson Gin Company, 1941-49.

Volume 41.  Sept 6-Nov 15, 1941.
Volume 42.  Sept 18-Nov 20, 1942.
Volume 43.  Aug 26-Nov 10, 1943.
Volume 44.  Sept 7-Nov 4, 1944.
Volume 45.  Oct 17-Nov 7, 1945.
Volume 46.  Aug 24-Oct 23, 1948.
Volume 47.  Oct 23-Dec 27, 1948.
Volume 48.  Dec 27, 1948-Aug 6, 1949.



Series 4.  Merchants and Farmers Gin and Supply Company (Volumes 49-55)

The Merchants and Farmers Gin and Supply Company (M & F Gin Company) accounts contain handwritten cotton yield, seed, and gin records.

Volume 49.  Aug 26-Nov 18, 1944.
Volume 50.  Nov 18, 1944-April 11, 1945.
Volume 51.  Sept 11, 1945-Feb 23, 1946.
Volume 52.  Feb 25-July 29, 1946.
Volume 53.  Aug 31, 1946-July 27, 1947.
Volume 54.  Sept 2, 1947-Aug 6, 1948.
Volume 55.  Aug 31, 1948-July 27, 1949.

Series 5.  Outside Cotton (Volumes 56-62)

These are handwritten cotton yield, seed, and gin records from outside sources.

Volume 56.  Sept 11-Dec 21, 1942.
Volume 57.  Sept 11, 1945-Aug 31, 1946.
Volume 58.  Aug 29, 1946-Mar 24, 1947.
Volume 59.  Aug 26, 1947-Apr 17, 1948.
Volume 60.  Aug 28-Oct 21, 1948.
Volume 61.  Oct 21, 1948-Jan 22, 1949.
Volume 62.  Jan 22-Aug 13, 1949.

Series 6.  Other Record Books (Volumes 63-70)

This series contains handwritten cotton yield, seed, and gin records from unidentified sources.  A plat book is included.

Volume 63.  Aug 26-Nov 5, 1938.
Volume 64.  Sept 12, 1944-Mar 28, 1945.
Volume 65.  Sept 13, 1944-Dec 20, 1945.
Volume 66.  Jan 1, 1946-July 29, 1949.
Volume 67.  Mar 2, 1946-Oct 11, 1948.
Volume 68.  Jan 18-Nov 18, 1940.
Volume 69.  Aug 29-Sept 8, no year.
Volume 70.  Plat book, 1941.


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