Museum / Archive

Elgin County Archives

Part Of

Elgin County Plowmen’s Association fonds

Description Level

Fonds

Storage Room

Archives Storage Rm. 107

Storage Location

R5 S2 Sh6 B2 F16-34

R4 S1 Sh4 B4 F18-20

GMD

textual records

graphic material

Date Range

1958-1985

Physical Description

12.5 cm of textual records

4 photographs : b&w

History / Biographical

The Elgin County Plowmen's Association was established in late August, 1922 at a meeting held in the offices of the Elgin County Representative of the Ontario Department of Agriculture and Food, C.W. Buchanan. At this meeting the following executive officers were elected: Alex Anderson, President; William Wadland, First Vice-President; Sam Garton, Second Vice-President; and Fred Carr, Secretary. At the same meeting, the following directors were appointed: Roy Evely; J.J. Ashton; C.W. Buchanan; J.R. Teeple, Reeve, Yarmouth Township; and R.A. Penhale, President, Elgin County Board of Trade.

The Association organized the inaugural Elgin County Plowing Match, held October 17-18, 1922 on the farms of James Todd and Alex Anderson near St. Thomas, Ontario. An estimated 4,000 people attended the event, won by William Wadland, Yarmouth Township.

The Second Annual Elgin County Plowing Match was organized by the Elgin County Plowmen's Association and held October 23-24, 1923 on the farms of Mrs. W.A. Hill and D.W. Bearss, just north of St. Thomas, Ontario. William Wadland, Yarmouth Township was declared champion for the second consecutive year.

The Third Annual Elgin County Plowing Match was held October 29, 1924 on the farm of J.H. Miller, just north of Dutton, Ontario.

The Elgin County Plowmen's Association continued to organize an annual plowing match in Elgin County for many years, although some years were missed as a result of economic conditions during the depression of the 1930s and the Second World War, 1939-1945.

The Elgin County Plowmen's Association was a key partner, with the Ontario Plowmen's Association, the County of Elgin and the Elgin County Branch of the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food, in organizing the International Plowing Match events held in Elgin County in 1940, 1960 and 1985.

Custodial History

The records comprising this fonds were originally in the custody of the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food, Elgin County Branch. The branch was closed in the 1990s and the records were transferred to the custody of the Elgin County Library. The records were subsequently transferred to the Elgin County Archives.

Scope and Content

Fonds consists of records created, collected and maintained by the Elgin County Plowmen's Association, including minutes of meetings, records relating to the annual Elgin County plowing match organized by the Association for the period 1979-1984, and records relating to the Association's bid to the Ontario Plowmen's Association to host the 1985 International Plowing Match and Farm Machinery Show in Elgin County. Fonds is organized into the following series: 1. Minutes 2. Annual Plowing Match 3. 1985 International Plowing Match Bid 4. Miscellaneous

Name Access

Elgin County Plowmen's Association

Subject Access

Agriculture

Plowing Matches

Related Material

Local Committee for the 1985 International Plowing Match and Farm Machinery fonds

Less detail