Michigan State University Archives and Historical Collections
Clapp Family Papers
00086
Table of Contents
Summary Information
- Repository
- Michigan State University Archives and Historical Collections
- Creator
- Clapp family, (Nathan A. Clapp, 1847-)
- Title
- Clapp family papers
- ID
- 00086
- Date [inclusive]
- 1857-1955
- Extent
- 1.65 Cubic feet , 2 volumes on shelf.
- Language
- English
Preferred Citation
Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: "Item title, Collection title, Collection Identifier, Michigan State University Archives & Historical Collections, East Lansing,Michigan".
Biographical Note
Nathan A. Clapp was born in Chautauqua County, New York in 1847 and moved to Michigan with his parents in 1865. For several years he worked on the family farm, then became a traveling correspondent for the Michigan Farmer. In 1872 he purchased acreage in Lyon Township near his parents, and two years later he married Hattie E. Johnson of Chautauqua, New York.
By 1890 Nathan Clapp was well known in Michigan as a stockbreeder of thoroughbred shorthorn cattle and Berkshire hogs. Active in politics, he served as delegate to county and state Republican conventions. He also served as Justice of the Peace and was Director of the Lincoln Club of Oakland County.
James W. Clapp followed in his father's vocation as a stockbreeder, becoming nationally known as an expert on Berkshire hogs. He worked as herd manager at several large stock breeding farms including Fairlawn Farm in Howell, Michigan; Hamilton Farms in Gladstone, New Jersey; and White Horse Farm in Paoli, Pennsylvania. He was also an exhibitor of Berkshires at major fairs and expositions throughout his career. By the 1920s, Clapp had returned to Michigan, making his residence in Pontiac, but he remained active as an exhibitor. In the late 1930s he became increasingly interested in the operation and development of the Michigan State Fair.
Scope and Contents note
This collection consists of various materials concerning stock breeding and related interests of the Clapp family in southeastern Michigan. Materials in the collection relating to the stock breeding activities of Nathan A. Clapp on his farm near Wixom in Oakland County reflect the early development in Michigan of an interest in purebred stock during the last two decades of the nineteenth century. Of particular interest is a handwritten draft of a speech delivered by Mr. Clapp in 1886 or 1888 to the Michigan Shorthorn Cattle Breeders' Association, in which he traces the history of stock breeding and makes certain conjectures about its development in the future. Nathan Clapp's papers also include published catalogs listing his stock of cattle and hogs for sale in 1883 and 1888, along with a few pieces of correspondence for the years 1878 and 1887.
The remainder of the collection consists of the papers of James W. Clapp, including correspondence with stockbreeders around the world. Materials relating directly to stock breeding include catalogs and advertising brochures from different farms around the country; pedigree certificates; newspaper and magazine articles; and correspondence for the years 1897-1953. The bulk of the remaining material in the collection consists of catalogs and newsclippings relating to farming, horse racing, fairs exhibitions, live stock shows and expositions, Michigan Agricultural College, 4-H Junior livestock shows, and the Michigan State Fair. One interesting group of publications in the collection are lessons from farmer's correspondence schools. The folder titled "Farms of Famous People" includes a series of articles published in The Breeder's Gazette in 1927-1928 which feature the agricultural activities of well-known persons including George Washington, Ulysses S. Grant, Herbert Hoover, Calvin Coolidge, Daniel Webster, Henry Clay, Sen. William A. Harris (Kansas), and Major-General "Mad" Anthony Wayne.
The collection also includes photographs of E. J. Barker farm in Indiana and the Brooks Stock Farm in Wixom, Michigan. There are also postcards of drawings of the Jamestown Exhibition from 1907.
Administrative Information
Publication Information
Michigan State University Archives and Historical Collections 1970
Conrad Hall888 Wilson Road, Room 101
East Lansing , MI, 48824
517-355-2330
archives@msu.edu
Revision Description
September 2001
Conditions Governing Access
Collection is open for research.
Legal Status
Copyright: Michigan State University Property Rights: Michigan State University
Conditions Governing Use
Permission to publish material from this collection must be obtained from University Archives & Historical Collections, Michigan State University.
Custodial History
Gift of Sally Wilson.
Related Materials
Separated Materials
To Map Collection: Transportation map - Detroit Unitedlines and Interurban Connections (1925)
To Republican Party Campaign Collection (00033): Republican party advertisement (1948). (D. Frye, March 1988)
Controlled Access Headings
Corporate Name(s)
- 4-H Youth Development Program (U.S.).
- Michigan Agricultural College.
- Michigan Shorthorn Cattle Breeders' Association.
- Michigan State Fair.
Genre(s)
- Letters (correspondence)
- Pamphlets
- Postcards
- Publications
Personal Name(s)
- Clapp, James W.
- Clapp, Nathan A., 1847-
- Wilson, Sally
Subject(s)
- 4-H clubs
- Fairs -- Michigan
- Livestock -- Breeding
- Livestock -- Diseases
Collection Inventory
Papers |
||||
| Box | ||||
|
Nathan A. Clapp |
1 | |||
| Box | Folder | |||
|
"A Yuletide Dream", "Crowding out the Scrubs" -- n.d. |
1 | 1 | ||
|
Biographical Fle |
1 | 2 | ||
|
Stock Catalogs -- 1883, 1888 |
1 | 3 | ||
|
Correspondence -- 1878, 1887 |
1 | 4 | ||
|
James W. Clapp |
1 | |||
| Box | Folder | |||
|
Biographical File |
1 | 5 | ||
| Box | ||||
|
Correspondence |
1 | |||
| Box | Folder | |||
|
1897-1912 |
1 | 6 | ||
|
1915-1921 |
1 | 7 | ||
|
1922-1929 |
1 | 8 | ||
|
1934-1939 |
1 | 9 | ||
|
1941-1949 |
1 | 10 | ||
|
1952-1954, n.d. |
1 | 11 | ||
| Box | Folder | |||
|
Michigan State Association of Farmers Clubs. Annual Meetings -- 1898-1922 |
1 | 12 | ||
|
Farmers Organizations. Miscellaneous Programs, Pamphlets -- 1908-1942 |
1 | 13 | ||
|
Agricultural pioneers, Southeast Michigan. Newsclips -- 1904 |
1 | 14 | ||
|
Prominent Stockbreeders. Newsclips |
1 | 15 | ||
| Box | ||||
|
Berkshire hogs |
1 | |||
| Box | Folder | |||
|
Shown by J.W. Clapp -- 1925 |
1 | 16 | ||
|
Advertising Brochures and Catalogs -- 1891, 1894 |
1 | 17 | ||
|
Advertising Brochures and Catalogs -- 1912-1925 |
1 | 18 | ||
|
Advertising Brochures and Catalogs -- n.d. |
1 | 19 | ||
|
Pedigree Certificates -- 1877-1915 |
1 | 20 | ||
|
Sales Notices and Catalogs -- 1895-1936 |
1 | 21 | ||
|
Stockbreeding |
1 | |||
| Box | Folder | |||
|
Cattle, Sheep. Newsclips |
1 | 22 | ||
|
Swine. Newsclips |
1 | 23 | ||
| Box | Folder | |||
|
Horse Breeding Stable Catalogs, 1890-1921 |
1 | 24 | ||
|
Swine Diseases. Newsclips |
1 | 25 | ||
| Box | ||||
|
Hoof and Mouth Disease |
1 | |||
| Box | Folder | |||
|
Newsclips -- 1910-1915 |
1 | 26 | ||
|
Newsclips -- 1929-1952 |
1 | 27 | ||
|
U.S. Department of Agriculture Report -- 1947 |
1 | 28 | ||
|
Horseracing - Newsclips |
2 | |||
| Box | Folder | |||
|
1903-1906 |
2 | 1 | ||
|
1910-1917 |
2 | 2 | ||
|
1921-1928 |
2 | 3 | ||
|
1931-1939 |
2 | 4 | ||
|
1940-1949 |
2 | 5 | ||
|
1950-1955 |
2 | 6 | ||
|
n.d. |
2 | 7 | ||
|
Michigan State Fairgrounds -- 1948-1949 |
2 | 8 | ||
| Box | Folder | |||
|
Farming. Newsclips |
2 | 9-14 | ||
|
Farms of Famous People |
2 | 15-17 | ||
| Box | ||||
|
Soil Surveys and Maps |
2 | |||
| Box | Folder | |||
|
Illinois (Clinton, Crawford Counties) -- 1931 |
2 | 18 | ||
|
Illinois (Cumberland, Franklin Counties) -- n.d. |
2 | 19 | ||
|
Illinois (Jasper, Pulaski Counties) -- 1930, 1932 |
2 | 20 | ||
|
Illinois (St. Clair, Washington, White Counties) -- 1931, 1933, n.d. |
2 | 21 | ||
|
Illinois. "Principal Soil Association Areas of Illinois" -- 1949 |
2 | 22 | ||
|
Indiana. "General Soil Regions of Indiana" -- 1933 |
2 | 23 | ||
|
Michigan. (Charlevoix County) -- 1922 |
2 | 24 | ||
|
Fairs and Expositions |
2 | |||
| Box | Folder | |||
|
World's Columbian Exposition (Chicago) -- 1903 |
2 | 25 | ||
|
Pan-American Exposition (Buffalo, New York) -- 1901 |
2 | 26 | ||
|
Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition (Portland, Oregon) -- 1906 |
2 | 27 | ||
|
Alaska-Yukon Pacific Exposition (Seattle) -- 1909 |
2 | 28 | ||
|
Panama-Pacific Exposition (San Francisco) -- 1915 |
2 | 29 | ||
|
International Livestock Exposition (Chicago) -- 1916 |
2 | 30 | ||
|
Sesqui-Centennial International Exposition (Philadelphia) -- 1926 |
2 | 31 | ||
|
World's Fair (New York) -- 1939 |
2 | 32 | ||
|
Golden Gate International Exposition, (San Francisco) -- 1939 |
2 | 33 | ||
|
Michigan State Fair |
3 | |||
| Box | ||||
|
Newsclips |
3 | |||
| Box | Folder | |||
|
1900-1939 |
3 | 1 | ||
|
1940-1949 |
3 | 2 | ||
|
1950 |
3 | 3 | ||
|
1951 |
3 | 4 | ||
|
1952 |
3 | 5 | ||
|
1953 |
3 | 6 | ||
|
1954 |
3 | 7 | ||
|
1954-1955 |
3 | 8 | ||
| Box | Folder | |||
|
State of Michigan vs. George W. Dickinson -- (1927) |
3 | 9 | ||
| Box | Folder | |||
|
Other Michigan Fairs. Newsclips, Premium List -- (1887) |
3 | 10 | ||
|
Other Fairs and Expositions. Newsclips |
3 | 11 | ||
|
Livestock Shows - Miscellaneous. Newsclips |
3 | 12 | ||
|
Michigan State University. Newsclips |
3 | 13-14 | ||
|
Political pamphlet. Lest We Forget His Record (Theodore Roosevelt) |
3 | 15 | ||
|
Columbian Correspondence College. Lectures on grain crops -- n.d. |
4 | 1 | ||
| Box | ||||
|
American Farmers School of Correspondence. Lessons |
4 | |||
| Box | Folder | |||
|
1911-1912 |
4 | 2 | ||
|
1912-1913 |
4 | 3 | ||
|
Newspaper |
4 | |||
| Box | Folder | |||
|
Pennsylvania Farmer September 22, 1917 |
4 | 4 | ||
|
National Farmer September 1921 |
4 | 5 | ||
|
Michigan Farmer June 30, 1928 |
4 | 6 | ||
|
The Citizen-Star (Ft. Worth, Texas) -- 1911 |
4 | 7 | ||
|
Pamphlets |
4 | |||
| Box | Folder | |||
|
Niagara Falls |
4 | 8 | ||
|
Prohibition |
4 | 9 | ||
|
Miscellaneous |
4 | 10 | ||
|
Publications |
4 | |||
| Box | Folder | |||
|
Interurban Time-Tables (Detroit) -- 1917 |
4 | 11 | ||
|
The Dime Receipt Book 1867 |
4 | 12 | ||
|
The Shorthorn World, vol. 2, no. 19 -- December 1917 |
4 | 13 | ||
|
The Model Farm 1929 |
4 | 14 | ||
|
Detroit-American High Grade Farm Tools (Catalog) |
4 | 15 | ||
|
Concrete in the Country 1910 |
4 | 16 | ||
|
Secrets for Farmers 1874 |
4 | 17 | ||
|
Farm Science 1906 |
4 | 18 | ||
|
Little Journeys to the Homes of Great Businessmen: Philip Armour 1908 |
4 | 19 | ||
|
Little Journeys Through the Plants of Swift & Company and Armour and Company 1917, 1920 |
4 | 20 | ||
|
The Jamesway Hog Barn Book 1919 |
4 | 21 | ||
|
The Modern Art of Taming Wild Horses and A Treatise on the Horse and His Diseases 1857, 1880 |
4 | 22 | ||
|
Prospectus of the Model Poultry Company 1907 |
4 | 23 | ||
|
Poultry Booklets 1881, 1882, 1887 |
5 | 1 | ||
|
Poultry Booklets 1906, 1913 |
5 | 2 | ||
|
Farm By-Products and Alfalfa and How to Grow It 1909, 1910 |
5 | 3 | ||
|
Sale Catalogs and Pamphlets Swine. Horses, Dairy Cattle |
5 | 4 | ||
|
Van Pelt's Cow Demonstration and What Price Milk 1911, 1939 |
5 | 5 | ||
|
The American Cultivator 1915 |
5 | 6 | ||
|
Sale Catalogs Guernsey Dairy Cattle 1904, 1912 |
5 | 7 | ||
|
Sale Catalogs. Short Horn Cattle 1904, 1905, 1911 |
5 | 8 | ||
|
Sale Catalogs. Scotch Short Horn Cattle 1918 |
5 | 9 | ||
|
Sale Catalogs. Holstein Friesian Cattle 1910 |
5 | 10 | ||
|
The Holstein Friesian Register vol 29, No. 3 February 1911 |
5 | 11 | ||
|
National Association Live Stock Breeders and Raisers Hand Book and American Live Stock Manual 1886, 1909 |
5 | 12 | ||
|
The Berkshire World April, 1916 |
5 | 13 | ||
|
The Field Illustrated December, 1913 |
5 | 14 | ||
|
The Field Illustrated February, 1918 |
5 | 15 | ||
|
The Field Illustrated April, 1920 |
5 | 16 | ||
| Box | Folder | |||
|
Calendar. Dairy Cattle, Highland Farms, Auburn, Massachusetts -- ca. 1910 |
5 | 17 | ||
|
|
||||
Volumes |
||||
| Volume | ||||
|
vol. 1: The James Way. Catalog 23 -- 1917 |
1 | |||
|
vol. 2: The James Way. Catalog 27 -- 1919 |
2 | |||
|
|
||||
Oversized Materials |
||||
| Drawer | ||||
|
The Breeder's Gazetter December 1915 |
80 | |||
|
A Calendar of Heart's Delight Farm 1917 |
80 | |||
|
|
||||
| Box | Folder | |||
|
Jamestown Exposition Postcards 1907 |
3 | 16 | ||
|
Photographs |
3 | 17 | ||
|
Fairground postcards Undated |
5 | 18 | ||