Cage 371 Guide to the Washington Blueberry Growers Association Records 1944-1977 Washington Blueberry Growers Association Records Finding aid prepared by Margot H. Knight Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities. Washington State University Libraries Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections © 2012
Pullman, WA 99164-5610 USA (509) 335-6691 http://www.wsulibs.wsu.edu/masc/ mascref@wsu.edu
Finding aid encoded by Mark O'English 2004 Finding aid written in English. Washington State University Libraries, Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections
Pullman, WA 99164-5610 USA (509) 335-6691 http://www.wsulibs.wsu.edu/masc/ mascref@wsu.edu
Cage 371 Washington Blueberry Growers Association Washington Blueberry Growers Association Records 1944-1977 5 containers. 5 linear feet of shelf space. 5800 items. Correspondence, memoranda, reports, financial statements, shipping records, marketing agreements, meeting minutes, Articles of Incorporation and by-laws, and other records of a growers' cooperative marketing group. Collection materials are in English.

The Washington Blueberry Growers Association was organized in 1945 after two blueberry grower conferences in 1944 and 1945. It was felt that some kind of permanent organization was essential for solving the existing problems of blueberry growers, as well as for preparing to meet future emergencies. In 1946 the Association was renamed the Pacific Northwest Blueberry Growers Association. Expressed objectives of the association were to engage in activities connected with the marketing, production, and processing of blueberries as well as to provide for the exchange of information among members. The Articles of Incorporation, drawn up in 1947, provided that the assocation was non-profit and cooperative in character for the mutual benefit of its members.

From 1965 to 1966 the association underwent major reorganization and its marketing role was emphasized and expanded, and the name reverted to the Washington Blueberry Growers Association.

The records of the Washington Blueberry Growers Association are divided into three series: Correspondence, Internal Organizational Records, and Financial and Fiscal Data.

The Correspondence Series is divided into three subseries. The first subseries is the alphabetically arranged correspondent files from 1948 through 1976; the second is the alphabetically arranged grower files from 1956 through 1966. General correspondence from 1945 through 1977, the third subseries, is arranged alphabetically. The correspondence series includes letters, memoranda, reports, bulletins, and some financial information.

Internal Organizational Records from 1944 through 1974 are arranged in two subseries: general records, 1944-1967, and other papers. The general records include meeting minutes, bulletins, announcements, membership lists, and financial information and are arranged chronologically by year. Other papers arranged alphabetically by subject from 1949 through 1974 include correspondence, reports, by-laws, meeting minutes, membership lists, and packaging.

Financial and Fiscal Data, 1948-1976, compose the bulk of the collection and includes four subseries: general financial information such as financial statements and ledgers from 1950 through 1976, invoices, shipping records, and vouchers from 1954 through 1974, and marketing agreements from 1948 through 1976 arranged chronologically by year. Other papers are arranged alphabetically, by subject, and they include assessments, bank statements, reports, tax information, membership agreements, insurance forms, and mortgages from 1954 through 1969.

This collection is open for research use.

[Item Description]. Cage 371, Washington Blueberry Growers Association Records. Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections, Washington State University Libraries, Pullman, WA.

The records of the Washington Blueberry Growers Association (77-65) were donated to the Washington State University Libraries by the organization through Secretary Mabel Bunge in November 1977.

This collection is indexed under the following headings in the online catalog. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons, or places should search the catalog using these headings.

Burge, Mabel. WaPS Washington Blueberry Growers Association--Archives Blueberries--Cooperative marketing--Washington (State)--Archives Blueberries--Washington (State) Agriculture--Washington (State)--Societies, etc.--Records and correspondence Cooperative marketing of farm produce--Washington (State) Agriculture Washington (State)

The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection.

Series 1: Correspondence 1945-1977 Correspondent 1948-1976 1 1 N.A. Aldrich, President 1955-1959 34 1 2 Ane Anderson, Mabel Bunge, Secretaries 1957-1959 65 1 3 Brightman, Roberts & Holm 1954-1955 13 1 4 Mabel Bunge, Secretary/Treasurer 1964-1968 16 1 5 Bob Cook, Manager 1965-1968 23 1 6 Richard Drew, President 1965 11 1 7 Financial Correspondence 1955 18 1 8 A.M. Highland, CPA 1956-1958 194 1 9 Hullin Transfer & Storage 1955 25 1 10 Junge McGregor Co. 1955 82 1 11 Mary Ellen's Inc. 1955 6 1 12 North American Blueberry Council 1966 9 1 13 True Ouillette, Secretary 1954-1958 87 1 14 Resignations, Cancellations 1948-1958 42 1 15 Charles Thomsen 1954-1956 33 1 16-17 William C. Timothy, Attorney 1955-1958 146 1 18 Washington State--Dept. of Labor and Industries 1955 5 1 19 Washington State 1960-1976 72 1 20 Washington Canners 1957-1958 56 1 21 Washington Canners 1959-1965 90 1 22-23 Louis Weinzirl 1952-1955 115 1 24 Western Washington Experiment Station 1952 4 Grower Correspondence 1956-1966 1 25 1956-1957 75 1 26 1958 37 1 27 1959 21 1 28 1964 44 1 29 1966 27 1 30-32 1965-1966 197 General Correspondence 1945-1977 2 33 1945-1946 18 2 34-50 1954-1977 1350 Series 2: Internal Organization Records 1944-1974 General Records 1944-1967 2 51-52 1944-1959 12 3 53-54 1960-1967 2 3 55 Advertising 1949-1955 8 3 56 Agricultural Labor Bills 1966-1968 26 3 57-58 Annual Meetings 1949-1955 1967 3 3 59 Association History 1962 1 3 60 Bulletins and Reports 1956-1967 84 3 61 By-Laws, Corporation Licenses 1953-1960 12 3 62 Enabling Act 1955 20 3 63 Meeting Minutes 1955-1973 120 3 64 Membership Lists 1948-1974 75 3 65 Packaging undated 4 Series 3: Financial and Fiscal Data 1948-1976 General Financial Information 1950-1976 3 66-70 Financial Statements 1950-1976 49 3 71-74 General Financial Records 1955-1958 210 4 75 General Ledger 1953-1954 1 Invoices, Shipping Records, and Vouchers 1954-1974 4 76-84 Invoices 1954-1956 723 4 85 Shipping and Tonnage 1951-1954 53 4 86-88 Shipping Orders 1954-1955 300 4 89 Shipping Weights 1955 80 4 90-100 Vouchers 1960-1974 275 4 101-112 Marketing Agreements 1948-1957 281 4 113 Annual Reports 1967-1970 4 4 114-115 Assessments 1955 1967-1968 43 4 116 Audit Reports 1961-1968 5 4 117 Bank Statements 1950 22 4 118 Bills 1954-1955 65 4 119 Bonds 1956-1958 5 4 120 Certificates of Indebtedness 1955 4 4 121 Check Register 1950-1953 1 4 122 Confirmation of Sales 1966 6 4 123 Cost of Production 1960-1961 12 4 124 Farm Sales Reports, Surveys 1952-1953 40 4 125 Farm Sales Assessments 1957-1958 8 4 126-127 Internal Revenue Service 1951-1969 30 4 128 Insurance Mortgages 1952-1953 9 4 129 Membership Agreements 1967 25 4 130 Recaps 1955 6 4 131 Variety Reports 1962 40 4 132 Washington State Tax Reports 1952-1956 27