William L. Amoss papers
Abstract
This collection contains materials relating to the career of William L. Amoss, who was head of the Farmers' Institutes at the Maryland Agricultural College from 1896 to 1910. Amoss's papers include daybooks, brochures, scrapbooks, reports and photographs, and cover such subjects as farmers' institutes, county fairs, farmers' markets, the Maryland State Grange of the Patrons of Husbandry, local farm clubs, the Louisiana Purchase Exhibition, poultry, horticulture, and transportation. In 1918 and 1919, Amoss served as Special Field Agent with the U.S. Employment Service of the Department of Labor. His papers from this period include correspondence regarding farm labor shortages suffered during and after World War I in New Jersey, Maryland, and Delaware. There is also a small amount of personal correspondence that provides some insight into Amoss's family life.
Important Information for Users of the Collection
This collection is open for research.
William L. Amoss papers, Special Collections, University of Maryland Libraries.
Photocopies of original materials may be provided for a fee and at the discretion of the curator. Please see our Duplication of Materials policy for more information. Queries regarding publication rights and copyright status of materials within this collection should be directed to the appropriate curator.
This collection is PROCESSED.
Historical Note
William Lee Amoss was born October 10, 1859, on Mt. Soma farm in Benson, Harford County, Maryland. He was educated at Oakland Academy and graduated with the equivalent of a high school degree from Eaton and Burnett Business College in Baltimore. In 1904, Amoss married Sarah Evelyn Breed, a native of Cornwall, New York. At the time of their marriage, Breed had been Superintendent of the Southern Industrial Classes of Norfolk, Virginia, a branch of the Hampton Institute, for eight years. The couple had at least one child, a daughter named Cornelia.
After serving for nine years as Secretary of the Harford County Farmers' Convention, Amoss was appointed the first director of the Department of Farmers' Institutes of the Maryland Agricultural College (MAC) in 1896. According to Amoss, his appointment came as a surprise and was accepted "only on the solicitation of friends with whom I had been associated when working for our farmers organizations for a betterment of conditions under which we were living." As director, he organized institutes in each county of the state, recruiting agricultural experts from around the country to speak to local farmers regarding the practical issues they faced every day, covering topics such as using fertilizer, raising livestock, and determining soil acidity, among many others. He reported to MAC President R.W. Silvester in 1907 that the Institutes had "shown [the farmer] that he must look to the Agricultural College and the Experiment Station for scientific information not to be obtained elsewhere." He remained director until 1910 when he was dismissed by the MAC Board of Trustees. The Board cited administrative concerns as the reason for Amoss's dismissal, indicating that the Farmers' Institutes had deviated from the Board's vision for the mission of the College. His dismissal was controversial, particularly with local farmers' organizations.
During his tenure at MAC, Amoss participated in a number of additional activities. He was one of the original founders of and subscribers to the Farmers Market Company of Baltimore City. Incorporated in 1896, it was commonly referred to as the Baltimore Market. Amoss was president of the American Association of Farmers' Institute Workers for the year 1902. In 1903 and 1904, Amoss spent a significant amount of time organizing Maryland's entry for an agricultural exhibit at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition in St. Louis, Missouri.
Amoss's name was submitted for the position of president of the Maryland Agricultural College in 1913 by George Powell, former director of the Farmers' Institutes for New York and president of the Agricultural Experts Association, though he was not ultimately considered. In 1918, Amoss was appointed Special Field Agent with the U.S. Employment Service of the Department of Labor. He dealt primarily with farm labor shortages suffered during and after World War I in New Jersey, Maryland, and Delaware. He resigned from that position in July 1919.
Amoss also maintained and developed his own farm, Mt. Soma - so named as the reverse spelling of Amos - in Benson, Harford County, Maryland. In his role as a farmer, Amoss continued to correspond regularly with state experiment stations and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. After his resignation from the U.S. Employment Service, he settled permanently into his work on Mt. Soma Farm with his family.
William Amoss died on December 11, 1933, at his residence on Mt. Soma farm. He was preceded in death by his wife.
Scope and Contents of the Collection
The Papers of William Amoss cover the years 1884 to 1936, with the bulk of the material dating between 1896 and 1919. Document types represented in the collection include correspondence, manuscripts, scrapbooks, ephemera, newspaper clippings, and publications. The materials cover topics such as the Farmers' Institutes and their administration; advice on farming and livestock, including letters and articles dealing with diseases of crops and livestock, methods of fertilization, soil testing, and the transportation of farm products; financial and labor aspects of farming, particularly during World War I; Maryland's participation in the Louisiana Purchase Exposition; and Amoss's participation in a number of farmers' organizations and clubs. There is also a small amount of personal correspondence that provides some insight into Amoss's family life.
Custodial History and Acquisition Information
The Papers of William L. Amoss were separated from the records of the Maryland Agricultural Experiment Station and accessioned by the University of Maryland University Archives in 1972. Originally, the collection included a series on the Farmers' Institutes. In 2005, that series was separated from the Papers of William L. Amoss and added to the Records of the Farmers' Institutes.
Processing Information
Originally processed: March 1973. Reprocessed by: Ann Hanlon, October 2005.
This collection was originally processed upon accession in the 1970s. The collection was reprocessed in 2005. A series comprised exclusively of Farmers' Institutes materials was separated and placed with the Records of the Farmers' Institutes in the University Archives. A new series was created to identify items related to Amoss's family farm, Mt. Soma. The Publications series was re-arranged according to topics.
During reprocessing, items were re-foldered and re-boxed, staples and other metal fasteners were removed, oversize items were separated to oversize boxes and folders, and newspaper clippings were photocopied onto acid-free paper. Scrapbooks with glued-in clippings were interleaved with acid-free paper.
EAD markup created using EAD database in Microsoft Access. Markup completed by Ann Hanlon, December 2005.
Arrangement of Collection
The collection is divided into eight series.
Detailed Description of the Collection
Series 1: Subject Files, 1895-1927 (1.50 linear feet)
The Subject Files are comprised of correspondence, pamphlets, advertisements, and records covering agricultural topics such as dairying, farm buildings, and feeding. Files related to Amoss's work in various organizations, such as the Farmers Market Company of Baltimore, are included in this series. Also included are files related to subjects of active interest to Amoss, such as a study of state gambling laws and a related draft of a speech attributed to his wife, Sarah Evelyn Breed, correspondence drafted by Amoss to the State Highway Commission supporting construction of the Belair-Harford Turnpike between Belair, Reckord, and Baltimore in order to facilitate the transportation of produce to the Baltimore markets, and drafts of speeches covering topics such as the Farmers� Institutes, the contribution of the farmer to the war effort, and African-American farm labor. A significant portion of the Subject Files deals with Amoss's work on the Maryland exhibit at the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair (Louisiana Purchase Exposition). Arrangement is alphabetical by topic.
| Description | Series | Box / Reel | Folder / Frame | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agricultural Building, Maryland State College of Agriculture, 1916 | series 1 | box 1 | folder 1 | |
| Agricultural Extension Questionnaire, 1910 | series 1 | box 1 | folder 2 | |
| Alabama, 1916 | series 1 | box 1 | folder 3 | |
| American Association of Farmers Institute Workers, 1902-1913 | series 1 | box 1 | folder 4 | |
| Apple Tree Borers, 1907, 1914 | series 1 | box 1 | folder 5 | |
| Belair-Harford Turnpike, 1908-1909 | series 1 | box 1 | folder 6 | |
| Cooperatives, Undated | series 1 | box 1 | folder 7 | |
| Corn, 1901-1903 | series 1 | box 1 | folder 8 | |
| Dairying, [1900?] | series 1 | box 1 | folder 9 | |
| Farm Buildings, Undated | series 1 | box 1 | folder 10 | |
| Farmers Market Company of Baltimore City, 1895-1896 | series 1 | box 1 | folder 11 | |
| Farmers Market Company of Baltimore City, 1897 | series 1 | box 1 | folder 12 | |
| Farmers Market Company of Baltimore City -- Incorporation, 1896 | series 1 | box 1 | folder 13 | |
| Farmers Market Company of Baltimore City -- Incorporation and Reports, 1896 | series 1 | box 1 | folder 14 | |
| Farmers Markets, 1911 | series 1 | box 1 | folder 15 | |
| Feeding, 1906-1927 | series 1 | box 1 | folder 16 | |
| Fertilizers, 1908 | series 1 | box 1 | folder 17 | |
| Gambling Report, 1908 | series 1 | box 1 | folder 18 | |
| Horticulture, 1907-1922 | series 1 | box 1 | folder 19 | |
| Lambs, 1905 | series 1 | box 2 | folder 1 | |
| Morrill Act, 1902-1907 | series 1 | box 2 | folder 2 | |
| Philadelphia Market, 1895-1896 | series 1 | box 2 | folder 3 | |
| Poultry (Includes oversize), 1900-1928 | series 1 | box 2 | folder 4 | |
| Pruning, 1915 | series 1 | box 2 | folder 5 | |
| Refrigeration, 1896 | series 1 | box 2 | folder 6 | |
| Seeds, 1903-1906 | series 1 | box 2 | folder 7 | |
| Southern Industrial Classes, 1910-1912 | series 1 | box 2 | folder 8 | |
| Speeches, 1903-1910 and undated | series 1 | box 2 | folder 9 | |
| State Museum, 1905 | series 1 | box 2 | folder 10 | |
| St. Louis World's Fair, 1903 | series 1 | box 2 | folder 11 | |
| St. Louis World's Fair, January - May 1904 | series 1 | box 2 | folder 12 | |
| St. Louis World's Fair, June - December 1904 | series 1 | box 2 | folder 13 | |
| St. Louis World's Fair, 1903-1906 | series 1 | box 2 | folder 14 | |
| St. Louis World's Fair, 1905-1906 | series 1 | box 2 | folder 15 | |
| St. Louis World's Fair, Clippings, 1903-1904 | series 1 | box 3 | folder 1 | |
| St. Louis World's Fair, Louisiana Purchase Exposition, Book I, 1903-1904 | series 1 | box 3 | folder 2 | |
| St. Louis World's Fair, Louisiana Purchase Exposition, Book I, 1903-1904 | series 1 | box 3 | folder 3 | |
| St. Louis World's Fair, Louisiana Purchase Exposition, Book I, 1903-1904 | series 1 | box 3 | folder 4 | |
| St. Louis World's Fair, Louisiana Purchase Exposition, Book II, 1903-1904 | series 1 | box 3 | folder 5 | |
| St. Louis World's Fair, Louisiana Purchase Exposition, Book II, 1903-1904 | series 1 | box 3 | folder 6 | |
| St. Louis World's Fair, Louisiana Purchase Exposition, Book II, 1903-1904 | series 1 | box 3 | folder 7 | |
| Swine, 1901-1910 | series 1 | box 3 | folder 8 | |
| U.S. Department of Agriculture, Undated | series 1 | box 3 | folder 9 | |
Series 2: Grange and Farm Clubs, 1884-1915 (0.50 linear feet)
The Grange and Farm Clubs series includes correspondence, booklets, clippings, and copies of constitutions and by-laws related to various grange and farm clubs to which Amoss belonged or with which he corresponded. Arrangement is alphabetical by topic.
| Description | Series | Box / Reel | Folder / Frame | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agricultural and Mechanical Society of Harford County, 1884 | series 2 | box 1 | folder 1 | |
| Farm Clubs, 1895-1915 | series 2 | box 1 | folder 2 | |
| Farmers Association of Harford County, [1896] | series 2 | box 1 | folder 3 | |
| Farmers Club of Sandy Spring, Undated | series 2 | box 1 | folder 4 | |
| Farmers Conventions, Harford County, Minutes Book, 1889 | series 2 | box 1 | folder 5 | |
| Farmers League of Maryland, 1910-1911 | series 2 | box 1 | folder 6 | |
| Montgomery County Farmers Bureau, Undated | series 2 | box 1 | folder 7 | |
| Peninsula Produce Exchange of Maryland, 1908 | series 2 | box 1 | folder 8 | |
Series 3: Correspondence, 1893-1926 (3.00 linear feet)
The Correspondence series includes letters both to and from Amoss, largely dealing with arrangements for speakers and topics for Farmers' Institute lectures. Amoss corresponded with speakers on both a formal and informal basis. He continued to correspond with several speakers even after his tenure as director of Farmers' Institutes ended.
This series also includes a handwritten letter from R. W. Silvester, President of MAC, regarding a meeting to discuss Amoss's election as director of Farmers' Institutes, as well as correspondence related to Amoss's dismissal from that position. Correspondence produced during Amoss's tenure at the U.S. Employment Agency deals with topics such as the farm labor shortage, World War I, and Negro labor. Folders labeled "Correspondence" contain miscellaneous letters to and from Amoss, including a few personal letters and some family correspondence.
Arrangement is chronological where correspondents are various, and then alphabetical by correspondent or subject.
| Description | Series | Box / Reel | Folder / Frame | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Correspondence, 1893-1900 | series 3 | box 1 | folder 1 | |
| Correspondence, 1901-1902 | series 3 | box 1 | folder 2 | |
| Correspondence, 1903 | series 3 | box 1 | folder 3 | |
| Correspondence, 1903-1905 | series 3 | box 1 | folder 4 | |
| Correspondence, 1906 | series 3 | box 1 | folder 5 | |
| Correspondence, 1907-1910 | series 3 | box 1 | folder 6 | |
| Correspondence, 1910-1916 | series 3 | box 1 | folder 7 | |
| Correspondence, 1917-1926 | series 3 | box 1 | folder 8 | |
| Correspondence -- Letter Press Volume, 1900-1910 | series 3 | box 1 | folder 9 | |
| Correspondence -- Letter Press Volume, 1900-1901 | series 3 | box 2 | folder 1 | |
| Correspondence -- Letter Press Volume, 1901-1903 | series 3 | box 2 | folder 2 | |
| Correspondence -- Letter Press Volume, 1901-1906 | series 3 | box 2 | folder 3 | |
| Correspondence -- Letter Press Volume, 1906-1910 | series 3 | box 2 | folder 4 | |
| Citizen's Bank of Laurel, 1902-1907 | series 3 | box 3 | folder 1 | |
| Close, C. P. , 1909-1910 | series 3 | box 3 | folder 2 | |
| Coby [Cobey], W. W , 1905-1907 | series 3 | box 3 | folder 3 | |
| Corn Judging Contest, 1907-1908 | series 3 | box 3 | folder 4 | |
| Curryer, J. C. , 1897-1905 | series 3 | box 3 | folder 5 | |
| Disagreement with Executive Board, 1910 | series 3 | box 3 | folder 6 | |
| Dismissal, 1910 | series 3 | box 3 | folder 7 | |
| Farmers League, Undated | series 3 | box 3 | folder 8 | |
| Freight, 1906-1912 | series 3 | box 3 | folder 9 | |
| Gowell, G. M. , 1906-1907 | series 3 | box 3 | folder 10 | |
| Green Ridge Orchard, 1913-1922 | series 3 | box 3 | folder 11 | |
| Gregg, O. C. , 1896-1906 | series 3 | box 3 | folder 12 | |
| Hill, R. S. , 1898-1910 | series 3 | box 3 | folder 13 | |
| Illinois Livestock Breeders Association, 1907 | series 3 | box 3 | folder 14 | |
| Jamestown Exposition, 1906 | series 3 | box 3 | folder 15 | |
| Johnson, W. G. , 1897-1908 | series 3 | box 3 | folder 16 | |
| Kelsey, David , 1903-1909 | series 3 | box 3 | folder 17 | |
| Kent, Frank P. , 1909-1910 | series 3 | box 3 | folder 18 | |
| Massey, W. F. , 1901-1910 | series 3 | box 3 | folder 19 | |
| Massey, W. F., 1903-1908 | series 3 | box 3 | folder 20 | |
| McDonnell, H. B. , 1910 | series 3 | box 3 | folder 21 | |
| Miller, H. P. , 1901-1908 | series 3 | box 3 | folder 22 | |
| New England Education League [Scott, W.], 1911 | series 3 | box 3 | folder 23 | |
| Orr, T. E. , 1902-1907 | series 3 | box 3 | folder 24 | |
| Patterson, H. J. , 1899-1905 | series 3 | box 3 | folder 25 | |
| Patterson, H. J., 1906-1908 | series 3 | box 3 | folder 26 | |
| Patterson, H. J., 1909-1928 | series 3 | box 4 | folder 1 | |
| Pearson, R. A. , 1899-1910 | series 3 | box 4 | folder 2 | |
| Powell, George T. , 1896-1912 | series 3 | box 4 | folder 3 | |
| Powell, Harold , 1897-1907 | series 3 | box 4 | folder 4 | |
| Rankin, F. H. , 1905-1909 | series 3 | box 4 | folder 5 | |
| Rice, James , 1897-1911 | series 3 | box 4 | folder 6 | |
| Robinson, James , 1897-1901 | series 3 | box 4 | folder 7 | |
| Sandles, A. P. , 1908-1910 | series 3 | box 4 | folder 8 | |
| Silvester, R. W. , 1896-1901 | series 3 | box 4 | folder 9 | |
| Silvester, R. W., 1902-1904 | series 3 | box 4 | folder 10 | |
| Silvester, R. W., 1905-1906 | series 3 | box 4 | folder 11 | |
| Silvester, R. W., 1907-1910 | series 3 | box 4 | folder 12 | |
| Smead, C. D. , 1904-1910 | series 3 | box 4 | folder 13 | |
| Stabler, Augustus , 1906-1909 | series 3 | box 4 | folder 14 | |
| Stabler, Augustus -- Reports and Pamphlets, 1909 | series 3 | box 4 | folder 15 | |
| St. Louis World's Fair, January - March 1904 | series 3 | box 5 | folder 1 | |
| St. Louis World's Fair, April - June 1904 | series 3 | box 5 | folder 2 | |
| St. Louis World's Fair, July - December 1904 | series 3 | box 5 | folder 3 | |
| Symons, Thomas B. , 1907-1910 | series 3 | box 5 | folder 4 | |
| Taliaferro, W. T. L. , 1909 | series 3 | box 5 | folder 5 | |
| Thomas, H. C. , 1909-1910 | series 3 | box 5 | folder 6 | |
| Todd, S. N. , 1896-1908 | series 3 | box 5 | folder 7 | |
| True, A. C. , 1899-1904 | series 3 | box 5 | folder 8 | |
| U. S. Employment Service, January - June 1918 | series 3 | box 5 | folder 9 | |
| U. S. Employment Service, July - December 1918 | series 3 | box 5 | folder 10 | |
| U. S. Employment Service, 1918 | series 3 | box 5 | folder 11 | |
| U. S. Employment Service, 1919-1921 | series 3 | box 5 | folder 12 | |
| Van Alstyne, Edward , 1898-1907 | series 3 | box 6 | folder 1 | |
| Van Alstyne, Edward, 1900-1910 | series 3 | box 6 | folder 2 | |
| Van Deman, H. E. , 1901 | series 3 | box 6 | folder 3 | |
| Van Wagenen, Jared , 1905-1908 | series 3 | box 6 | folder 4 | |
| Watts, R. L. , 1902-1910 | series 3 | box 6 | folder 5 | |
| Wing, Joseph , 1900-1909 | series 3 | box 6 | folder 6 | |
Series 4: Clippings, 1897-1923 (0.50 linear feet)
The Clippings series includes scrapbooks and loose clippings collected by Amoss. A significant portion of the clippings contained in the scrapbooks features items on the Farmers' Institutes, as well as articles of professional interest to Amoss on agricultural topics.
This series includes clippings related to agricultural discoveries and improvements featured at the St. Louis World's Fair; corn breeding and the "Corn Special," a traveling farm education endeavor; development of farm lands in Maryland; marketing cut flowers; cost-of-living issues for farmers and the business of farming; and diseases of livestock.
Loose clippings have been photocopied onto acid-free paper. Scrapbooks have been interleaved with acid-free paper. Arrangement of loose clippings is by topic. Arrangement of scrapbooks is chronological.
| Description | Series | Box / Reel | Folder / Frame | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Corn, 1898-1908 and undated | series 4 | box 1 | folder 1 | |
| Corn Special, 1904-1906 | series 4 | box 1 | folder 2 | |
| Cost of Living, 1910-1918 and undated | series 4 | box 1 | folder 3 | |
| Cut Flowers, 1921 | series 4 | box 1 | folder 4 | |
| Education, 1897-1910 and undated | series 4 | box 1 | folder 5 | |
| Farmers' Institutes, 1897, 1906 | series 4 | box 1 | folder 6 | |
| Livestock, 1908 and undated | series 4 | box 1 | folder 7 | |
| Marketing, 1910-1912 and undated | series 4 | box 1 | folder 8 | |
| Miscellaneous (Includes oversize), 1890-1910 and undated | series 4 | box 1 | folder 9 | |
| Oysters, 1906-1907 | series 4 | box 1 | folder 10 | |
| Scrapbook, 1897-1899, 1923 | series 4 | box 1 | folder 11 | |
| Scrapbook, 1887-1916 | series 4 | box 1 | folder 12 | |
Series 5: Mt. Soma Farm, 1891-1929 (0.50 linear feet)
The Mt. Soma Farm series includes items related to the running and maintenance of the Amoss family farm, known as Mt. Soma Farm, in Benson, Harford County, Maryland. Items include address books, advertisements and fliers, a poultry ledger, and horse records. An undated typescript for a biography of William L. Amoss is also part of this series. Arrangement is alphabetical by topic.
| Description | Series | Box / Reel | Folder / Frame | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Address Books, Undated | series 5 | box 1 | folder 1 | |
| Advertisements, 1910 and undated | series 5 | box 1 | folder 2 | |
| Amoss Biography, Undated | series 5 | box 1 | folder 3 | |
| Pamphlets and Fliers -- Agriculture, 1900-1917 | series 5 | box 1 | folder 4 | |
| Pamphlets and Fliers -- Labor, Undated | series 5 | box 1 | folder 5 | |
| Soma Park Poultry Ledger, 1927-1929 | series 5 | box 1 | folder 6 | |
| Soma Farm Horse Records, 1891-1901 | series 5 | box 1 | folder 7 | |
Series 6: Publications, 1886-1936 (4.50 linear feet (269 items))
The Publications series includes pamphlets, books, journals, journal articles, and advertisements collected by William Amoss and his wife, Sarah Evelyn Breed. In addition to published reports and studies from domestic and international agricultural organizations, journals, journal articles, and a variety of farming and gardening manuals and pamphlets, this series includes a number of reports and articles collected by Amoss's wife during her tenure as Superintendent of the Southern Industrial Classes of Norfolk, Virginia, a branch of the Hampton Institute.
Headings have been assigned to groups of titles in this series. A grouping of miscellaneous titles precedes these groupings, and then arrangement is alphabetical by heading, and then alphabetical by title. In cases where the heading is comprised of an organization's annual reports or several items bearing the same title, arrangement is chronological.
| Description | Series | Box / Reel | Folder / Frame | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miscellaneous Titles -- American League for Civic Improvement, October 1901 | series 6 | box 1 | folder 1 | |
| Miscellaneous Titles -- Educational Manual Training: Advanced Knife Work; Elementary Knife Work; Paper Folding , 1903 | series 6 | box 1 | folder 2 | |
| Miscellaneous Titles -- Farm Relief Speeches of Franklin W. Fort, 1926 | series 6 | box 1 | folder 3 | |
| Miscellaneous Titles -- Finance and Banking Pamphlets, 1936 and undated | series 6 | box 1 | folder 4 | |
| Miscellaneous Titles -- How to Make Good Pictures, Undated | series 6 | box 1 | folder 5 | |
| Miscellaneous Titles -- International Congress on Tuberculosis, 1908 | series 6 | box 1 | folder 6 | |
| Miscellaneous Titles -- Jefferson, the Seer: His Vision of a System of Public Education, 1903 | series 6 | box 1 | folder 7 | |
| Miscellaneous Titles -- Mechanics' Arithmetic, 1889 | series 6 | box 1 | folder 8 | |
| Miscellaneous Titles -- National Social Unit Organization, Bulletins, 1917-1918 | series 6 | box 1 | folder 9 | |
| Miscellaneous Titles -- The Problem in the South: An Address before the Southern Educational Association, 1903 | series 6 | box 1 | folder 10 | |
| Miscellaneous Titles -- The People: Issued in the Interest of Free, Universal and Equal Education. (Oversize), 1905 | series 6 | box 1 | folder 11 | |
| Miscellaneous Titles -- The Rockefeller Foundation Review, 1928 | series 6 | box 1 | folder 12 | |
| Miscellaneous Titles -- Supreme Court of District of Columbia Bill of Complaint [History of the Green Ridge Project] (Includes oversize), 1917 | series 6 | box 1 | folder 13 | |
| Miscellaneous Titles -- U. S. Employment Service [Annual Report of the Director General to the Secretary of Labor], 1918 | series 6 | box 1 | folder 14 | |
| African-American Education and Labor -- Atlanta University , 1898 | series 6 | box 2 | folder 1 | |
| African-American Education and Labor -- Calhoun Colored School, of Calhoun, Lowndes County, Alabama. , 1899-1903 | series 6 | box 2 | folder 2 | |
| African-American Education and Labor -- Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute , 1900-1913 | series 6 | box 2 | folder 3 | |
| African-American Education and Labor -- "The Negro Farmer", 1903 | series 6 | box 2 | folder 4 | |
| African-American Education and Labor -- Southern Education Board, May 1902, December 1902 | series 6 | box 2 | folder 5 | |
| African-American Education and Labor -- Southern Education (Journal), March 1903-November 1903 | series 6 | box 3 | folder 1 | |
| African-American Education and Labor --Southern Industrial Classes, 1904, 1906,1913 | series 6 | box 3 | folder 2 | |
| African-American Education and Labor -- Southern Workman, The (Journal), 1901, 1903, 1904, | series 6 | box 3 | folder 3 | |
| Excerpted Articles -- The Atlantic Monthly: The Problems of Rural New England, May 1897 | series 6 | box 4 | folder 1 | |
| Excerpted Articles -- Journal of Agricultural Research: Respiration Experiments with Sweet Potatoes, December 1915 | series 6 | box 4 | folder 2 | |
| Excerpted Articles -- Journal of Agricultural Research: The Disease of Potatoes Known as "Leak", July 1916 | series 6 | box 4 | folder 3 | |
| Excerpted Articles -- Journal of Agricultural Research: A New Disease of Wheat, July 1917 | series 6 | box 4 | folder 4 | |
| Excerpted Articles -- Journal of Agricultural Research: A Needle Blight of Douglas Fir, July 1917 | series 6 | box 4 | folder 5 | |
| Excerpted Articles -- Journal of Agricultural Research: A Nursery Blight of Cedars, September 1917 | series 6 | box 4 | folder 6 | |
| Excerpted Articles -- Journal of Agricultural Research: Some Changes in Florida Grapefruit in Storage, December 1920 | series 6 | box 4 | folder 7 | |
| Excerpted Articles -- Journal of Agricultural Research: After-Ripening and Germination of Apple Seeds, January 1923 | series 6 | box 4 | folder 8 | |
| Excerpted Articles -- Journal of Agricultural Research: The Effect of Outside Rows on the Yields of Plots of Kafir and Milo at Hays, Kansas, May 1926 | series 6 | box 4 | folder 9 | |
| Excerpted Articles -- Journal of the Washington Academy of Sciences: The Formation of Leaf mold, February 1914 | series 6 | box 4 | folder 10 | |
| Excerpted Articles -- New Zealand Journal of Science and Technology: The Boron Status of Fruit and Leaves in Relation to "Internal Cork" of Apples in the Nelson District, 1935 | series 6 | box 4 | folder 11 | |
| Excerpted Articles -- New Zealand Journal of Science and Technology: Soil Phosphate Studies, 1935 | series 6 | box 4 | folder 12 | |
| Excerpted Articles -- New Zealand Journal of Science and Technology: Control of Forest Insect Pests, 1935 | series 6 | box 4 | folder 13 | |
| Excerpted Articles -- New Zealand Journal of Science and Technology: Further Note on Pear Midge Parasite, 1935 | series 6 | box 4 | folder 14 | |
| Excerpted Articles -- Popular Science Monthly: The Illinois System of Permanent Fertility, January 1914 | series 6 | box 4 | folder 15 | |
| Farmers' Institutes -- The American Association of Farmers' Institute Managers, 1897-1898 | series 6 | box 4 | folder 16 | |
| Farmers' Institutes -- American Association of Farmers' Institute Workers, 1901, 1907, 1909, 1911 | series 6 | box 4 | folder 17 | |
| Farmers' Institutes -- History and Form of Organization, 1902, 1906, 1907 | series 6 | box 4 | folder 18 | |
| Farmers' Institutes -- Indiana, 1907 | series 6 | box 4 | folder 19 | |
| Farmers' Institutes -- Pennsylvania, 1909, 1911 | series 6 | box 4 | folder 20 | |
| Farmers' Institutes -- Wisconsin, March 1908 | series 6 | box 4 | folder 21 | |
| Farming and Gardening Manuals -- 999 Queries with Answers from Landreths' Book of Inquiries upon Agricultural and Horticultural Subjects, 1895 | series 6 | box 4 | folder 22 | |
| Farming and Gardening Manuals -- Boston Society of Natural History Guides for Science Teaching: Common Hydroids, Corals and Echinoderms, 1888 | series 6 | box 4 | folder 23 | |
| Farming and Gardening Manuals -- Clover Farming, 1898 | series 6 | box 5 | folder 1 | |
| Farming and Gardening Manuals -- Concrete Construction about the Home and on the Farm, 1905 | series 6 | box 5 | folder 2 | |
| Farming and Gardening Manuals -- The Cow Pea, Undated | series 6 | box 5 | folder 3 | |
| Farming and Gardening Manuals -- The Dorset Ewe in America [The Winter Lamb], 1901 | series 6 | box 5 | folder 4 | |
| Farming and Gardening Manuals -- The Farm Cement News, 1910 | series 6 | box 5 | folder 5 | |
| Farming and Gardening Manuals -- Foot Notes on Kafir Corn, Sorghum and Stock Peas, Undated | series 6 | box 5 | folder 6 | |
| Farming and Gardening Manuals -- Fundamental Principles of Plant Breeding, 1902 | series 6 | box 5 | folder 7 | |
| Farming and Gardening Manuals -- National War Garden Commission, 1918-1919 | series 6 | box 5 | folder 8 | |
| Farming and Gardening Manuals -- Sewage Disposal for Country Homes, 1914 | series 6 | box 5 | folder 9 | |
| Farming and Gardening Manuals -- Strawberry Culture, 1904 | series 6 | box 5 | folder 10 | |
| Homemakers' Booklets -- American School of Home Economics, December 1908 | series 6 | box 5 | folder 11 | |
| Homemakers' Booklets -- Cornell Reading Course for Farmers' Wives, November 1903 | series 6 | box 5 | folder 12 | |
| Homemakers' Booklets -- Illinois Association of Domestic Science, 1905 | series 6 | box 5 | folder 13 | |
| Homemakers' Booklets -- Nebraska Boys' and Girls' Associations, May 1908 | series 6 | box 5 | folder 14 | |
| Homemakers' Booklets -- Nutrition for the Family, June 1923 | series 6 | box 5 | folder 15 | |
| International Agricultural Publications -- [Australia] Queensland Department of Agriculture, 1890 | series 6 | box 5 | folder 16 | |
| International Agricultural Publications -- Bermuda Department of Agriculture, 1927 | series 6 | box 5 | folder 17 | |
| International Agricultural Publications -- [Canada] Ontario Department of Agriculture Women's Institutes, 1908 and undated | series 6 | box 5 | folder 18 | |
| International Agricultural Publications -- [India] Forest Zoology (Oversize), 1909, 1910 | series 6 | box 5 | folder 19 | |
| International Agricultural Publications -- Irish Agricultural Organisation Society, Limited (Includes oversize), 1901, 1911 | series 6 | box 5 | folder 20 | |
| International Agricultural Publications -- [Mexico], Undated | series 6 | box 5 | folder 21 | |
| International Agricultural Publications -- New South Wales, 1928 | series 6 | box 5 | folder 22 | |
| International Agricultural Publications -- North Wales Agricultural Organisation Society (Includes oversize), 1910 | series 6 | box 5 | folder 23 | |
| International Agricultural Publications -- Porto Rico [Puerto Rico], February 1914 | series 6 | box 5 | folder 24 | |
| International Agricultural Publications -- Scotland, 1905 | series 6 | box 5 | folder 25 | |
| International Agricultural Publications -- West Midland Farmers' Association, Ltd., 1911 | series 6 | box 5 | folder 26 | |
| Journals -- Journal of Agricultural Research, October 1917 - September 1926 | series 6 | box 6 | folder 1 | |
| Journals -- Men's Welfare, July 1904, April 1905 | series 6 | box 6 | folder 2 | |
| Journals -- The Nature-Study Review, March 1908 | series 6 | box 6 | folder 3 | |
| Journals -- The Pedagogical Seminary, 1898, 1899, | series 6 | box 6 | folder 4 | |
| Journals -- The Pedagogical Seminary, 1901, 1902, 1905, 1915 | series 6 | box 7 | folder 1 | |
| Pamphlets and Advertisements -- Arrowfield Nurseries: Pecan Trees for Northern Planting , Undated | series 6 | box 7 | folder 2 | |
| Pamphlets and Advertisements -- Evergreens offered by Fairfax Farms Nursery, Undated | series 6 | box 7 | folder 3 | |
| Pamphlets and Advertisements -- International Irrigation Committee, November 1906 | series 6 | box 7 | folder 4 | |
| Pamphlets and Advertisements -- Live Stock Contagious Disease Laws of Maryland, 1886 | series 6 | box 7 | folder 5 | |
| Pamphlets and Advertisements -- The Millers' Review (Oversize), 1909 | series 6 | box 7 | folder 6 | |
| Pamphlets and Advertisements -- National Research Council Organization and Members, 1931-1932 | series 6 | box 7 | folder 7 | |
| Pamphlets and Advertisements -- Right Relationship League Cooperative Farming Pamphlets, 1910 and undated | series 6 | box 7 | folder 8 | |
| Pamphlets and Advertisements -- Rindge Park Playground, Cambridge, Massachusetts, Annual Report, 1905 | series 6 | box 7 | folder 9 | |
| Pamphlets and Advertisements -- Snohomish County Horticultural Association Year Book, 1906 | series 6 | box 7 | folder 10 | |
| State Agricultural Publications -- U. S. Department of Agriculture, 1914, 1926 | series 6 | box 8 | folder 1 | |
| State Agricultural Publications -- University of Arizona College of Agriculture, July 1924 | series 6 | box 8 | folder 2 | |
| State Agricultural Reports -- California Fruit Growers Exchange, 1914 | series 6 | box 8 | folder 3 | |
| State Agricultural Publications -- Iowa State College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts, 1918 | series 6 | box 8 | folder 4 | |
| State Agricultural Reports -- Illinois Corn Growers Association, 1902 | series 6 | box 8 | folder 5 | |
| State Agricultural Publications -- University of Illinois, 1900-1901; 1907-1920 | series 6 | box 8 | folder 6 | |
| State Agricultural Publications -- University of Kentucky College of Agriculture , January 1923 | series 6 | box 8 | folder 7 | |
| State Agricultural Publications -- Michigan State Agricultural College, 1910, 1916, 1918 | series 6 | box 8 | folder 8 | |
| State Agricultural Reports -- Michigan Weather Service , July - November 1895 | series 6 | box 8 | folder 9 | |
| State Agricultural Publications -- University of Minnesota Agricultural Extension Division, April 1918-March 1923 | series 6 | box 8 | folder 10 | |
| State Agricultural Publications -- University of Missouri College of Agriculture, 1914 | series 6 | box 8 | folder 11 | |
| State Agricultural Publications -- New Jersey Agricultural College Experiment Station , 1892-1912 | series 6 | box 8 | folder 12 | |
| State Agricultural Publications -- New Jersey State Board of Agriculture, 1904, 1909, 1913 | series 6 | box 8 | folder 13 | |
| State Agricultural Publications -- [New York] Cornell University Agricultural Experiment Station, April 1901-June 1922 | series 6 | box 8 | folder 14 | |
| State Agricultural Publications -- New York Agricultural Experiment Station, 1898-1916 | series 6 | box 9 | folder 1 | |
| State Agricultural Publications -- Ohio Agricultural Experiment Station, 1909-1917 | series 6 | box 9 | folder 2 | |
| State Agricultural Publications -- Oregon Agricultural College Extension Service, November 1923 | series 6 | box 9 | folder 3 | |
| State Agricultural Publications -- Pennsylvania State College Agricultural Experiment Station, March 1912, August 1915 | series 6 | box 9 | folder 4 | |
| State Agricultural Reports -- Pennsylvania State Weather Service, January 1888 | series 6 | box 9 | folder 5 | |
| State Agricultural Reports -- State Horticultural Association of Pennsylvania, March 1926 | series 6 | box 9 | folder 6 | |
| State Agricultural Publications -- Texas Agricultural Experiment Station, 1912-1916 | series 6 | box 9 | folder 7 | |
| State Agricultural Reports -- Vermont Department of Agriculture, 1912, 1914 | series 6 | box 9 | folder 8 | |
| State Agricultural Reports -- Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey (Includes oversize), 1903 | series 6 | box 9 | folder 9 | |
| State Agricultural Reports -- Wisconsin [promotional brochure], 1904 | series 6 | box 9 | folder 10 | |
Series 7: Photographs, 1896-1907 (57 prints, 212 negatives)
The Photograph series includes 24 albumen or black-and-white prints, 13 cyanotypes, 15 5x7 glass plate negatives, and 197 large format negatives. Prints include depictions of Green Ridge Orchard; farm scenes; livestock; groups of men and groups of men and women; a beach scene; a hunting scene; and men outside a pub with a sign reading "Ice Cold Beer" (ca. 1900).
Negatives include depictions of farms, sheep, and a greenhouse; produce, including celery, tobacco, flowers, and watermelon varieties; beekeeping hives; and images from the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair (Louisiana Purchase Exposition) including buildings, state agricultural exhibits (Nebraska, Illinois, Colorado, California, Washington, Arkansas), corn, watermelons, wheat, apples, and the Canada and Mexico exhibits.
This series has been transferred to the Photograph collection.
There is currently no box inventory available for this series. Please refer to the series description above for a broad description of the materials.
Series 8: Memorabilia, 1905 and undated (6 items)
The Memorabilia series includes one ribbon and four badges dating from Amoss's tenure as director of the Farmers' Institutes and one envelope commemorating his role as a Maryland Commissioner to the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition, at which he was in charge of the Agricultural exhibit.
| Description | Series | Box / Reel | Folder / Frame | Item | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Memorabilia, circa 1905 and undated | series 8 | box 1 | folder 1 | ||
| Ribbon; Maryland Agricultural College. "Director Institutes.", ca. 1905 | series 8 | box 1 | folder 1 | item 48 | |
| Badge; 1 1/4"x5 3/4" white with blue lettering. Maryland Agriculture College, Trustee, President, Director Institutes, Director Station, undated | series 8 | box 1 | folder 1 | item 374 | |
| Badge; 1 1/4"x5 3/4" white with blue lettering. Maryland Agriculture College, Trustee, President, Director Institutes, Director Station, undated | series 8 | box 1 | folder 1 | item 375 | |
| Badge; 1 1/4"x5 3/4" white with blue lettering. Maryland Agriculture College, Trustee, President, Director Institutes, Director Station, undated | series 8 | box 1 | folder 1 | item 376 | |
| Badge; 1 1/4"x5 3/4" white with blue lettering. Maryland Agriculture College, Trustee, President, Director Institutes, Director Station, undated | series 8 | box 1 | folder 1 | item 377 | |
| Envelope; 2 3/4"x8 3/4" white(?). Maryland Commissioners to the Louisiana Purchase Exposition, St. Louis, MO, William L. Amoss, in charge, Agricultural exhibit, undated | series 8 | box 1 | folder 1 | item 378 | |
Related Material
The Records of the Farmers' Institutes include a series that was separated from the Papers of William L. Amoss. The Records of the Farmers' Institutes are comprised almost exclusively of material dating from Amoss's tenure as Director.
The Cooperative Extension Service continued the work of the Farmers' Institutes. The Records of the Cooperative Extension Service date to its formation in 1914 and include materials related to Amoss's work regarding outreach to farmers.
The Records of the Maryland Agricultural Experiment Station include records that overlap with Amoss's tenure as Director of the Farmers' Institutes. Amoss worked closely with the Agricultural Experiment Station and with its director, Harry Patterson.
For other related archival and manuscript collections, please see the following subject guides.
Separated Material
A series comprised exclusively of Farmers' Institutes materials was separated and placed with the Records of the Farmers' Institutes in the University Archives.
Although the Papers of William L. Amoss include a photograph series, some photographs originally accessioned with the Papers of William L. Amoss were separated from the collection in the 1980s and added to the photograph print files. They may be found under the subject heading "Amoss" in the "portrait" portion of that collection. Amoss photographs are also scattered throughout the photograph print files under the headings "University of Maryland -- Agricultural Experiment Station" and "University of Maryland -- Farmers' Institutes."
Selected Search Terms
This collection is indexed under the following headings in the University of Maryland Libraries' Catalog. Researchers desiring related materials about these topics, names, or places may search the Catalog using these headings.
Subjects
- Agricultural laborers -- United States
- Amoss, William L., 1859-
- Farmers' institutes -- Maryland
- Farm produce -- Maryland -- Marketing
- Maryland Agricultural College
Names (Added Entries)
- Massey, W. F. (Wilbur Fisk), 1839-1923.
- Patterson, H. J. (Harry Jacob), 1866-1948
- Pearson, Raymond A. (Raymond Allen), 1873-1939.
- Rankin, F. H.
- Silvester, Richard W. (Richard William), b. 1857.
- True, Alfred Charles, 1853-1929.
- Van Alstyne, Edward.
- Van Wagnen, Jared.
- Wing, Joseph, 1810-1895.