WOODNORTH Grain Growers Association Minutes 1911-1931 & Cash Books

In the Spring of 2024 Grant SHOEMAKER of WOODNORTH and Oak Lake, Manitoba, contacted me to see if I was interested in something he had recently found – the original copy of the Minute And Cash book of the WOODNORTH GRAIN GROWERS ASSOCIATION. The Minutes cover the formation of the group in 1911, continuing through to 1931. The book also contains membership lists for the organization for the years 1911 through 1920. I was delighted with this find and have scanned the pages and am posting them here. The United Grain Growers Association was an important community group in Woodnorth and many other communities on the Canadian Prairies in the early years of the 20th century.

Scans of the cover and numbered pages of the Minute Book are posted below.

The Minute Book’s cover is rather the worse for wear but the book has survived since 1911, more than 113 years.

The endpapers inside the front cover. The tag at the top left indicates that the book was purchased from **“E. BOGGS, Bookseller and Stationer, Virden, Man.**” for the price of $1.25.

Title Page: **Woodnorth Grain Growers Association Minute and Cash book combined; Farmers Club Minutes Page 50; Cash book page 170; Resolutions page 150.**

Transcription of Page One:

Meeting by appointment on February 8, 1911 to consider the advisability of having a grain growers association at Woodnorth to be known as the Woodnorth Grain Growers Association.

Moved by J. Matthewson & Jas Cochrane that Chas Wedow be Chairman (carried)

J.W. Burton & Jas Cochrane that J. Matthewson be Secretary (carried).

Members present to the number of 18 as follows:

J,W. Burton, E.E.Andrews, J. Matthewson, Jas Cochrane, Chas Wedow, Wm Leech, Walter Palmer, Wm Lyons, Robt Wilson, Donald D. Cameron, Louis Shoemaker, Jas Strachan, Wm Matthewson, David Smith, Geo. W. Alexander, Victor Hart, Bert Hart, Wm Hill.

Moved by J.W. Burton & Donald Cameron that Chairman & Secretary appoint date for organization meeting (carried)

Chas W.Wedow, Chairman; J. Matthewson, Secretary.

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There is a break in the Grain Growers Minutes of December 16, 1922 here on page 49, and they are continued on page 54.

FARMERS’ CLUB MINUTES – JAN 31, 1912 – FEBRUARY 28, 1912

It looks as if they decided to record the Minutes of the Farmers’ Club on page 50 of this book rather than starting a new Minute Book for that group and it took almost ten years for the Grain Growers Minutes to get to page 50. Perhaps another book was started for the Farmers’ Club or it did not remain active for long since their minutes take up only four pages.