Alfalfa Lawn Farm Records and Lewis Family papers

The nature of the collection made it difficult to separate the family papers from the business records in many instances, although there is more of the latter in the material. In addition to personal correspondence, there are items concerning Francis Lewis’s activities in Cooperative Extension and 4-H. Also, there are family expense books, receipts, canceled checks, bank statements, and other statistical financial information, plus photographs, awards, and ribbons. A major portion of the collection deals exclusively with the registered bull records. This material begins with the start of the herd to the dispersal auction in 1987. Also part of the records is ranch-related correspondences from the time John M. Lewis owned the herd to the final days of Walter’s control of the farm. Most of these letters consist of requests for bull prices and information, bull shows, bull sale confirmations, and association with the American Polled Hereford organization. The Correspondence Series consists of nine boxes of personal letters from Robert and Martha Lewis to their parents. The letters begin when each child were students at Kansas State University, and continue through their academic pursuits. Also in this series is ranch-related correspondence to John and Walter as foremen of the herd. These letters are arranged alphabetically by the name of the person or company and in chronological order within each. Boxes eight and nine contain letters related to various subjects such as international, awards, hotels, publications, university, legal, and cattle organizations. The second series concerns Francis Lewis. It begins with her time as a student at Kansas State Agricultural College and continues with her involvement in 4-H and a meats instructor/judge. Printed items in her collection concern meat cooking, judging, showing, and education. These items include brochures, pamphlets, books, and charts. There are various items dealing with meat judging contests including scorecards, statistical information, team placement information, and some unidentifiable material. Also contained are family expense booklets and receipts. The third series comprises Walter and Francis’s judging for the Herford and Polled Hereford Association in arenas and shows in various countries which drew contestants from around the world. The fourth series is the Financial Series. Because of the nature of the records, this series includes both family business and ranch business. There are credit card records, canceled checks, bank statements, farm receipts, and Cooperative receipts. The fifth series is Cattle Records/Documentation. Within this group is a wide range of cattle records dealing with registration, births, deaths, sales, purchases, history, and transfer of the majority of the Lewis herd. There are various records, some complete and some incomplete, from the Polled Hereford Association Application Records to the Guide Lines Program records. This series also contains printed material associated with Walter Lewis, “Farm Management Records,” miscellaneous farm records, and weekly planners and calender books pertaining to both Walter and Francis. Photographs make up the sixth series that includes family members, awards, shows, and cattle. The photos are organized by subject, although a portion of the collection is unidentified. The seventh series is Artifacts, primarily those of Walter Lewis. They include pins from shows in the United States along with some foreign countries. Also included are buttons representing Walter’s activities. Other items include an assortment of name tags and ribbons from both Walter and Francis. Whenever possible, a few of these items; such as the pins and buttons, have been photocopied for easier identification and retrieval.

The business records and family papers span the years 1927 to 1987 and they are organized in seven major series: 1) Correspondence; 2) Francis Lewis; 3) Travel; 4) Financial; 5) Cattle and Ranch Records; 6) Photographs; 7) Artifacts. They are housed in 93 document boxes that comprise 42 linear feet of shelf space.

The collection of Alfalfa Lawn Farm Records/Lewis Family Papers was donated to the University Archives of Kansas State University in 1988 by Francis Lewis. It documents the business affairs of the Alfalfa Lawn Farm (ALF) of Larned, Kansas, primarily those of Walter and Francis Lewis. The major activity of the Farm involved the breeding, promoting, exhibiting, and marketing of the American Polled Herford, for which it had a national reputation. The varied personal activities of Walter and Francis Lewis are also described in the material. As graduates of Kansas State University, and prominent leaders in the cattle industry in the United States, Walter and Francis Lewis were associated with many faculty and administrators at K-State, including Don Good, Professor in the Department of Animal Sciences and Industry. When Walter Lewis died in 1987, Dr. Good coordinated the arrangements for having the collection donated to the University Archives.