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Cecil A. Madill farm records

 Collection
Identifier: MSS-200

Scope and Contents

This collection includes ledgers, record books, analytical reports, correspondence, articles, calendars and other records from Cecil A. Madill in Delaware County, Indiana ranging from 1925 to 1987 regarding the family farm business of Burl, Cecil, and David Madill.

Dates

  • Creation: 1925-1987

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

Legal title, copyright, and literary rights reside with Archives and Special Collections, Ball State University Libraries, Muncie, IN. All requests to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted to Archives and Special Collections.

Biographical Note

Cecil A. Madill was born to Flora and Burl Madill, a prominent Delaware County, Indiana farmer, on February 19, 1903. He had one brother, Ralph A. Madill. Cecil Madill completed studies at Longfellow and Riley Elementary schools, Royerton High School, and Purdue University. He married Martha Ray Hiatt and they had three children, Jan Ellen Ray, Mary Jo Crouch, and David R. Madill.

After earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Agriculture from Purdue University in 1925, Cecil Madill began renting and managing one-third of his father's hog and grain farm. He gradually took over more acreage managing half of the Madill family farms 240 acres by 1931 and 462 acres by 1967. By 1974 Cecil was managing a 700 acre farm in partnership with his son, David, that was producing approximately 2,500 hogs annually.

Cecil Madill believed strongly in the implementation of business management principles in agriculture. He maintained detailed labor and financial records to analyze the productivity of his farm business. From 1927 until at least 1980 he contributed his farm records to Purdue University's Indiana Farm Account Project which compiled records submitted by farmers and generated analytical reports summarizing the productivity of individual farms as well as regional reports on the productivity of farms of varying sizes and specializations in the state.

Cecil Madill served actively within the agricultural community as well as the broader Delaware County community. He worked extensively with the Farmers' Institute, Farm Bureau, Purdue University Agriculture Alumni organization, and the Eastern Indiana Livestock Breeders Association. Madill was director of American National Bank, a member of the Muncie Rotary Club, and a board member for United Way, Camp Isanogel and Visiting Nurses Association. In addition to his professional and civic involvement, Madill was a member of High Street United Methodist Church, Delaware Lodge 46, Free and Accepted Masons, York Rite of Muncie, and Scottish Rite Valley of Indianapolis.

Cecil Madill died in January of 1987 at the age of 83.

Extent

7.5 Cubic Feet (9 boxes)

Language of Materials

English

Arrangement

Arranged in the following series and subseries:

Series 1: Cecil A. Madill farm records, 1926-1987

Subseries 1.1: Cecil A. Madill farm work and financial records, 1927-1987

Subseries 1.2: Cecil A. Madill farm crop, livestock and drainage records, 1957-1985

Subseries 1.3: Cecil A. Madill farm labor records, 1926-1949

Subseries 1.4: Cecil A. Madill farm financial records, 1926-1949

Series 2: Cecil A. Madill Farm Account Books and Purdue Farm Account Program reports, 1929-1980

Series 3: Purdue University Farm Business Summaries, 1929-1936, 1957-1961

Series 4: Cecil A. Madill calendars, 1944, 1950-1980

Series 5: Madill family awards, articles and programs, 1925-1979

Series 6: Cecil A. Madill farm oversize records, 1934-1976

Series 7: Cecil A. Madill farm photographs, 1930-1974

Custodial History

This collection was received by Archives and Special Collections as a donation from Mary Jo Crouch on 2000/04/20. Additions to this collection were received by Archives and Special Collections as donations from Mary Jo Crouch on 2001/03/29, 2009/07/29, and 2013/5/3.

Accruals

No further additions are expected.

Existence and Location of Copies

Select materials from this collection have been digitized and are available online in the Ball State University Libraries Digital Media Repository:

http://libx.bsu.edu/cdm/landingpage/collection/MdlCclFrm

Processing Information

Collection inventory completed after 2004. EAD finding aid created and arrangement revised 2012/09/12 by Stephen Jones. EAD finding aid revised 2014/05/14 by Rebecca Marangelli.

Title
Cecil A. Madill farm records
Status
Completed
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
Undetermined
Script of description
Code for undetermined script

Repository Details

Part of the Stoeckel Archives of Local History Repository

Contact:
Alexander M. Bracken Library
2000 W. University Avenue
Muncie Indiana 47306 USA