How did bonanza farms come about?
Bonanza farms developed as a result of a number of factors, including the efficient new farming machinery of the 1870s, cheap abundant land available during that period, the growth of eastern markets in the U.S., and completion of most major railroads between the farming areas and markets.
What agricultural inventions led to Bonanza farming?
Geology, the Homestead Act of 1862, railroads, modern machinery, and revolutionary new flour-milling methods all contributed to the bonanza farm boom. The fertile Red River Valley was created twelve thousand years ago when retreating glaciers left behind deposits of silt.
What was the connection between John Deere and bonanza farms?
Large-scale bonanza farming was aided by the development of machinery that greatly increased production, especially of wheat and other grains. The innovations included reapers, invented by Cyrus Hall McCormick (1809–84) and Obed Hussey (1792–1860), and steel plows developed by John Deere (1804–86).
Why did the investors start bonanza farms?
Bonanza farms were made possible by a number of factors including: the efficient new farming machinery of the 1870s, the cheap abundant land available during that time period, the growth of eastern markets in the U.S., and the completion of most major railroads.
What were bonanza farms?
Bonanza farms—large, commercial farming enterprises that grew thousands of acres of wheat—flourished in northwestern Minnesota and the Dakotas from the 1870s to 1920. Geology, the Homestead Act of 1862, railroads, modern machinery, and revolutionary new flour-milling methods all contributed to the bonanza farm boom.
What is true bonanza farms?
What was true about bonanza farms? Western farmers sold as their main cash crop.
Who owned most of the bonanza farms?
There were many bonanza farms in the Red River Valley. One of the largest was owned and managed by the Chaffees, Eben W. and his son Herbert Fuller Chaffee, who was born in Connecticut in 1824, was a farmer and surveyor. Chaffee and his wife, Amanda, had two children.
Do bonanza farms still exist?
By 1920 the bonanza era had ended. Some bonanzas were subdivided and sold on contract-for-deed agreements or were rented to smaller scale farmers. Only a few of the bonanza holdings remain intact today, operating much differently than the originals.
Who invented the steel plow?
John DeereJohn Deere, pioneer, inventor, and entrepreneur, singlehandedly revolutionized American agriculture by developing and marketing the world's first self-polishing cast steel plow. Born in Vermont in 1804, young Deere worked as a blacksmith's apprenticeship.
What is a bonanza farm quizlet?
Bonanza farms were very large farms in the United States performing large-scale operations, mostly growing and harvesting wheat.
How did bonanza farms make it difficult?
Bonanza farms made life difficult for small farmers because they were able to produce their crops for a much lower price, which drove down the price...
What was the biggest bonanza farm in North Dakota?
the Dalrymple FarmThe largest and best known of the "bonanza" farms was the Dalrymple Farm, located 20 miles west of Fargo, consisting of 11,000 acres. This was, at one time, the largest cultivated farm in the world. Despite the size of the few bonanza farms, the average size farm in North Dakota during this time remained 200-300 acres.
What is a bonanza farm?
A bonanza refers to a source of great wealth or a big fortune. Bonanza farms were gigantic wheat farms in northern Dakota that made huge sums of money. Bonanza farming had never before been done anywhere in the world. The bonanza farms ranged in size from 3,000 acres to over 75,000 acres. Wheat was the only crop raised on these farms.
How big were the Bonanza farms?
The bonanza farms ranged in size from 3,000 acres to over 75,000 acres. Wheat was the only crop raised on these farms. George Cass and Benjamin Cheney, another railroad official, established the first bonanza farm in the Red River Valley in 1874.
How many men did Dalrymple hire to plant the crops?
Large numbers of workers were hired each season to do the planting, harvesting, and other tasks on the bonanza farms. In 1879, Dalrymple hired 160 men to plant the crop and 400 men to harvest it. In 1880, Dalrymple’s total work force for all of the farming tasks consisted of 800 men.
What time did the Bonanza farm eat?
4:00 p.m.—afternoon lunch. 7:30 p.m.—supper. Since the bonanza farms raised only wheat, all of the food needed for the crews had to be shipped in. Meat, vegetables, eggs, and dairy products were brought by train from St. Paul and other areas. Kitchen and dining areas on the bonanza farms were usually managed by women.
Why did the Bonanza Farms decline?
There were several reasons for the decline of the huge farms. The weather from 1874 to 1883 was favorable for crops because of the amount of rainfall. The next few years were drier. Several years of planting the same crop on the same ground used up nutrients in the soil. The bonanza farms were not making the huge profits they had once made.
What happened to bonanza farms in North Dakota?
Bonanza farms had a significant but short life in the history of North Dakota. By 1900, most of the bonanza farms were being split up. The gigantic farms were divided into smaller tracts and sold to settlers who established their own farms. There were several reasons for the decline of the huge farms.
When was harvest time on Dalrymple Bonanza Farm?
Figure 33. Harvest time on the Dalrymple Bonanza Farm, 1877. (SHSND A5833)
What were the innovations in bonanza farming?
The innovations included reapers, invented by Cyrus Hall McCormick (1809 – 84) and Obed Hussey (1792 – 1860), and steel plows developed by John Deere (1804 – 86).
What is the meaning of the word "bonanza"?
The term "bonanza," which is derived from Spanish and literally means "good weather," was coined in the mid-1800s; thus, "bonanza" came to mean a source of great and sudden wealth. Large-scale bonanza farming was aided by the development of machinery that greatly increased production, especially of wheat and other grains.
Why are bonanza farms important?
Why is this important? The economic importance of the bonanza farms extended far beyond the pockets of their owners. Nearby towns and cities benefitted from a surging seasonal population. Machinery companies in Fargo were selling as much as $3,000,000 in machinery annually to the growing bonanza farms and smaller farms in the area. These large farms had an enormous financial impact on eastern North Dakota that cannot be seen in counties where there were no bonanza farms.
Who devised a careful system for farming thousands of acres economically?
Image 8: Oliver Dalrymple devised a careful system for farming thousands of acres economically. The Dalrymple Farms became famous throughout the United States for their size and productivity. Image courtesy Dalrymple Family. SHSND 2012-P-039.
How many acres did Eben Chaffee own?
Chaffee and his friends (about 40 people from the region of Amenia, New York and nearby Sharon, Connecticut) formed the Amenia and Sharon Land Company to purchase 27,831 acres of Cass County land. Eben Chaffee was the single largest stockholder in the company with 82 shares.
How many acres did Oliver Dalrymple farm?
Oliver Dalrymple managed 10,000 acres of Cass County wheat farms and hired dozens of men to do the work. The Rules cover all of the work including how the horses were to be fed, the weight of market pigs, and each man’s wages. In establishing the rules, Dalrymple let each manager know exactly how to make the decisions which made the farm profitable. Source: John S. Dalrymple, No. 1 Hard, Oliver Dalrymple, Bonanza Farmer, 1960.
How many acres did Dalrymple and Cass farm?
The farms belonging to Dalrymple, Cass, and Cheney together amounted to 70,000 acres. Dalrymple was paid in land and also purchased land and became one of the state’s largest landowners. In 1874, the first year of cultivation, the farms raised wheat on 1,280 acres. Dalrymple’s men harvested 32,000 bushels, or 25 bushels per acre. News of this crop was “heard of ‘round the world' ” and created a lot of interest in North Dakota farm land. (See Image 9.)
What did Dalrymple do to make his farm profitable?
Dalrymple developed a system of economy (See Document 2.) on the bonanza farms that made them very profitable. He purchased the newest most efficient machinery, he only employed men when he had work for them to do, and he managed his fields for maximum fertility . He also developed systems of feeding and housing his workers and livestock at the lowest possible cost.
When was the Dalrymple Farm drawing published?
This drawing of plowing on the Dalrymple Farm was published in Harper’s Magazine in 1880. SHSND Harpers vol 60 p531
Why did bonanza farms become profitable?
It became more profitable to divide the land into smaller farms, and rising land prices led many to sell off acreage for a quick profit.
Where did Bonanza farms grow wheat?
Nov. 24, 2015. Bonanza farms — large, commercial farming enterprises that grew thousands of acres of wheat — flourished in northwestern Minnesota and the Dakotas from the 1870s to 1920. Geology, the Homestead Act of 1862, railroads, modern machinery, and revolutionary new flour-milling methods all ...
What are some examples of businesses that grew out of the agricultural boom of the Red River Valley?
The Minneapolis Threshing Machine Company (1887–1929) and the Northwest Thresher Company of Stillwater (1866–1913) are just two examples of businesses that grew out of the agricultural boom of the Red River Valley. Typically, new acreage was broken in preparation for seeding each year, but not all of a bonanza farm’s acreage was cultivated at once.
Why did farmers grow wheat on the same acreage?
Farmers intent upon making a quick fortune at the expense of the land continued to grow only wheat on the same acreage year after year. This depleted the nutrients in the soil and decreased yields. Severe weather, early and late frosts, too little or too much moisture, and insect and weed infestations all contributed to small yields and poor-quality grain.
How did the bonanza farm economy affect the price of wheat?
The high volume of grain produced led to stiffer competition in the foreign market. This impacted the bonanza farm economy by driving down the price of wheat. Some bonanza farm owners, like James J. Hill, saw the benefits of diversified farming and soil conservation through crop rotation.
How many acres are bonanza farms?
Most scholars agree that a farm had to have a minimum of three thousand acres to qualify as a “bonanza.” While most such farms in Minnesota ranged from four thousand to ten thousand acres, others were immense. The Keystone Farm in Polk County took up 21,760 acres. The largest of all bonanza farms, the Cass-Cheney-Dalrymple farm in Dakota Territory, totaled seventy thousand acres.
What were the major factors that contributed to the boom in the farm industry?
Geology, the Homestead Act of 1862, railroads, modern machinery, and revolutionary new flour-milling methods all contributed to the bonanza farm boom.
Who was the farmer who managed the Bonanza farm?
Cass and Cheney hired Minnesota farmer Oliver Dalrymple to manage their farm. Its success ignited a firestorm of land sales to large-scale investors. By the early 1880s, speculators viewed the land ...
Why did bonanza farms become profitable?
It became more profitable to divide the land into smaller farms, and rising land prices led many to sell off acreage for a quick profit.
What are some examples of businesses that grew out of the agricultural boom of the Red River Valley?
The Minneapolis Threshing Machine Company (1887–1929) and the Northwest Thresher Company of Stillwater (1866–1913) are just two examples of businesses that grew out of the agricultural boom of the Red River Valley. Typically, new acreage was broken in preparation for seeding each year, but not all of a bonanza farm's acreage was cultivated at once.
Why did farmers grow wheat on the same acreage?
Farmers intent upon making a quick fortune at the expense of the land continued to grow only wheat on the same acreage year after year. This depleted the nutrients in the soil and decreased yields. Severe weather, early and late frosts, too little or too much moisture, and insect and weed infestations all contributed to small yields and poor-quality grain.
What was the Washburn Crosby flour mills advertisement for?
Print. Washburn-Crosby Flour Mills advertisement for Gold Medal Flour, Threshing Scene , c.1900. Bonanza farms—large, commercial farming enterprises that grew thousands of acres of wheat—flourished in northwestern Minnesota and the Dakotas from the 1870s to 1920. Geology, the Homestead Act of 1862, railroads, modern machinery, ...
How did the bonanza farm economy affect the price of wheat?
The high volume of grain produced led to stiffer competition in the foreign market. This impacted the bonanza farm economy by driving down the price of wheat. Some bonanza farm owners, like James J. Hill, saw the benefits of diversified farming and soil conservation through crop rotation.
How many acres are there in a bonanza farm?
Most scholars agree that a farm had to have a minimum of three thousand acres to qualify as a "bonanza.". While most such farms in Minnesota ranged from four thousand to ten thousand acres, others were immense. The Keystone Farm in Polk County took up 21,760 acres.
Why did the Bonanza Farms get free room and board?
The ND Bonanza farms needed workers for planting (in the Spring) and harvesting (in the Fall). So migrant workers (o ften recent immigrants from another country , usually white) would flock to North Dakota at those times. They'd get free room and board on the farm and they'd get paid a decent wage. Apparently, the railroad companies would let them ride free (because that way, the railroads would get grain from the farms to ship to Minneapolis or Duluth).
Where did Amenia and Sharon Farm get their name?
It got its name from the 27 investors who converted their (almost worthless) railroad bonds into land. The investors were from Amenia, New York, and Sharon, Connecticut. Hence, the name of the farm. The farm owners started a small town with a railroad depot and a grain elevator. It was called Amenia, North Dakota which, in the census of 2010 had a small population of 94 people. The Democratic Governor William Guy (Governor from 1961-1973 -- longest-serving governor in ND history) was from Amenia. He started farming in 1948, which means he wasn't directly connected with bonanza farms (except insofar as he lived in a city created by a bonanza farm).
How many acres are there in Grandin Farm?
This farm was about 30 miles north of Fargo/Moorhead. Here's a link: Grandin Farm. 40,000 acres. Managed by Oliver Dalrymple (ancestor of the current Governor of ND).
What happened before the Panic of 1873?
Just before the Panic of 1873, the Northern Pacific (NP) Railroad ran out of cash. Which meant Jay Cooke & Co. (who had issued the NP bonds) had to declare bankruptcy. Then the economy crashed. Here are the sordid details.
Why did you plant and grow crops after the sod was busted?
After the sod was busted and after the land was plowed, you could plant and grow crops and eventually sell the land for a higher price -- because it was ready for planting. It was (formerly useless) prairie land converted into farmland suitable for growing crops.
What were the causes of the Panic of 1873?
The Panic of 1873 and the subsequent depression had several underlying causes, of which economic historians debate the relative importance. Post-war inflation, rampant speculative investments (overwhelmingly in railroads), a large trade deficit, ripples from economic dislocation in Europe resulting from the Franco-Prussian War (1870-1871), property losses in the Chicago (1871) and Boston (1872) fires , and other factors put a massive strain on bank reserves, which plummeted in New York City during September and October 1873 from $50 million to $17 million.
Who built the first transcontinental railroad?
You might remember from your high school American history class that the first trans-continental railroad was built by the Central Pacific and the Union Pacific Railroads and they connected to each other in Utah (there was a ceremony in 1869 with a golden spike that connected the two lines, and it was driven into the railroad track by Leland Stanford (the railroad guy who later founded Stanford University in California), blah blah blah). So there was already one railroad that reached across the middle of the country from Missouri and Kansas to Utah and California.
Who owned bonanza farms?
The bonanza farms that were developed in the late 1800s were mostly owned by companies having numeorus factories and controlled by professional managers deputed by the company. Bonanza farms in the United States were mostly growing wheats and then processing them.
How did Bonanza Farms develop?
Bonanza farms developed as a result of a number of factors, including the efficient new farming machinery of the 1870s, cheap abundant land available during that period, the growth of eastern markets in the U.S., and completion of most major railroads between the farming areas and markets.
How did Bonanza farms make life difficult for small farmers?
Bonanza farms made life difficult for small farmers because they were able to produce their crops for a much lower price, which drove down the price
How did bonanza farms hurt regular farmers?
How did bonanza farms hurt regular farmers? They had special deals with railroads, created pollution, and they used up all the land and resources. Why would farmers go into debt to buy new farm technology?
What was the purpose of Bonanza farms?
Bonanza farms were very large farms in the United States performing large-scale operations, mostly growing and harvesting wheat. A federal law intended to turn Native Americans into farmers and landowners by providing cooperating families with 160 acres of reservation land for farming or 320 acres for grazing.
Why did the Homesteaders not like the Bonanza Farmers?
Homesteaders did not like the bonanza farmers because they did not do business locally and did not take part in the local schools or social institutions. Changing world conditions and a surplus of wheat, which caused a decline in prices, made the bonanzas less profitable. New tax laws discriminated against them.
What was the Bonanza farm?
Bonanza farms, huge acreages created from the sale of land by the Northern Pacific Railroad to its investors to cover its debts, covered thousands of acres and produced large wheat crops.
What is Bonanza known for?
Bonanza is uniquely known for having addressed racism, not typically covered on American television during the time period, from a compassionate, humanitarian point-of-view.
Who is the horse in Bonanza?
Dan Blocker (Hoss), Michael Landon (Little Joe), Lorne Greene (Ben) and one of the Bonanza horses. Bonanza features a memorable theme song by Jay Livingston and Ray Evans that was orchestrated by David Rose and arranged by Billy May for the television series.
How old was Greene in Bonanza?
Greene appeared in all but fourteen Bonanza episodes. Greene was 44 years old at the beginning of the series while Pernell Roberts and Dan Blocker, who portrayed two of his sons, were both 31, only thirteen years younger. In 2007, a TV Guide survey listed Ben Cartwright as television's #2 favorite dad.
When did Ponderosa reruns start?
During the summer of 1972, NBC broadcast reruns of episodes of the show from the 1967–1970 era on Tuesdays at 7:30 p.m. under the title Ponderosa while also rerunning more recent episodes on Sunday evenings in the show ' s normal time slot as Bonanza. In the fall of 1972, off-network episodes were released in broadcast syndication to local stations by NBC under the Ponderosa name. After the series was canceled in 1973, the syndicated reruns reverted to the Bonanza name.
What episode of Bonanza was racism?
Bigotry, and anti-semitism, was the subject of the episode "Look to the Stars" (Season 3, Episode 26; original air date March 18, 1962).
What time was Bonanza filmed?
Initially, Bonanza aired on Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. Eastern , opposite Dick Clark's Saturday Night Beech-Nut Show and John Gunther's High Road on ABC, and Perry Mason on CBS. Bonanza ' s initial ratings were respectable, often coming in behind Mason but ahead of the ABC lineup. Ironically, executives considered canceling the show before its premiere because of its high cost. NBC kept it because Bonanza was one of the first series to be filmed and broadcast in color, including scenes of picturesque Lake Tahoe, Nevada. NBC's corporate parent, Radio Corporation of America (RCA), used the show to spur sales of RCA-manufactured color television sets (RCA was also the primary sponsor of the series during its first two seasons).
How many seasons does Bonanza have?
Lasting 14 seasons and 431 episodes, Bonanza is NBC's longest-running western, and ranks overall as the second-longest-running western series on U.S. network television (behind CBS's Gunsmoke ), and within the top 10 longest-running, live-action American series. The show continues to air in syndication.
