University of Guelph Library
Historic horse and plow.
Collections
At Guelph and at our partners' sites.
The Agricultural History and Rural Heritage section of Archival and Special Collections is a rich resource for items of agricultural interest. The Library's strong commitment to agriculture and rural life is significant and reflects the history and roots of the University. The beginning of an agricultural history collection dates to the beginning of the Ontario Agricultural College in 1874. This section contains such components as farm business papers, equipment and sales brochures, manuscripts, correspondence, and books relating to agriculturalists who were not connected to the Ontario Agricultural College.
This section also strongly reflects our extensive Apiculture Collection, containing the Burton Noble Gates Collection, and the Rural Heritage Collections that features the Massey-Harris-Ferguson Collection. It records the history of agricultural collectives in Ontario, information crucial to understanding the annals of rural farming and communities in our province. The agricultural implement industry across Canada is extensively documented. A comprehensive collection of rural and agricultural periodicals is also available. The collections are diverse, and move from items of national significance to small, personal collections. Rare items are included and date to the 16th century with strengths in the practice of agriculture, crops, and agricultural technology.
More ...
- About Agricultural History
Includes a catalogue list. - About Rural Heritage
Includes a catalogue list.
In 1999 the collections from the Ontario Agricultural Museum library in Milton were transferred to Guelph. These holdings are a rich source for social and economic history in southern Ontario and some collections, such as Massey-Harris-Ferguson, are very extensive and have important national aspects.
Material relating to agriculture can also be found in portions of the Regional and Campus collections that contain data on past graduates and their subsequent agricultural careers. As well, the Scottish history collections hold diaries and correspondence that may be of particular relevance. Overall, the library's commitment to Agricultural History and Rural Heritage is significant, a choice unsurprising considering the roots of the University.