Nazareth Farms Collection
Scope and Contents
The collection is composed of printed papers, photographs, copies of articles, pedigrees, certificates, large plat maps, and books ranging from 1930 to 1998 for the Nazareth Farms. The material includes a brief history of the farm, articles, photographs, cattle pedigrees, certificates and awards, maps, and reports. There is also a folder containing records of dealings with Consumers Power Company.
The collection also contains Herd Registers that include the registration information on the farm’s cattle registration between the years of 1940 to 1957. The Herd Register books have information on breeding, dates of sale or purchase, milk production, lineage, color, pattern markings, and age with more detailed statistics between the years of 1930 to 1966. There is also one small metal plaque included in a folder containing a Gazette Soil Conservation Contest Plaque from 1958.
Dates
- Creation: 1930-1998
Creator
- Sisters of Saint Joseph (Kalamazoo, Mich.) (Organization)
- Murray, Joseph J. , 1889-1968 (Person)
Biographical / Historical
In 1937, James J. Murray (1889-1968) started Murray Farms where he raised Guernsey cattle. He originally purchased 300 acres and the later between 1938 and 1943 purchased another 100 acres. It primarily was a dairy farm that bred and sold prize winning Guernsey cattle. The farm also was a site for soil conservation efforts begun by Michigan State University. In 1948, James Murray turned the farm over to the Sisters of St. Joseph to meet the growing needs for food by Nazareth College and Borgess Hospital in addition to other institutions that they operated. Martin Pozenik, Jr. (1914-2008) stayed on to operate the farm. He began working there in 1942. He stayed on as farm manager and treasurer until his retirement in 1986 which is when the farm closed its operations.
Full Extent
.75 Cubic Feet
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
The collection is composed of material including records, photographs, articles, awards and register books relating to the Nazareth College Farms owned by the Congregation of St. Joseph and located on East Main Street in Comstock Township. The collection ranges from 1930 to 1998.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The collection was part of the Congregation of St. Joseph Collection (A-4152). In 2025 was separated from the Congregation collection and given directly to the Regional History Collections.
Physical Description
The collection amounts to .75 cubic feet. The photographs in the collection range in size from between 4.5 inches x 3.5 inches to 8 x 10 inches. The Herd Registers are 9.25 x 5.5 inches. The Herd Books are 9.5 x 12 inches.
The materials in this collection vary in condition. Printed copies of paper and articles are in excellent condition. Other papers are yellowing. The photographs are in good condition and are separated by barrier paper. The 3 maps are yellowing, tearing, and are slightly damaged by folds. The Herd Registers are in poor condition with yellowing pages, masking tape damages, and separation from bindings. The Herd Register Book of 1940 – 1944 is missing the front cover. The Herd Books are also in poor condition with yellowing pages, frayed covers, and stains. These books also do not have bindings and are held together by nails. All book pages are written with pen and pencil. Pen notations are legible but some pencil notations are fading.
Subject
- Nazareth Farms (Organization)
- Pozenik, Martin, Jr. , 1914-2008 (Person)
- Title
- Nazareth Farms Collection Finding Aid
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Katie Burrell, Lynn Houghton, Mallory Heslinger
- Date
- 2025-09-02
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Western Michigan University Archives & Regional History Collections Repository
Charles C. and Lynn L. Zhang Legacy Collections Center
1650 Oakland Drive
Kalamazoo MI 49008-5307 US
(269) 387-8490
arch-collect@wmich.edu