Prairie Farmer magazine is celebrating its 175th anniversary as the oldest continuously published magazine in America. It was first published in 1841 and promotes scientific farming practices and improving rural life. It purchased radio station WLS in 1928 to offer agricultural programming and produced the National Barn Dance radio show. Today, Prairie Farmer continues its mission of helping farmers through its magazine, website, and events while documenting changes in agriculture over the past 175 years.

1. Oldest magazine in
America
Prairie Farmer Magazine: Celebrating the
175th Anniversary
https://www.facebook.com/prairiefarmer/photos/a.443648899349.244761.142240394349/10154746710484350/?type=1&theater

2. About Prairie Farmer
 Published in 1841
 Promotes scientific farming practices
 Dedicated to improving rural life through education, recreation, and
better health practices
 Purchased radio station WLS in 1928 to offer farm programming, and
produced the National Barn Dance
The first copy of Prairie Farmer, printed in 1841. Photo taken
from: http://idnc.library.illinois.edu/cgi-
bin/illinois?a=d&d=PFR18410201&e=-------en-20--1--txt-txIN-
------#
Janurary issue of Prairie Farmer. Photo
taken from:
https://www.facebook.com/prairiefarmer/
photos/a.443648899349.244761.14224039
4349/10154869210029350/?type=1&theat
er

3.  Holly Spangler, editor:
 “Our mission has never wavered: We exist for farmers.
We’re here to help them build a better farm, a better
environment, a better community and a better family.”
Fun Fact: President Abraham
Lincoln subscribed to and read
Prairie Farmer.
Graphic taken from the Prairie Farmer Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/prairiefarmer/photos/a.142282919
349.109464.142240394349/10154774975944350/?type=3&th
eater
Photo take from the Prairie Farmer Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/prairiefarmer/photos/a.44
3648899349.244761.142240394349/143777894349/
?type=3&theater

4. Variation of Content
Prairie Farmer, 1994. SE.14.P.030
Prairie Farmer, 1991. SE.14.P.029
Prairie Farmer, 1994. SE.14.P.030

5. Prairie Farmer, 1941. RS.12.P.132
Prairie Farmer, 1994. SE.14.P.030
Prairie Farmer, 1928. RS.12.P.131
Prairie Farmer, 1987. RS.14.P.039

6. Agriculture in the late 1800s Pg. 66
Pg. 177
https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=wu.89047173349;view=1up;seq=240
John Wright, founding editor of Prairie Farmer magazine. Photo taken
from
https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=wu.89047173349;view=1up;seq=24
0
https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=wu.89047173349;view=1up;seq=240

7. Pg. 162
Pg. 175
“1841-1899: Time of
progress” (Prairie
Farmer, Dec. 2016)
https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=wu.89047173349;view=1up;seq=240
Pg. 106
https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=wu.89047173349;view=1up;seq=240
https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=wu.89047173349;view=1up;seq=240

8. Agriculture throughout the 1900s
“1900-1959: Highs, lows, and
in between” (Prairie Farmer,
Dec. 2016)
Evans, James F. Prairie Farmer and WLS: the Burridge D. Butler
Years. Call number: 630.5 PR2e
Evans, James F. Prairie Farmer and WLS: the Burridge D. Butler
Years. Call number: 630.5 PR2e
Evans, James F. Prairie Farmer and WLS: the Burridge D. Butler Years.
Call number: 630.5 PR2e

9. “1960-1999: Monumental
changes” (Prairie Farmer,
Dec. 2016)
Evans, James F. Prairie Farmer and WLS: the Burridge D. Butler Years. Call number: 630.5 PR2e
Prairie Farmer, 1987. RS.14.P.039
Prairie Farmer, 1994. SE.14.P.030
Prairie Farmer, 1994. SE.14.P.030
Prairie Farmer, 1987. RS.14.P.039

10. Agriculture throughout the 2000s
Ag precision technology. Prairie Farmer, December 2016
“2000-2016: Terrorism and
technology” (Prairie Farmer,
Dec. 2016)
“11 top agriculture issues of 2015
Waters of the U.S., Section 179 and GMO labeling:
We're taking a look at 2015's top agriculture stories”
http://www.prairiefarmer.com/story-11-top-agriculture-issues-2015-8-135713

11. Prairie Farmer Today
Facebook:
Magazine:
Farm Progress Show:
Website: Graphic taken from the Prairie
Farmer Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/prair
iefarmer/photos/a.14228291934
9.109464.142240394349/10154
435244354350/?type=3&theater

12. Citations
 http://www.wlshistory.com/WLS30/
 http://www.richsamuels.com/nbcmm/wls/barndance/index.html ntl barn dance airing
 http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/1004.html
 http://www.penton.com/prairie-farmer-oldest-continually-published-magazine-america-
celebrates-175-year-anniversary/
 https://archive.org/stream/prairiefarmer18700108prai#page/n7/mode/2up
 https://www.facebook.com/prairiefarmer/
 https://www.facebook.com/prairiefarmer/
 https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=wu.89047173349;view=1up;seq=240

13. Digital exhibit Compiled and designed by
Caeli Cleary
Senior in Agricultural Communications,
University of Illinois Assistant, Agricultural
Communications Documentation Center
February 2017