The collection consists of four series: CORPORATE HISTORIES, papers of the BURKHARDT FAMILY, records of BURKHARDT MILLING AND ELECTRIC POWER COMPANY, and records of the WILLOW RIVER POWER COMPANY.
The CORPORATE HISTORIES series consists of four written histories of Burkhardt's businesses, written between 1918 and 1954. Included with the Midland Cooperator article is a series of citations to local newspaper articles (primarily the Hudson Star Observer,) regarding significant events in the lives of the Burkhardts and their company. The “Origin and Development of Willow River Power Company, 1868-1944” may be an official corporate history since the account was typed on corporate stationery.
Miscellaneous papers of Burkhardt family members are included in the BURKHARDT FAMILY series. Among the papers is Christian Burkhardt's will and family correspondence.
The corporate records included in the final two series, BURKHARDT MILLING AND ELECTRIC POWER and WILLOW RIVER POWER COMPANY, consist primarily of organizational and financial materials. Minutes of meetings of boards of directors as well as the stockholders are included as are annual reports of the Burkhardt Milling company. Both series contain rather complete compilations of financial records.
Of interest may be the grain and shipping records of Burkhardt Milling that detail the daily volume of sales and shipping done at the mills, 1884-1933. The miscellaneous electricity and power records, 1906-1920; give detailed information on the operations of the early electric power company. These are supplemented by electric sales records, 1901-1918.
