4-H Artifacts

Do you have historic 4-H artifacts that you think would be of interest to 4-H enthusiasts and history buffs?

This is a survey for all 4-H alumni members and volunteers. We’d love to see what items are out there, and what you would like to share with the 4-H community. Depending upon the artifact itself, and with your permission, your 4-H artifacts could be included in:

  • A museum exhibit on the history of Montana 4-H
  • A photo and description of your artifact featured in an online gallery on this website

Update:

Please note that we have received a number of artifacts for the museum exhibit, probably more than will fit in the display case, so we are no longer seeking items for the exhibit at the Montana Heritage Center. However, we still welcome your artifacts and stories for an online “virtual” museum on this website, and there is talk of establishing a permanent Montana 4-H museum some time in the future, so we’d still love to hear from you!

We are still seeking some historic Atlas Good Luck mason jars from the 1910 to 1930s for the exhibit. Details below.

Please fill out the form below, and let us know what treasures you have.  

Your information is for contact only, we won’t share your personal information publicly.

There is an option in the form to upload photos of your item, which could be added to the online gallery with your permission. Please fill out the form separately for each invidividual artifact you would like to declare, limit to three items. If you have more than three artifacts that you believe would be of interest, please contact us directly!

Photo from “Everything You Need to Know About the History of the 4-H Club,” an article by Natalie Schulmann published in Country Living magazine, February 2018. Photograph by Brian Woodcock.

If you are interested in donating your item to the Montana Historical Society, please submit a potential donation form here: Potential Donations. All potential donations will be reviewed by the MTHS Acquisition Committee.

Wishlist:

Suggested artifacts that would be of great significance to Montana 4-H history:

Montana 4-H club charters, issued by the USDA between 1919 and the early 1940s. Charters are signed by the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture:

Vintage 4-H flag, especially one with a story! Also vintage 4-H pledge and motto banners.

4-H brand labels and jars for project work, 1910-1940. Including Atlas Good Luck canning jars.

4-H communications, such as historic calendars, posters, and newsletters.

Note: this form limits the number of artifact submissions to three. If you have a more significant collection, please contact Luke directly. Thanks!

Artifacts submission

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
Name(Required)

Type of artifact:
Please describe the item, an approximate date, location, etc.
Museum exhibit:
Would you be willing to loan or donate this artifact to the Montana Historical Society to be displayed in a Montana 4-H history museum exhibit?
You may upload up to three images of the artifact you are listing.
Drop files here or
Max. file size: 10 MB, Max. files: 3.
    Online display
    Would you be willing to allow your image(s) to be posted in a gallery on this website? Ideally, we'd include an artifact name, description, and, with your permission, your name as the submitter.