“The Pastime of Millions”: James B. Haggin's Elmendorf Farm and the Commercialization of Pedigree Animal Breeding, 1897-19
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University of Kentucky UKnowledge Theses and Dissertations--History History 2012 “THE PASTIME OF MILLIONS”: JAMES B. HAGGIN’S ELMENDORF FARM AND THE COMMERCIALIZATION OF PEDIGREE ANIMAL BREEDING, 1897-1920 Amber Fogle Sergent University of Kentucky, [email protected] Right click to open a feedback form in a new tab to let us know how this document benefits ou.y Recommended Citation Sergent, Amber Fogle, "“THE PASTIME OF MILLIONS”: JAMES B. HAGGIN’S ELMENDORF FARM AND THE COMMERCIALIZATION OF PEDIGREE ANIMAL BREEDING, 1897-1920" (2012). Theses and Dissertations-- History. 6. https://uknowledge.uky.edu/history_etds/6 This Doctoral Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the History at UKnowledge. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations--History by an authorized administrator of UKnowledge. For more information, please contact [email protected]. STUDENT AGREEMENT: I represent that my thesis or dissertation and abstract are my original work. Proper attribution has been given to all outside sources. I understand that I am solely responsible for obtaining any needed copyright permissions. I have obtained and attached hereto needed written permission statements(s) from the owner(s) of each third-party copyrighted matter to be included in my work, allowing electronic distribution (if such use is not permitted by the fair use doctrine). I hereby grant to The University of Kentucky and its agents the non-exclusive license to archive and make accessible my work in whole or in part in all forms of media, now or hereafter known. I agree that the document mentioned above may be made available immediately for worldwide access unless a preapproved embargo applies. I retain all other ownership rights to the copyright of my work. I also retain the right to use in future works (such as articles or books) all or part of my work. I understand that I am free to register the copyright to my work. REVIEW, APPROVAL AND ACCEPTANCE The document mentioned above has been reviewed and accepted by the student’s advisor, on behalf of the advisory committee, and by the Director of Graduate Studies (DGS), on behalf of the program; we verify that this is the final, approved version of the student’s dissertation including all changes required by the advisory committee. The undersigned agree to abide by the statements above. Amber Fogle Sergent, Student Dr. Ronald D. Eller, Major Professor Dr. David Hamilton, Director of Graduate Studies “THE PASTIME OF MILLIONS”: JAMES B. HAGGIN’S ELMENDORF FARM AND THE COMMERCIALIZATION OF PEDIGREE ANIMAL BREEDING, 1897-1920 ________________________________________________ DISSERTATION ________________________________________________ A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Kentucky By Amber Fogle Sergent Lexington, Kentucky Director: Dr. Ronald D Eller, Professor of History Lexington, Kentucky 2012 Copyright © Amber Fogle Sergent 2012 ABSTRACT OF DISSERTATION “THE PASTIME OF MILLIONS”: JAMES B. HAGGIN’S ELMENDORF FARM AND THE COMMERCIALIZATION OF PEDIGREE ANIMAL BREEDING, 1897-1920 Called “The Pride of the Bluegrass,” Elmendorf Farm changed the style and substance of commercial pedigree breeding in early twentieth-century America. Between 1897 and 1914, James B. Haggin readily transformed the Kentucky farm first as a nationally preeminent horse stud, famous for its bloodlines and scales, and second as a premier dairy operation, exceptional for its sanitation, science, and size. Here rested the large-scale production of the world’s fanciest Thoroughbreds and finest milk. At the same time, Haggin’s farm reflected a lifestyle that has come to be celebrated and cherished as the ideal Kentucky landscape. A factory-style plant of large scales, of specialization, and vertical integration was disguised with the lavish iconography of portico mansions, rolling lawns, and white-planed fences, behind which million-dollar animals grazed on lush bluegrass. But a crucial, and significant, characteristic of this farm was the wage laborers who performed the back-breaking work. The labor and lives of the farm’s black workers, in particular, shows how Elmendorf helped reinforce a system of labor relations in central Kentucky, one peculiar to horse business and one segmented by race. Ultimately, this study of Elmendorf Farm shows the unforgettable imprint of Haggin’s complex personality, as well as his modern philosophies of business, but it also demonstrates conclusively the fallacy of an acquisitive nature and aggressive impulses in commercial animal breeding. As a powerful financier in the late nineteenth-century, Haggin’s perpetual objective was ever “large economies of scale.” Haggin made and lost fortunes by creating great industrial enterprises, and his Bluegrass stud proved no different—even if his individual actions meant defying the norm and jeopardizing entire industries. This best explains why the world’s greatest breeding and milking farm, in many ways, failed. When Haggin applied a dual logic of industrial and aristocratic expansion to a Kentucky breeding farm, the pedigree industry, however fragile and vulnerable, was pushed to extremes and instability of both horse and milk industries resulted. Those famed marble columns, the remaining evidence of Elmendorf Farm, now stands in a lush Bluegrass field, representing one of the most spectacular failures in modern agricultural history. KEYWORDS: James Ben Ali Haggin, Commercial Agriculture, Dairy, Animal Breeding, Kentucky ________Amber Fogle Sergent________ Student’s Signature _____________June 1, 2012__________ Date “THE PASTIME OF MILLIONS”: JAMES B. HAGGIN’S ELMENDORF FARM AND THE COMMERCIALIZATION OF PEDIGREE ANIMAL BREEDING, 1897-1920 By Amber Fogle Sergent __________Ronald D Eller________ Director of Dissertation _______David Hamilton__________ Director of Graduate Studies _________June 1, 2012__________ For Amiel ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS During the writing of this dissertation, it has been my good fortune to benefit from the expertise and guidance of several outstanding scholars. Dr. Ron Eller shepherded me through graduate school. His ideas about land, community, and place have been critical to my understanding of farming in the South. More important still, his great kindness throughout has left a deep impression on me as a historian and writer. He continually encouraged me to ask broad questions and write from conviction and passion. Dr. Tracy Campbell taught me the importance of precise scholarship. He challenged me to think about every word of every sentence and its meaning. He is not only a gifted scholar but an inspiring teacher. Dr. Eric Christianson has always offered thoughtful critiques, good humor, and kind encouragement. I benefited immensely from his sage advice to enjoy it along the way. Dr. Dave Bowman was a model scholar and a patient teacher. He always asked hard questions, sharpening my thoughts and ideas about the South and the practice of history in general. Dr. Karen Petrone taught me how to conduct myself as a professor of graduate students. She is a true mentor. I appreciate Dr. Karl Raitz’s invaluable comments about the meaning of landscape. Dr. David Hamilton joined my dissertation committee on short notice but provided insightful thoughts into the workings of commercial farming. My friends and family have helped in more ways than I can count. Roger Mullins worked through these pages with his amazing patience and editing prowess. My in-laws provided much needed support. My mother-in-law especially, Joan Sergent, read every page of this study, giving time and thought to it, offering thorough and helpful edits. I am iii thankful for her unfailing encouragement and helpful suggestions. My grandmother deserves a special mention. Mamie Faulkner has always believed in the value of education and the worth of this study even when I was not so sure. My immediate family has given me so much encouragement to get the job done. I am lucky to have my father, Bob Fogle, and my stepmother, Cindy Brown, who love me and stood by me. I have the best friends imaginable, Holly Trimble and Jillian Woodward, who I am fortunate enough to call my sisters. And I could not have asked for a more loving person than my mother and it is my great sorrow that she did not live to see this dissertation completed. Yet, she is never far from my mind. Her support was constant and her love was priceless. And I am certain that she would have rejoiced at its completion. Finally, and above all, there are my boys. Over the past six years, my family has grown up with this project. All of it was written when I had two beautiful boys either swinging in a bassinet or playing trucks near my desk. As always, they have given me the most wonderful gifts of laughter and love. To my partner in every aspect of my life, I lovingly dedicate this to him. My husband, Ryan Sergent, has given so much of himself to see my dream become a reality. Without his unflagging support, I could have never finished it. I am truly blessed by extraordinary love. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgments: ………………………………………………………………iii List of Figures: …………………………………………………...……………...vii Chapter One: Introduction: The Most Famous Stock Farm You’ve Never Heard Of …………………………………..1 Chapter Two: The Rising of James Ben Ali Haggin, 1850 – 1897 ……………………35 Chapter Three: “Mr. Haggin’s Horses”: The Making of Rancho del Paso ………………………...91 Chapter Four: “Bred in the Bone”: A Bluegrass Kingdom for Haggin’s Horses …………...119 Chapter Five: “Boy, We Were the Horse”: The Black Workers of Haggin’s Horse Empire ………..166 Chapter Six: “The Biltmore of Kentucky”: The Making of Elmendorf’s Gilded Estate …………….213 Chapter Seven: An Empire Falls: The Sales of Elmendorf Stud Farm …………………….243 Chapter Eight: “Forceful Wreckage”: The American Invasion of Elmendorf Stud Farm in Europe ……………………….266 Chapter Nine: Haggin’s “The Modern Dairy of the Southland” ………290 Chapter Ten: “A Grant Unparalleled in Agriculture”: Kentucky A&M College at Elmendorf ………………...320 v Chapter Eleven: Conclusion: “The Wrong Kind of Old” The Legacy of James B.