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American Morgan Horse Association

American Morgan Horse Association Registry Records

1911-1981
119 boxes 150 linear feet
Call no.: MS 781
Depiction of Morgan horses at MAC
Morgan horses at MAC

Temporarily stored offsite; contact SCUA to request materials from this collection.

In 1789, Vermont native Justin Morgan acquired a bay colt in Springfield, Mass., that became the progenitor of a distinctly American breed of general purpose horse. Noted for its stamina, strength, disposition, and beauty, the Morgan became widely popular in western Massachusetts and Vermont, eventually spreading nationally and internationally. To support the breed, the Morgan Horse Club (later the American Morgan Horse Association) was founded in 1909 and today maintains the breed registry, publishes The Morgan Horse magazine, and offers a wide range of public information and educational services.

The Registry records of the AMHA are a product of concern during the late 19th century for documenting and preserving the integrity of the Morgan breed and a means for breeders to certify pedigrees for their stock. In 1894, Joseph Battell published the first volume of the Morgan Horse and Register containing nearly 1,000 pages of pedigrees for “any meritorious stallion, mare, or gelding tracing in direct male line to Justin Morgan and having at least 1/64 of his blood,” and although standards have been modified since, the registry remains the primary source for documenting the history of the breed. The records in this collection include approved applications for the AMHA registry, including pedigrees and supporting materials.

Background on American Morgan Horse Association

Popular in all 50 states and more than 30 foreign countries, Morgan horses can be traced back to a single bay colt acquired by Vermont-native Justin Morgan in 1789 in Springfield, Massachusetts. Throughout the 19th century Morgans were in demand due in part to their effortless ability to perform a wide variety of tasks ranging from field work on farms to transportation for commercial stagecoaches. By the 1840s, an effort to concentrate the line was underway and breeders in Vermont and western Massachusetts located second, third, and fourth generation descendants of the original Morgan horse to establish the foundations of the breed. In 1857, D.C. Linsley’s book Morgan Horses was published, becoming the first book to document to the history of Justin Morgan and origins of the breed.

During the Civil War, Morgans became valued for yet another feature: their ability to serve as capable cavalry mounts and artillery horses. Throughout the duration of the war, Morgans were in high demand and were often viewed as the horse that could accomplish feats that other teams could not. Indeed, the First Vermont Cavalry used only Morgan horses as mounts and quickly earned a reputation as an accomplished fighting unit.

In 1909, the Morgan Horse Club was established and in 1927 the club was incorporated as a membership corporation; this was the first time the club issued certificates of registration. Nearly five decades later in 1971, the Morgan Horse Club, Inc. was renamed the American Morgan Horse Association (AMHA). The headquarters of the AMHA moved to its permanent home in Shelburne, Vermont in 1988 where the association continues to maintain the breed registry, publish The Morgan Horse magazine, and offer a variety of public informaation and educational services.

Scope of collection

As early as the 1840s, efforts were underway to concentrate the Morgan lines and document the breed’s history. The urge to preserve the integrity of the breed and to certify pedigrees continued throughout the nineteenth century and into the twentieth. In 1894, Joseph Battell published the first volume of the Morgan Horse and Register containing nearly 1,000 pages of pedigrees for “any meritorious stallion, mare, or gelding tracing in direct male line to Justin Morgan and having at least 1/64 of his blood.” It wasn’t until 1927, however, that the Morgan Horse Club (later the American Morgan Horse Association) first issued certificates of registration. Since then, the association has maintained the registry, which is the only source for purebred registered Morgans in the U.S.

The vast body of registration records from the American Morgan Horse Association includes approved applications along with pedigrees and supporting material for each registered horse.

Inventory

Stallion service report, A-G
1970-1977
Box 1
Stallion service report, H-R
1970-1977
Box 2
Stallion service report, S-Z
1970-1977
Box 3
Stallion service report, A-K
1978-1980
Box 3
Stallion service report, L-Z
1978-1980
Box 4
Transfer applications stallions/geldings 6755-15531
1911-1966
Box 5
Transfer applications stallions/geldings 15532-16998
1911-1966
Box 6
Transfer applications stallions/geldings 17001-18000s
1966-1971
Box 6
Transfer applications stallions/geldings 19000s-21999
1966-1971
Box 7
Transfer applications stallions/geldings 22000-29311
1966-1971
Box 8
Transfer applications mares 3838-10000s
1910-1974
Box 8
Transfer applications mares 11000s-16624
1910-1974
Box 9
Transfer applications mares 16625-22000s
1963-1970
Box 10
Master horse files 6962, 7200-8218
1912-1939
Box 11
Master horse files 8219-9334
1930s-1940s
Box 12
Master horse files 9335-10276
1940s
Box 13
Master horse files 10277-11034
1940s-1955
Box 14
Master horse files 11035-11545
1955
Box 15
Master horse files 11547-11968
1955
Box 16
Master horse files 11969-12361
1955-1958
Box 17
Master horse files 12362-12759
1958
Box 18
Master horse files 12760-13186
1958-1960
Box 19
Master horse files 13187-13603
1960-1961
Box 20
Master horse files 13604-13989
1961
Box 21
Master horse files 13990-14380
1961-1962
Box 22
Master horse files 14381-14796
1962
Box 23
Master horse files 14797-15306
1962-1963
Box 24
Master horse files 15307-15835
1963-1965
Box 25
Master horse files 15836-16355
1965
Box 26
Master horse files 16356-16801
1965
Box 27
Master horse files 16802-17311
1965-1966
Box 28
Master horse files 17312-17915
1966
Box 29
Master horse files 17916-18529
1966-1967
Box 30
Master horse files 18530-18978
1967
Box 31
Master horse files 18979-19477
1967
Box 32
Master horse files 19478-19944
1967-1969
Box 33
Master horse files 19945-20409
1969
Box 34
Master horse files 20410-20869
1969
Box 35
Master horse files 20870-21291
1969-1970
Box 36
Master horse files 21292-21728
1970
Box 37
Master horse files 21729-22136
1970
Box 38
Master horse files 22137-22570
1970
Box 39
Master horse files 22571-23009
1970
Box 40
Master horse files 23010-23412
1970-1972
Box 41
Master horse files 23413-23811
1972
Box 42
Master horse files 23812-24249
1972
Box 43
Master horse files 24250-24679
1972
Box 44
Master horse files 24680-25049
1972
Box 45
Master horse files 25050-25450
1972-1973
Box 46
Master horse files 25451-25813
1973
Box 47
Master horse files 25814-26201
1973
Box 48
Master horse files 26202-26563
1973
Box 49
Master horse files 26564-26934
1973
Box 50
Master horse files 26935-27322
1973
Box 51
Master horse files 27323-27714
1973-1974
Box 52
Master horse files 27715-28097
1974
Box 53
Master horse files 28098-28461
1974
Box 54
Master horse files 28462-28854
1974
Box 55
Master horse files 28855-29248
1974
Box 56
Master horse files 29249-29654
1974
Box 57
Master horse files 29655-30028
1974
Box 58
Master horse files 30029-30390
1974
Box 59
Master horse files 30391-30773
1974-1976
Box 60
Master horse files 30774-31166
1976
Box 61
Master horse files 31167-31971
1976-1977
Box 62
Master horse files 31972-32150
1977
Box 63
Master horse files 2131-4812
1908
Box 64
Master horse files 4813-5699
1908, 1938
Box 65
Master horse files 5700-6799
1938
Box 66
Master horse files 6800-7538
1938, 1946
Box 67
Master horse files 7539-8126
1946, 1950
Box 68
Master horse files 8127-8556
1950
Box 69
Master horse files 8557-8995
1950, 1953
Box 70
Master horse files 8996-9413
1953
Box 71
Master horse files 9414-9822
1953, 1956
Box 72
Master horse files 9823-10189
1956
Box 73
Master horse files 10190-10564
1956
Box 74
Master horse files 10565-10939
1956
Box 75
Master horse files 10940-11321
1956
Box 76
Master horse files 11322-11693
1956, 1960
Box 77
Master horse files 11694-12094
1960-1961
Box 78
Master horse files 12095-12475
1961
Box 79
Master horse files 12476-12850
1961
Box 80
Master horse files 12851-13214
1961
Box 81
Master horse files 13215-13593
1961
Box 82
Master horse files 13594-13991
1961
Box 83
Master horse files 13992-14393
1961, 1964
Box 84
Master horse files 14394-14772
1964
Box 85
Master horse files 14773-15188
1964
Box 86
Master horse files 15189-15613
1964
Box 87
Master horse files 15614-16054
1964
Box 88
Master horse files 16055-16494
1964
Box 89
Master horse files 16495-16970
1964
Box 90
Master horse files 16971-17439
1964, 1968
Box 91
Master horse files 17440-17908
1968
Box 92
Master horse files 17909-18359
1968
Box 93
Master horse files 18360-18810
1968
Box 94
Master horse files 18811-19310
1968
Box 95
Master horse files 19311-19764
1968, 1970
Box 96
Master horse files 19765-20221
1970
Box 97
Master horse files 20222-20679
1970
Box 98
Master horse files 20680-21150
1970
Box 99
Master horse files 21151-21598
1970
Box 100
Master horse files 21599-22043
1970
Box 101
Master horse files 22044-22453
1970
Box 102
Master horse files 22454-22896
1970
Box 103
Master horse files 22897-23918
1970, 1973
Box 104
Master horse files 23919-24299
1973
Box 105
Master horse files 24300-24712
1973
Box 106
Master horse files 24713-25117
1973
Box 107
Master horse files 25118-25515
1973
Box 108
Master horse files 25516-25915
1973
Box 109
Master horse files 25916-26338
1973
Box 110
Master horse files 26339-26799
1973-1974
Box 111
Master horse files 26800-27196
1974
Box 112
Master horse files 27197-27578
1974
Box 113
Master horse files 27579-27999
1974
Box 114
Master horse files 28000-28457
1974
Box 115
Master horse files28458-28891
1974
Box 116
Master horse files 28892-29321
1974
Box 117
Master horse files 29322-29764
1974, 1976
Box 118
Master horse files 29765-30166
1976
Box 119
Master horse files 30167-30596
1976
Box 120
Master horse files 30597-31557
1976
Box 121
Master horse files 31558-31757
1976
Box 122
Master horse files 63907-64278
1977
Box 123
Master horse files 64279-64669
1977
Box 124
Master horse files 64670-65068
1977
Box 125
Master horse files 65069-65432
1977
Box 126
Master horse files 65433-65790
1977
Box 127
Master horse files 65791-66164
1977
Box 128
Master horse files 66165-66548
1977
Box 129
Master horse files 66550-66959
1977
Box 130
Master horse files 66960-67350
1977
Box 131
Master horse files 67351-67718
1977
Box 132
Master horse files 67719-68091
1977
Box 133
Master horse files 68092-68478
1977
Box 134
Master horse files 68479-68888
1977
Box 135
Master horse files 68889-69270
1977
Box 136
Master horse files 69271-69660
1977-1978
Box 137
Master horse files 69661-70066
1978
Box 138
Master horse files 70067-70488
1978
Box 139
Master horse files70489-70896
1978
Box 140
Master horse files 70897-71309
1978
Box 141
Master horse files 71310-71694
1978
Box 142
Master horse files 71695-72066
1978-1979
Box 143
Master horse files 72067-72455
1979
Box 144
Master horse files 72456-72832
1979
Box 145
Master horse files 72833-73233
1979
Box 146
Master horse files 73234-73649
1979
Box 147
Master horse files 73650-74065
1979
Box 148
Master horse files 74066-74477
1979
Box 149
Master horse files 74478-74872
1979
Box 150
Master horse files 74873-75232
1979
Box 151
Master horse files 75233-75619
1979
Box 152
Master horse files 75620-75990
1979
Box 153
Master horse files 75991-76335
1979
Box 154
Master horse files 76336-76734
1979-1980
Box 155
Master horse files 76735-77130
1980
Box 156
Master horse files 77131-77550
1980
Box 157
Master horse files 77551-77967
1980
Box 158
Master horse files 77968-78378
1980
Box 159
Master horse files 78379-78769
1980
Box 160
Master horse files 78770-79140
1980
Box 161
Master horse files 79141-79488
1980
Box 162
Master horse files 79489-79841
1980
Box 163
Master horse files 79842-80164
1980
Box 164
Master horse files 80165-80495
1980-1981
Box 165
Master horse files 80496-80843
1981
Box 166
Master horse files 80844-80899
1981
Box 167

Administrative information

Access

The collection is open for research.

Provenance

Acquired from American Morgan Horse Association, 2013.

Processing Information

Processed by Dex Haven, 2014.

Language:

English

Copyright and Use (More information )

Cite as: American Morgan Horse Association Registry Records (MS 781). Special Collections and University Archives, University of Massachusetts Amherst Libraries.

Search terms

Subjects

  • Horses–Breeding
  • Morgan horse

Names

  • American Morgan Horse Association

Link to similar SCUA collections

Subjects

Horses--BreedingMorgan horse