NEBRASKA STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY MANUSCRIPT FINDING AID
RG4169.AM: Milo V. German, 1904-1957
Papers: ca. 1955-1983
Cozad, Dawson County, Neb.: Farmer; inventor; businessman
Size: 1 folder
BACKGROUND NOTE
Milo V. German was born on a farm northeast of Cozad, Nebraska, on May 26, 1904. As he was primarily a farmer, he turned his inventive talents toward developing a practical siphon-gravity tube for crop irrigation. By 1942 success with plastic prototypes lead German to found a siphon tube manufacturing business, called Nebraska Plastics, Inc. His products carried the moniker “Cozad” as a trade name. The company produced many other irrigation products over the years, and gained a world-wide clientele. Milo German died in an airplane crash on July 20, 1957.
SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE
These papers relate to the life of Milo German and his business, Nebraska Plastics, Inc. Included are biographical sketches of German (written by his son, Douglas German), documents supporting German’s role in siphon-tube irrigation, and promotional material about the products. Correspondence relates to Nebraska Plastics, Inc.’s involvement with the 1960 International Trade Exhibition in Jeshyn, Afghanistan, and to Douglas German’s correspondence with the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources (IANR) regarding his father’s work.
The photo component [RG4169.PH] consists of approximately 340 photographic prints. Many of the photographs show various types of irrigation equipment in use, such as plasti-gated hose and pipe sprinkler systems, and irrigation pumps. Also included are photographs of products that Milo German distributed for B & W Manufacturing and Nebraska Plastics, Inc. A warehouse fire at the factory and unidentified people presumed to be associated with German and Nebraska Plastics, Inc., are also pictured. A portrait of German, ca. 1940, is included.
The moving image component [RG4169.MI] consists of seven reels of 16mm color and black & white film illustrating the use and manufacture of the siphon tube irrigation system at Nebraska Plastics, Inc., Cozad, Nebraska. Included is footage of a man working his tube-irrigated field, workers manufacturing irrigation tubes, and the process of setting up the system in a field. Also included are several promotional films about the irrigation tubes. Researcher must use videocassette copies.
DESCRIPTION
Misc. papers relating to Milo German and Nebraska Plastics, Inc.
ADDED ENTRIES:
Advertising — Nebraska
Agricultural exhibitions — Afghanistan
Agricultural implements — Nebraska
Alcoa (Pa.)
B & W Manufacturing
Bakelite Plastics (N.Y.)
Business enterprises — Nebraska
Businessmen — Nebraska
Cozad (Neb.) — Businesses
Dawson County (Neb.) — Businesses
Fires — Nebraska — Cozad
German, Douglas K.
German, Milo V., 1904-1957
Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources (Lincoln, Neb.)
Inventions — Nebraska — Cozad
Inventors — Nebraska — Cozad
Irrigation — Nebraska
Irrigation farming — Nebraska
Jeshyn (Afghanistan)
John Deere
Metals
Nebraska Plastics, Inc. (Cozad, Neb.)
Pennino, Walter A.
Thermoplastics
Union Carbide (N.Y.)
United States Department of Commerce (Washington, D.C.)
University of Nebraska (Lincoln, Neb.)
Water distribution structures
08-03-2009 Revised TMM/tmm
