Franklin County, Ohio - Chapter 8: Agricultural and Horticultural Societies, 1858

Franklin County Agricultural Society. At a meeting of the citizens of Franklin County, held at the City Hall in Columbus, on the 6th of September, 1851, it was resolved to proceed to organize a County Agricultural Society ; and a constitution which had been previously prepared, was reported and adopted. It provides that the officers of the Society shall be a President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer and five Managers, who together shall constitute a Board of Directors, and shall all be elected annually. That the members of the Society shall each pay one dollar a year into the treasury. That there shall be an annual County Fair, etc.

A committee of three from each township and ward was then appointed 'to obtain subscribers to the constitution and collect the dues from members.

At the next meeting a set of by-laws were adopted, and at a meeting, on the 27th of September, G. M. Peters resigned the office of Treasurer, and Robert Hume was appointed in his place j and by order of the Board, soon after, he drew from the county treasury two hundred dollars, in pursuance of a statute of the State, passed 28th of February, 1846, entitled "An act to encourage agriculture." Soon after, in October, 1851, the first County Fair was held on the State Fair grounds near Franklinton; and in May, 1852, Mr. Hume reported the state of the finances as follows :

The Directors had now turned their attention to the purchase and improvement of grounds of their own, on which to hold their future Fairs ; and in July, 1852, they effected a purchase of eight acres from Mr. Samuel Barr, upon which they immediately commenced their improvements. And in October of the same year, the second County Fair was held on their own ground.

About this time, the Board passed an order that any person on paying twenty dollars in advance towards the purchase and improvement of the grounds, should thereby be constituted a life member of the Society without any further assessments or charges. The following gentlemen availed themselves of the order, and thereby aided the infont society, and created themselves life members, to wit : Samuel Brush, Benjamin Blake, Robert Hume, M. L. Sullivant, Wm. H. Rarey and Lucien Buttles.

Resolved, That it is with profound regret, the members of the Society hear that their able and efficient President, Samuel Brush, Esq., peremptorily declines a reelection.

Resolved, That this Society have a high appreciation of his valuable labors in their behalf, and hereby tender to him their hearty thanks for the good he has accomplished for the cause of Agriculture in Franklia County.

In June of this year, the County Commissioners appropriated two hundred and fifty dollars towards improving the cross road from the national road to the Fair grounds.

Columbus Horticultural Society. The first meeting of the citizens to form this Society, was held on the 10th of April, 1845. At this meeting, the late Bela Latham was chosen chairman, and M. B. Bateham, Secretary ; and a committee was appointed to report a Constitution and By-Laws. This committee consisted of Messrs. M. B. Bateham, Joseph Sullivant, Samuel Medary, John Burr, Alex. E. Glenn, Joseph Ridgway, jr., and Joel Buttles.

The next meeting was held May 12th ; the Constitution Avas adopted, and Bela Latham elected President \ W. S. Sullivant and Sam'l Medary, Vice Presidents ; Joseph Sullivant, Recording Secretary; M. B. Bateham, Cor. Secretary ; John W. Andrews, Treasurer ; Dr. I. G.

On the 2Gth of September, 1845, the first public Exhibition or Fair of the Society was held, at which there was a good display of fruits and flowers, and which was well attended by the citizens.

At the annual meeting, in March, 1846, Mr. Latham was reelected President. The annual Fair this year was on the 3d and 4th of September, at which there was a large display of fruits and flowers, and premiums were awarded.

At the annual meeting, in March, 1848, Dr. I. G. Jones was chosen President, in place of Mr. Latham, Avhose ill health prevented him from discharging the duties of the office. In this year the Society lost its most active and efficient member in the death of Mr. Latham, which took place on the 21st of April.

The Society had not yet been incorporated ; but on the 13th of March, 1849, an act of incorporation was passed, which reads as follows : " That Francis Stewart, John Miller, Joseph Sullivant, I. G. Jones, Adam Sites, Lucien Buttles, Benjamin Blake, William Merlon, M. B. Bateham, Samuel McClelland, Thomas Stockton, Samuel

Medary, A. H. Lazell, John Burr, Alexander E. Glenn, their associates and successors, be and they are hereby incorporated by the name and style of the Columbus Horticultural Society, for the purpose of encouraging and improving the science and practice of horticulture, and the promoting and propagation of the various species of trees, fruits, plants and vegetables, and the introduction of new species and varieties, and for no other purpose whatever."

In 1849, Dr. Jones was reelected President, and was continued several years. The prevalence of the cholera in 1849 and 1850, prevented the Society from doing much more than to keep up its organization.

In 1851, the Society effected a purchase of ten acres of land from Mr. Samuel Barr, adjacent to the County Fair grounds, for the purpose of establishing a Society Garden. And in September of that year, they adopted a new Constitution, which superseded the old Constitution and By-Laws. It provides :

2d. That any person may become a regular member whose name is proposed at any meeting, by a vote of two-thirds of the members present, by signing the Constitution, and paying two dollars initiation fee, and one dollar annually thereafter, in advance.

4th. The officers of the Society consist of a President, two Vice Presidents, a Treasurer, a Corresponding Secretary, a Recording Secretary ; and a Council, which shall consist of the President, Treasurer and three members, all to be elected annually.