Guernsey County, Ohio - Chapter 11: Agricultural Interests Societies, Etc, 1911

Chapter 11: Agricultural Interests Societies, Etc

Agriculture lias in all ages been considered one of the most useful and honorable callings permitted to be followed by the sons of men. Indeed, all animal life, including the human race, must needs subsist on the products of the soil, in one way or another. Then be it remembered, that "whoever causes two blades of grass to grow where one grew before is a benefactor to mankind." Some sections of the country are more suited to the tilling of the soil than others, but that man must ever draw from the earth that upon which he exists is well understood. Some countries are blessed with a deep, rich soil, while many other portions are obliged to cultivate a soil more barren and less fruitful. But on the other hand, some countries have no other resource to subsist on. while others, like Guernsey county, strike in a happy medium - a country where the soil produces most all the common crops that are needed for man's food, and at the same time it possesses a wealth of minerals in way of its vast coal fields, which yield a large return to their fortunate owners. Guernsey, then, is well situated, having soil that produces beautiful pastures, prolific fields of grain, fruits in abundance and, at the same time, has her coal, clays and stone in almost endless quantities. The once heavily timbered portions of this county have now been converted into well tilled fields that yield forth their bounties annually to the thrifty husbandman. The early pioneers settled here on account of the soil and timber, for most of the pioneers were intending to cultivate the soil and raise stock, and in this selection they were indeed wise. But they knew not of the wealth stored away by the hand of the Creator in the bowels of the earth - the rich coal deposits which now make manufacturing the chief industry.

The first settlers, it is true, had hardships not experienced by those who settled on the great domain of western prairie lands, in the way of clearing up a farm from out the dense forests found here in Guernsey county. But these sturdy men were equal to the task, as the appearance of the country now shows. After a few decades, the farmers here saw it to their advantage to seed down land, to raise more stock, including sheep, in which the county is third in Ohio, and has been many years. Then the growing of fruits has come to be of great profit. While it is not a first-class corn-producing section, yet the annual crop of this cereal amounts to a considerable sum. When compared to much of New England, this soil is indeed fertile, but when measured by the alluvial soils of some parts of Ohio and the Mississippi \alle\ of the wonderful productive West, it is short. Guernsey county may be said to prosper by reason of its three leading features - agriculture, stock raising and mining, including, of course, its manufacturing enterprises growing out of the cheap fuel found here.

The report of the state showed the following concerning the sheep and wool industry in this and other counties. Guernsey being one of the large sheep raising counties in the state. The large sheep counties are here named: Licking county. 214.000; Harrison county, 170,000; Guernsey county. 136,- 000: Knox county, 134,000; Belmont county, 128,000; Muskingum county, 127,000; Coshocton county, 102,000. This gives Guernsey the third place in rank of sheep counties in Ohio, as far back as the year 1876, thirty-four years ago.

"Guernsey county has always been famed for the great variety of her products, as "well as the quantity of them, considering that it is more of a manufacturing than an agricultural community. That the farmers are still maintaining the reputation of the county may be gathered from the following figures :

"While not as great a wheat country since the development of the West as it once was. there were planted in wheat, in 1906, 11.929 acres and 180.- 838 bushels produced. And there will be planted in 1907. 11,068 acres. Of rye, 135 acres were planted in 1006, and 1,651 bushels produced. Twentysix acres in buckwheat produced 303 bushels, and 6,311 acres in oats yielding 146.758 bushels; 155 bushels of barley were reaped from 41 acres and

662,665 bushels of corn from 16,125 acres; 614 acres produced 62,970 bushels of potatoes; 348,840 acres of meadow land yielded 34,560 tons of hay, and forty-three acres yielded 545 tons of clover hay.

"In the eastern townships 179 acres planted in tobacco produced 219,965 pounds of the weed; 168,193 gallons of milk were sold during 1906 for family use. Home dairies produced 480,487 pounds of butter, and factories 16,650 pounds.

"That the hens have done their full duty in 1906 may be seen by the fact that 596,066 dozen eggs were sold; 196,616 bushels of apples and 757 bushels of pears were produced.

"In the eighties, there were 25,000 sheep kept in Valley township, alone. The wool industry has fallen off wonderfully since, however, for it is said that in 19 10 there are not over fifteen hundred in the same township.

"In many parts of the southern portion of Guernsey county, in the days after the Civil war, there was a large tonnage of tobacco raised, but as it proved hard on the soil and was less profitable, it was almost entirely abandoned, save in a few localities, where some is still produced for home consumption as smoking tobacco. It was once a great source of revenue to the county."

Good Fleeces Agricultural Societies

Matthew Gaston, president: C. J. Albright, secretary, and Moses Sarchet, treasurer. After its formation, it became a rule of the society to hold the fairs alternately at Cambridge and Washington. The officers of the fair, elected for the year, on the last day of the fair, were selected from the place of holding the next fair. This alternating soon began to work a wrangle. It was charged by the west side of the county that the east end did not give Cambridge fairs a hearty support. It should he remembered that Washington was then a greater husiness place than Cambridge. Whether the charge of unfairness was true or false, there was kept up a contention that had an effect on the fairs, and as the old county-seat question, handed down from the origin of the county, was not yet finally settled, the wrangle went on. and it was Cambridge against Washington, and Washington against Cambridge.

The feeling was further augmented at the fair of [853. A premium had been offered for the best lady horseback rider; first premium, a gold watch, thirty dollars; second, watch, twenty dollars; third, breastpin, ten dollars. There were eight contestants: Miss Nancy Dunn and Miss R. Dunn, 'of the east, near Washington; and Miss Melinda Cowen, Miss Sarah J. Mason, and others, of the west, near Cambridge. The committee awarded first premium to Nancy Dunn, second to Melinda Cowen, third to Miss R. Dunn. This was not satisfactory to the west-end people, who claimed that Miss Mason should have been awarded first premium, and they at once raised a purse of thirty-five dollars to buy her a watch. This added fuel to the flame. The next fair alternated, but at the close of the fair of 1856, held in Cambridge, west-end officers were elected, and the breach was complete, and the fairs ordered thereafter held in Cambridge. The officers were Noah Hyatt, president ; the writer, secretary, and Stephen Potts, treasurer. As a result of the split, an independent society was organized at Washington. Cambridge -felt able to go it alone, having control of the county society and its funds. In 1858 both fairs were located on the same days; there was much rivalry, advertising of races, balloon ascensions, and like attractions. The Cambridge balloon was a failure. The show at the fair was good, and the beginning of the new enterprise was a partial success. Cambridge, now having the Central Ohio railroad, was in much better shape to contend against Washington, still a formidable rival, having the Guernsey Branch Bank and other large capitalists engaged in the business of the town, and yet hoped for the completion of the Calico railroad.

The political strife just before the war of 1861. another four years of war. resulted disastrously to fairs, and Cambridge's association went out at a loss to stockholders. The grounds were sold, and laid out as the Mathews addition. Every attempt to keep up fairs and fair grounds at Cambridge had been failures, though the village was advancing steadily to the present city of the second class, fourth grade. On the other hand, Washington has kept up a fair year after year, and now stands at the head of the Guernsey County Agricultural Society, having become heir to the defunct society that had its origin in Cambridge. "The best laid schemes of mice and men gang aft agley."

In 1844, William McCracken sowed this lot in wheat, putting it in the best of order. After it was sowed, he had it marked out into reaping lands, eight feet wide, which was the custom in the days of the sickle. Thus each reaper would have to gather in his full land. McCracken was a noted reaper, and expected to lead the harvesters himself, as did the royal Boaz in the days of Ruth and Naomi ; but the frost of May 30, 1845, played havoc with the wheat crop, and there was little reaping done in any field that year.

First Premium List

The first Guernsey county fair awarded the following premiums : Best stallion, four-year- old, Timothy Bates, four dollars; second, Scott Emerson, two dollars: best three-year-old. John Gibson, three dollars; best brood mare and colt, Hugh Woodburn, two dollars; second, David Frazier, one dollar; best pair matched horses, Ichabud Grummon, two dollars: best three-yearold gelding, Gordon Lofland, two dollars: second, Boaz Lofland, one dollar ; best filly, William McCracken. two dollars : second, David Sarchet, one dollar: best bull, three-year-old. Richard Mackey, three dollars; second, Moses Sarchet, two dollars: best milch cow. John D. Moore, three dollars; second, Gordon Lofland. two dollars; best heifer, Gordon Lofland. two dollars; second. I. Messer. one dollar; best fine wooled buck, Hugh Wilson, three dollars; second, Gordon Lofland, two dollars; best boar, Gordon Lofland. two dollars: second. Moses Sarchet, one dollar: best brood sow, Gordon Lofland. two dollars; second, Marlin Oldham, one dollar; best crop of wheat. John Mehaffy. being forty-two and two-thirds bushels on one acre and thirty-four perches, two dollars: best crop of oats. Henry McCartney. being fifty-seven and three-fourths bushels on one acre, two dollars; best crop of c<>rn. John Wharton, one hundred and eleven bushels on one acre, two dollars; second, Horatio Grummon, one hundred and six bushels on one acre, one dollar; best pair of bouts, John S. King, one dollar; best quilt, Susan Lofland, one dollar; best butter, Mrs. Priaulx, one dollar; best apples, David Sarchet, two dollars; Peter Sarchet, second best, one dollar; best plowing, (irauimar Milner, two dollars; best set buggy harness, Alvin E. Cook, two dollars; best buggy, James Davis, two dollars; best coverlet, .Miss Grummon, fifty cents; lady's bracelets, Miss M. T. Connor, fifty cents; best cabinet chairs, J. C. Hunter, Ohio cultivator; best linen diaper, Thomas Ford, Ohio cultivator; William Raney, on two hogs, Ohio cultivator: Alexander McCracken, on side of sole leather, Ohio cultivator. The treasurer's report was as follows:

The officers elected for the ensuing years were as follows : President, Matthew Gaston ; vice-president. Moses Sarchet ; secretary. C. J. Albright ; treasurer, Alexander McCracken: managers. James Rhinehart, John Beymer, Thomas W. Peacock, Ichabod Grummon and Henry McCartney.

The fair at Washington has kept pace with the passing of all these many years and holds its annual exhibits. It has come to be looked upon with much favor throughout the entire county and is well supported. The thirty-fourth annual premium list, issued just prior to the fair held in 19 10. shows the officers and directors to be representative men in various parts of the county; the list is as follows: George A. McMillen, president: Jerry Smith, vicepresident; R. S. Frame, treasurer; R. C. McCreary, secretary. The directors. with their home townships, are as follows : C. W. Carnes, Cambridge : Samuel Oliver, Center; Jerry Smith. Jackson: S. L. Madden. Londonderry: J. C. Stockdale. Madison: J. H. Mosier, Richland; George McMillen. Westland; Aaron Patterson. Wills; Hayes Kimball, Washington; H. M. McCracken. Jefferson ; J. W. Moore, honorary member.

animal fairs are held to renew acquaintances and to promote friendship among the country and town people. The last annual catalog remarks : "The board and its officers are determined that the Guernsey county fair shall rank among the best in the state, and besides the general list of prizes offered to bring out the best of products, it is earnestly hoped that each citizen will feel an individual interest in the success of the fair. Let us make gala days of the fair dates that shall be remembered because of the pleasant features and the grand social re-union of citizens from all over Guernsey county. The management has planned a joyous home-coming to be held in Washington, during the week of the coming fair season, and her sons and daughters will meet and -greet in a joyful reunion.

"A new feature has been added and one that it is believed will meet with favor. A beautiful flag will be given to the township sending the largest dele°ation of school children to the fair on Fridav."

At Quaker City, in years long since passed, there was a good agricultural society. The exhibits were fine. The last account the writer has of this was an election of officers in the seventies.

At the 1908 county fair, at Washington, the state reports show that one thousand nine hundred and eighty-five dollars was paid in premiums and that the receipts at the gate amounted to one thousand three hundred and thirty-seven dollars. The grounds, consisting of about twenty-eight acres, was at that date valued at nine thousand dollars.

A Peculiar Season

The year ro, 10 was in many ways a peculiar season for farming and fruit growing. In many parts of the country the frosts killed all the fruit blossoms and made that crop short. Here in Guernsey, the fruit was a fairly good crop. The strange thing about this season was the second growth of many kinds of vegetation. Frost held off until the very last days of October and a small skift of snow fell on the 28th of October, but none to speak of, as it was only a light flurry that could not be counted by measurement. A second crop of strawberries that were produced near Cambridge, were sold in the markets. Strange appearing ears of corn were frequently produced; fruit trees bloomed profusely, and. still stranger, George A. Gibson, on the Taylor farm near Cambridge, reported a field of oats from which he harvested a good crop, that in places subsequently produced a good second crop that, in the last week of October, when frosts came, was all headed out and almost ripened into a second yield - something never heard of here before.