Summit County, Ohio - Chapter 7: Agriculture, 1908

By far the oldest of the agricultural organizations of various kinds in Summit County is the Summit County Agricultural Society, under the auspices of which the annual autumn fair is held. This society has had an uninterrupted existence since about 1841. There is now no way of determining the exact date of its organization, as the early records have all been destroyed. The rather uncertain recollection of persons who came to Akron in 1840 is to the effect that a show of agricultural produce was held annually commencing within a year or two after that The first mention made of any such society in the local papers of the time which have survived to us occurs in 1844. In May of that year a notice was published, calling a meeting of the executive committee for the purpose of adopting rules, under which the annual fair was to be conducted.

Subsequently, the State of Ohio had passed certain acts for the encouragement of agricultural societies. By the terms of one of them, any such society organized in Summit County and holding an annual fair might draw $137.50 from the public treasury, each year, to be applied toward defraying the expenses of the society. This was not a large sura and would not go far in meeting the expenses of a very modest fair; but the results of the offer in many of the counties of Ohio deinonstrated the wisdom of the legislature. The thrift of the Summit County farmer is proverbial. As might be expected, the offer of the State was soon accepted.

At any rate, in October, 1849, the auditor of the county issued a call for a public meeting of all those who would be interested in the formation of a society of agriculture. In pursuance of this call, a public meeting was held in the new court house on the eleventh day of November, 1849. The meeting organized by electing officers and appointing a committee of five farmers, representing different portions of the county, to prepare a suitable constitution and code of by-laws for the governing of the organization. Before the meeting adjourned, the society had secured seventy members from among those who had attended. The name of the old society, The Summit County Agricultural Society, was adopted as the name of the organization. Perhaps it is error to speak of the "old society," for it may not have ceased to exist. However, the real history of the society, as we know it, begin.s with this meeting held in the autumn of 1849. If the old society was maintaining an uncertain existence, it was put firmly on its feet by this public meeting. That call to action aroused a strong public sentiment which has been a potent factor ever since. The ultimate result has been to make the Summit County society the strongest one in the State, and the Summit County Fair one of the most important held anywhere in the Middle West.

On November 18, 1849, the a-ssociation held another meeting at the court house, at which time a constitution and by-laws were adopted and permanent officers elected. This was the first board of officials of which we have any record. Colonel Simon Perkins was elected president; William H. Dewey, treasurer; William A. Hanford, of Tallmadge, secretary, and John Hoy, of Franklin; Sylvester H. Thompson, of Hudson, Avery Spicer, of Coventry; James W. Weld, of Richfield, and Philo C. Stone were elected as a board of directors or managers. At the present time the practice is to take one directoT from each to^-nship in the county. These directors arranged and published a premium list and made all preparations for holding a fair during the fall of 1850. This, the first large and well-organized fair in the county, was held October 2nd and 3rd, 1850 At that time two days were deemed enough. The officers probabh' followed the custom in New England, of confining the fair to two days, the first of which was given over to the "Horse Show" and the second to the "Cattle Show." For the last twenty-five or thirty years, at least, it has been the custom to devote four days, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, of fair week to the purposes of the exhibition. It is now held on the same week in the year as the earliest fair, in 1850. It is probably the most satisfactory time which could be selected.

At first the society had no grounds of its own and was obliged to request the county commLssioners for permission to hold it on the grounds surrounding the (then) new county court-house. The permission was willingly granted, and the fair was held in the grove which then covered the block of land between High, Church, Broadway and State Streets. The court-hoase building wa.* used for the display of flowers, fruits and domestic articles, while the stock was exhibited in the surrounding grove. There was no race-track and, of course, no races. If the interest it aroused in things agricultural may be taken as a criterion, the fair of 1850 wa* a big success. On account of the fact that no admission was charged, the total receipts for the first year were only $327.53, of which $100 were spent in awarding premiums. The society secured the court-house grounds for its fair of 1851, and al.«o held its third fair there in 1852. The increasing number of exhibits made it neces.sary to erect temporary booths and sheds to accommodate them. This being a source of expense which might be avoided by securing permanent grounds, and the interest of the public throughout the whole county increasing, it was determined by the society to lease suitable grounds and erect more substantial and worthy buildings. The president of the .society, Simon Perkins, then offered it, without charge or rent, the use of a tract of land on South Main Street nearly opposite the plant of The B. F. Goodrich Company, and consisting of about six acres of land. An exhibition hall, stocksheds and a high fence around the grounds were built. The fourth fair was held on thase grounds on October 12th and 13th, 1853.

In five years the annual attendance had grown so large that the grounds had become entirely inadequate. The receipts had increased to $1,400 m 1858. When the society decided to secure new quarters, the fine public spirit which Cuyahoga Falls had alwavs shown, was once more demonstrated. That village made an offer of $6,000 if the new grounds should be located there. Nevertheless, the society leased for a period of five years a beautiful tract of about thirty acres of land in the western part of the city. It was owned by Da\4d L. King and consisted of the high land immediately west of the canal between Glendale Avenue and Ash Street. This site is now occupied by the Miller and Conger mansions and the fine grounds surrounding them. . The society fitted np these grounds with the necessary buildings, a race-track, etc., at a cost of several thousand dollars. The first fair held on these grounds was that of 1859. In 18G4, the lea'^e from Mr. King expired. Althotigh he offered to sell the whole tract to the society, for fair puri:>oses only, for the extremely low price of $5,000, and although the site was perfectly adapted to such purposes, yet the society, in pursuance of a .short-sighted policy, determined to move again. This time they went still further west and located on the grounds of P. D. Hall, just east of Balch Street. Mr. Hall leased thirtv acres, most of it covered with a fine grove of trees, to the society for a term of ten years. This tract has been known, popuhirly, ever since as the old "Hall Fair Grounds." The first fair held here was in the autumn of 1864. Successful fairs were held on these grounds during the whole of the ten years. The expiration of the lease found the society with several thousand dollars in its trei^ury which it could devote to the purchase of grounds of its own. A spirited contest then began between the advocates of different sites. Nine or ten different tracts adjoining the city on the w&st and south were offered to the society at prices ranging from $200 to $500 per acre. Every one of these tracts has since increased in value to as many thousands. At first the society determined to purchase the property of Dr. S. H. Coburn and Samuel Thornton west of South Main Street. Then the committee of purchase concluded to accept the offer of James McAllister for his thirty acres on the highest point of West Hill, just west of Portage Path. The deed was made and the society became the owner of it. This action aroused a storm of protest. The people of Akron objected to the long distance from the business center of the city and the inhabitants of every township in the county, except those in the western part, were loud in their objection that, for them the location was practically inaccessible. As a result, the society, in 1875, decided to sell the new grounds and buy others located on North Hdll. Mr. A. T. Burrows had offered them forty-five acres there at a price of $400 per acre. At a meeting held six months later this determination was reconsidered and a final choice was made of a tract of fortyfive acres lying in the valley of the Little Cuyahoga, near the old Forge, and known as the "Austin Powder Patch." This tract of land haid belonged to the Austin Powder Company, and had been the site of their powder mills until about 1860, when they were moved to Cleveland. Explosions and fires had long before destroyed all the buildings upon the tract. The writer first saw it in 1874, and it certainly looked far from inviting. Although it was not decided until June 26, 1875, to purchase this tract, yet by dint of much hard labor the next fair, that of October, 1875, was held there. It was the first fair held on the society's own grounds. Contrary to the expectations of many citizens of the county, it was a big success. The attendance and the exhibits were larger than ever before. In the next few years, the society spent much money in grading, improving and beautifying the grounds. It became a real expofsition, on a small scale. Mercantile Hall, Agricultural Hall, Floral Hall, the Grand Stand and many dining halls, exhibition booths and stands were built; the grounds were laid out in an attractive manner with artificial lakes, fountains, etc., and the name "Fountain Park" was given to the new fair grounds. Since 1875, the successive fairs of the society have been held here, including the 1907 fair just held. Since 1906 there has been a strong sentiment setting in toward selling Fountain Park and securing more accessible grounds. The society has been successful on these grounds, but the increa.sing crowds make it impossible for the tran-sportation companies to properly handle visitors. The present grounds would make very desirable railway yards, and it is now understood that one railway company, at least, would like to add them to its possessions. The many dangers attending the approach to the present grounds certainly ought to lead the present members of the society to consider the purchase of other grounds more favorably situated.

The officers of the Summit County Agricultural Society for 1907 are: President, L. M. Kauffman; vice president, B. H. Prior; secretary, 0. J. Swinehart; treasurer, G. W. Brewster; superintendent of race^, E. M. Ganyard.

When the Summit County Agricultural Society reached the determination to move the site of its annual fair from Hall's Pair Grounds to the New Fountain Park, much dissatisfaction was expressed by those opposed to the new site. The discontent prevajiled mostly among the farmers in the southern and western parts of the county. It was said that the new site was difficult and dangerous to approach, and doubts were held as' to the healthfulness of it. These feelings and expressions of dissent finally culminated in the formation of a rival association called the "Summit County Fair Association." The society was incorporated with a capital of $5,000, and the following officers were elected: President, James Hammond, of Copley; vice president, Frank A. Foster, of Copley; secretary, Wellington Miller, of Norton ; trea.surer. Philander D. Hall, Jr., of Akron. Mr. Hall made a new lease of his large tract on favorable terms to the new society, and the capital paid was expended in providing buildings, sheds, fences, etc. The fair was held in the last week of September,

1875, and was an entire success, both from the point of attendance and interest, and from the point of exhibits. The new society was much encoiiraged, and made more extensive plans for the fair of 1876. While the latter was succe.'vsful from all points of view. yet the rival fair in Fountain Park had continued to grow in popularity and the old objections to its site had been found by the experience of two years to be largely unfounded. The younger association did not feel encouraged to continue their exhibition, in face of the strong sentiment setting in toward the "old fair" on the new site. It

1876, the Summit County Agricultural Society has conducted the only agricultural exhibition held in the county. It has been uniformly successful and is today an exceedingly strong and prosperous organization.

When the difficulty over the selection of new grounds arose in 1859, the fine public spirit of Cuwhoga Falls was again manifested. That village made an offer of $6,000 in cash to the Summit County Agricultural Society, provided the new fair grounds should be located there. Upon the refusal of this splendid offer, the citizens of the village determined to have an agricultural exhibition of their own. They formed an organization called the "Union Fair Association," and provided extensive grounds in the northern part of the village as a site for an annual autumn festival. The advantages of the site were all that could reasonably be asked. In fact, it was superior in nearly all respects to any of the sites previously or since selected for this purpose. The grounds were first opened for exhibition on September 1, 1859. The fair was well attended and netted the association a profit of several hundred dollars. The attendance was mainly from the northern part of the county. The profits of this first fair were all wiped out, however, by a race meet, which was held in the latter part of October of the same year. In 1860, the date of the fair was changed to the fir.=t week of October. The attendance was not as large as had been hoped for, although the exhibition itself was well worthy of patronage. The last fair held on these grounds was that of 1861. The display of stock and products of the farm was excellent, and an attraction in the form of competitive military drills between the different 'military companies of the county was added, but the attendance was far below the line of profit. With the inevitable staring the a.ssociation in the face, it was decided to disband, and the Summit County Association from that time on had no competition from the "Union Fair Association."

Two other town.ships which tried to conduct rival fairs without lasting success were Richfield and Twinsburg. The citizens of Richfield organized the "Richfield Agricultural Club" in 1851, and in the fall of that year conducted a fair which was reasonably successful. It was supported by a well-populated and wealthy community, and being economically condiicted, it continued to grow in popularity and influence. At length, in 1858, the "Union Agricultural and Mechanic Arts Society" was incorporated, comprising citizens of parts of Medina and Cuyahoga counties as well as Summit. This tri-countv fair continued to prosper and held succe.«sful exhibitions each autumn on well-appointed fair grounds, situated between the two villages of East and West Richfield. Finally, the interest in the central exhibition at Akron became so strong that at was decided that the agricultural interests of the county would be best subserved by limiting the exhibitions to the big one held at the county seat. The last fair on the Richfield grounds was held in -1875. The next year the society sold its grounds and wound up its affairs.

About the time the Richfield Fair was started, the people of Twinsburg commenced an annual township exhibition of agricultural products. In 1855, this was expanded into the "Union Fair Association," composed of Twinsburg, Hudson and Northfield townships in Summit County; Solon and Bedford townships, in Cuyahoga County, and Aurora township, in Portage County. Fine fairgrounds were established near Twinsburg Center, and the society prospered for many years. After the war the interest began to wane, and after the fair of 1871, it was decided to discontinue them. In 1872, the grounds were sold and the "Union Fair Association" of Twinsburg was, from that time on. merely a matter of history.

Among the organizations which the agriculturists of the county have provided for their betterment, physically, mentally and spiritually, the Grange occupies an important place. That the movement has been well thought of in this general vicinity is evidenced by the, following iinposing list of Summit County Granges. The names of their respective officers is for the year 1906- 1907. Granges and officers are as follows: Pomona Grange - Eugene F. Cranz, of Ira, master; S. J. Baldwin, of Tallmadge, lecturer, and Mrs. 0. S. Scott, secretary. Darrow Street Grange - W. M. Darrow, master; Mrs. F. R. Howe, lecturer; Mabel E. Shively, secretary. Osbom's Corners' Grange - W. E. Riiple, master; Monnie Woodruff, lecturer; A. L. Aikman, secretary. Northampton Grange - George W. Treap, master; 0. Mc- Arthur, lecturer; Howard G. Treap, secretary. Richfield Grange - Henry S. Gargett, master; Mrs. Mary Baughnian, lecturer; Frank M. Hughes, secretary. Copley Grange - Arthur Chrisanan, master; R. J. Dalling.i, lecturer; Herbert Hammond, secretary. Bath Center Grange - I. L. Underwood, master; Mrs. William Waltz, lecturer; E. C. Robinson, secretary. Tallmadge Grange - S. C. Barnes, master; Mrs. Lottie Clark, lecturer; II. J. Walters, secretary. Highland Grange - E. Blender, master; George Lauby, lecturer; J. W. Foltz, secretary.

In the early settlement of Summit County our pioneer fathers were beset with the stern realities of life^ - a house to shelter, the procurement of raiment and the wherewithal to be fed. The forests had to be cleared away, habitations, though rude, erected, and the unbroken soil subdued. Without markets in which to dispose of any surplus products or to procure necessary supplies, only at remote distances through roadless forests, their cmditions, as we view them now with our modern improvements, were that of unwonted hardship and deprivation. The writer can well remember the old time "log-rolling," when the neighbors came together for miles around to pile the timbers previously cut into huge heaps for burning. Then it was the custom for each farmer to grow a piece of ground to flax, that was in time pulled, broken, beaten, heckled, and finally spun and woven into cloth for clothing or beddinar. Almost every log cabin was then provided with an upper chamber reached by ascending a ladder, where the children were put to bed, with only a puncheon roof above to protect from the storm without. Usually in this cabin near the ladder stairway, a hole was bored in one of the logs, and a strong wooden ])in driven, where any wild game, brought in to add to the food supply, was hung. At night, when the meat supply became low, the stuTdy woodman would take down the rifle, fasten a lighted candle on his hat and visit the chopping. Deer were plentiful then and the newly cut timber affoi'ded excellent browsing. The approach of the light would give alarm, and the reflected light from the eyeballs of the deer give the hunter the point to aim at, while the light of the candle enabled deliberate precision for deadly work.

The pre-eminent factor then was the sociability everywhere manifest. Did a neighbor want, he had only to make it known. Be it labor, food, or other supply, all were ready to sacrifice, if need be, to meet the want. In those days but little attention was devoted to the esthetic culture of home or the ornamentation of its surroundings. Doubtless our ancestors had as ardent ta^te or desire to cultivate and enjoy the beautiful, as we, their progeny, but the sterner demands had first to be met and overcome ere these could be gratified, or luxuri&s be considered. The wild flowers, in many instances, were transplanted and in a measure domesticated by culture, as were several species of grapes and berries found growing on low lands in the forest.

Among the early settlers in our county were Austin M. Hale, of Mogadore, Dr. Mendell Jewett, of Middlebury; Daniel Hine, of Tallmadge ; Andrew Hale, of Bath ; Edwin Wetmore, of Northampton, and a Mr. Robinett, who lived just over the line of Northfield in Cuyahoga County, father of B. A. Robinett, of Northfield. With them the love and culture of fruit was supreme and uppermost. To provide a supply in their new home, to be, various kinds of seeds, vines and small trees and shnibbery were brought from their New England homes, and planted in their gardens, becoming the basis from which most of the orchards and gardens of Summit County sprung.

Daniel Hine was the pioneer in grape and pear culture, Andrew Hale and Austin Hale of apples, and Edwin Wetmore of peache«. By careful cross fertilization, the wild with improved varieties, many new types were secured. Of the tree fruits, especially the apple has undergone but few changes. The old

The pioneer nursery business was instituted by Austin M. Hale of Mogadore, Denis A. Hine and M. Jewett of Middlebury, and Jobe Green, just over the Bath line in Granger, Medina County. In order to increase their stock, seed of fruit was planted and the seedling stock set in nursery rows, producing in mast instances fruit of very inferior quality. To improve the fruit, long journeys were made to South Eastern Ohio near Marietta, where Israel Putnam, jr., had established a nursery of forty or fifty varieties of choice fruit brought from his old home in Connecticut prior to the year 1817. Scions were secured and young tre&s grafted. About the year 1824, the Kirtlands established a nursery in Trumbull" County with stock brought from New England, including peaches, pears, apples and many of the smaller fruits. Our home nursery men, alert to increase their product in quantity as well as quality, were not .slow to avail them.selves of anything new in their line and became customers to some extent of the Trumbull County nursery, from these sources most of the orchards and small fruits w-ere originally desseminated. Among the older orchards of Summit County were that of Maxwell Graham in Stnw, Jphn Ewart of Springfield, W. B. Storer of Portage, and Andrew Hale of Bath - orchards that by careful treatment haVe and are now yielding large crops of choice fruit annually. For many years Summit County was noted as being a dairy and farming community. The milling interests at the county seat created a demand for cereals and the southern part of the county being adapted in soil to their growth, it became largely a grain-growing section. While the northern part of the county was a heavier soil better adapted to grass, and the dairy interest thrived. But with the building of railroads increasing facilities of transportation, the close proximity to coal fields cheapening fuel, Akron became a manufacturing center. With each new in- dustry came a corresponding increase in population, creating an increased demand for fruits, vegetables and garden products. Market gardening became a fixed industry. Perhaps the earliest to engage in gardening to any extent was Charles C. Miller and Foster A.'Tarbell of Copley, W. B. Storer and Samuel Bacon of Portage, and Charles H. Welch of Springfield. The business became so profitable that soon others followed. At present the business has grown to such an extent that frequently in the .summer months from eighty to 100 wagons loaded with fruit and garden products are on the Akron market on a morning. This demand for food supplies, with the diversity of the soil of the county, has been the means to enable the culture of many hitherto neglected products. The swamp lands near Greentown were drained and brought under culture, and Joseph A. Borst became the pioneer in celery growing. Soon after the Atwood Brothers of Akron commenced dn a large way the raising of celery on the muck land of Copley swamp just west of Akron. Many acres of once-thought waste land have become drained and are now producing celery, onions, cabbage and other hardy garden products in different portions of the county. Matthew Crawford for more than forty years has been growing plants of small fruits and developing new varieties. Many of our choicest varieties of strawberries: are the result of his labors. Recently his attention has been given mostly to growing bulbs. With Rev. M. W. Dailas, a few years ago he grew about nine acres of gladiolas. The market responded, the demand became so groat that the supply has not been suflicient. This season one dealer, we learn, has placed his order for 2,000,000 gladiola bulbs, requiring at least 10 acres of land to produce them. Hyacinth and daff'odil bulbs are now grown .successfully, and the time will likely soon come when further importations from abroad will become unnecessa^J^

The first effort at organization of the Agricultural and Horticultural interests, aside from the Summit County Agricultviral Society, was made in the year 1878 by a call from Dr. M. Jewett, M. C. Read, L. V. Bierce and others to form a Farmers' Club. The meetings were held monthly in the Empire Hall in Akron, and continued for several years. The meetings were at first well attended and were usually of much interest and profit. Subjects relating to the home, products of the farm, fi-uit growing, as well as those more intricate and scientific relating to how plants grow, how- to originate new varieties, were presented in well written papers and, in some instances, pointedly discussed The club became so heavily freighted, however, with professional men, who spun out their paperse so fine and to such length that the interest began to lag. As an instance, one, a Dr. Smith, was asked to prepare a paper. He chose for his theme "Sexuality in Nature." He argued that in the mineral as well as in the animal and vegetable kingdoms, distinct traces of sexuality exist. The article was highly scientific, and of sufficient length to fill a whole page in the Summit County Beacon, and required over an hour in reading. At the clo.se of the reading but a small audience remained to discu.ss its merits. It became evident to the officers of the organization that to impart new life a radical change must take place. Hence a call was made to meet at the Friendly Inn, at the corner of Howard and Mill Streets in Akron, for con,sultation. The meeting was held on the 18th of January, 1882. There were 19 persons present. Dr. Jewett was chosen president, and Matthew Crawford secretary. The object of the meeting was stated by the chair, and enlarged upon by several others. At the suggestion of Mr. Crawford the matter of reorganization along the lines of horticulture was considered with much favor. An adjournment was made to meet with Mrs. E. 0. Knox (on her invitation), then editoress of the Cuvahoga Falls Reporter, on Febmarv 8, 1882. At this meeting it was decided to organize the Summit County Horticultural Society. Dr. Mendall Jewett was chosen president and Matthew Crawford secretary. A committee was appointed to pre- pare a constitution and by-laws for the government of the society, which were presented at a subsequent meeting and adopted. The meeting.-; of the society ai'e held monthly, on invitation, at the residences of its members, who regard it a privilege as well as a duty to entertain its membership. Reports are received on orchards, vineyards, small fruits, ornamental planting, ornithology, entomology, botany and forestry at each meeting from a standing committee in each department appointed for that purpose. Some competent person is selected in addition to present a paper or addre.ss, which forms part of the program for each meeting. The discussions following the reports of the standing committee and the points presented in the esssij or address serve to make the meetings of much interest. The program for the year's work is prepared in advance by the executive committee of the society, giving place of meeting for each month, essayi.st, and list of officers and standing committees for the year. Since the organization of the society a quarter of a century ago it has continued to grow and prosper. The influence exerted and the good work done by the organization is shown in its social greetings, the exhibits of choice flowers, and fine vegetables and fruits at its monthly gatherings. The incentive to its members is to make their homes more social, pleasant and attractive, that when in turn it is theirs to entertain, their guests may be delighted in the surroundings. Neighbors are influenced, and fine homes with choice lawms become, in a measure, contagious. The county fair in its exhibit in the horticultural department, is another example of its work. The monthly meetings are reported for the local press of the county, and in many instances are wholly or in part-, copied in many of the leading agricultural and horticultural journals of the country.

A number of the membership are solicited to aid in Farmers' Institute work, either through the State Board of Agriculture or directly by county societies.

The present board of officers is Charies N. Gaylord, of Stow, president; Capt. P. H. Young, of Tallmadge, vice president, and Miss Nellie Teeple, of Akron, secretary and treasurer.