Tuscarawas County, Ohio - Chapter 11: Agriculture and Agricultural Society, 1884

FIRST DOMESTIC ANIMALS - EARLY CROP8 - TOBACCO CHOP STATISTICS - ORGANIZATION OF THE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY - FIRST FAIR - GROWTH AND PRESENT CONDITION.

THE Moravians, in 1772, brought with them to the Tuscarawas Valley seventy -one head of homed cattle, the first domestic kine in Ohio. They were derived originally, it is said, from the Dutch breed, which had been introduced into New York by the Hollanders many years before. The distinctive strain of this breed may still be seen occasionally in this county in the black and brown spots. For butter and cheese this breed is equal to any other. The first improved sheep were introduced into the county by Dickenson and Wells, and were pastured on the plains in Franklin Township. William Patterson, who had them in charge, afterward became the owner of the flock. Cattle, horses, sheep and swine of various improved breeds have been introduced from time to time, until now the county is well supplied with good breeds of all kinds of domestic animals.

Most of the earliest entries of land were made on the slopes of the hills in the valleys of the smaller tributaries of the river. The heaviest timbered portions - lands that it would require a quarter of a century to clear - were most sought after; for the pioneers judged the fertility of the soil by the size of the timber growing upon it.

The first crop raised by the pioneers was com, but in a few years wheat, oats and other cereals were introduced, and the farm products became about what they now are. When the lands were new, and the soil stronger than at present, tobacco was raised in considerable quantities. For a period of perhaps fifteen years - say from 1825 to 1840 - many agriculturists devoted much time and attention to the production of this commodity; but other crops proved more remunerative to the farmer, and the culture of tobacco was soon abandoned entirely. Prior to the construction of the Ohio Canal, the tobacco raised was packed in hogsheads and hauled by team to Baltimore.

Although the returns of the Assessors from the various townships are usually imperfect and inaccurate, yet the aggregate statistics compiled from them are approximately correct, and fairly indicate the relative productions of the counties in the State. In 1880, 48,837 acres of land in Tuscarawas produced 853,420 bushels of wheat. The county stood eighteenth in the State in the number of acres sown, and sixteenth in the amount of wheat produced. The same year, the acreage of corn was 23,505; the product, 907,594 bushels. In this prod act, it was the fifty-third county in point of land, and fiftieth in the

Very few farms are devoted exclusively to raising stock, yet all have a fair number of the different kinds. Sheep -growing is on the increase. Many fat sheep are annually shipped to Eastern markets. In 1880, there were in the county 108,582 sheep, from which 463,906 pounds of wool were shorn. In the number of sheep, Tuscarawas was surpassed by twelve counties in the State, and in the wool clip by fourteen counties. This county was credited with 23,123 cattle in 1880, a number exceeded by fifteen counties. It had 8,281 horses, 186 mules and 16,852 hogs.

wood, 66,018 acres; waste lands, 9,973 acres. Good timber is becomig scarce. Black and white walnut and poplar, formerly quite abundant, have been culled out wherever accessibla Some fine tracts of oak and chestnut, however, yet remain, and with judicious care will last many years.

The Tuscarawas Agricultural Society was organized at Dover November 10, 1849, at which place and date a constitution and by-laws were adopted, and the following officers elected: George W. Slinguff, President; John McElderry. Vice President; Joseph Welty, Treasurer; H. T. Stockwell, Secretary; George Welty, Martin Mumma, Joseph Slinguff, James Sewell and Charles Deardorff, Managers. The constitution provided that the annual exhibitions of the society should be held alternately in Dover and New Philadelphia.

The first fair was held at Dover, in what was then known as Hayden's Grove, now the primary school property, Tuesday and Wednesday, October 15 and 16, 1850. A fine display of horses, cattle, sfieep and hogs was made, and in the Dover Schoolhouse the exhibition of flowers, needlework, fruits and grain surpassed the expectation of all, and aroused a deep interest in the mind of all who attended.

The officers elected the next year were E. Janes, President; Joseph Slinguflf, Vice President; Charles F. Deardorff, Treasurer; John English, Secretary; David Judy, Richard Powleson, William Helmick, Joseph Brown aud Fleming Bukey. Managers. The fair for 1851 - October 16 and 17 - was held at New Philadelphia. The vegetables and manufactured articles were exhibited in the court house and Clerk's office. It was estimated that 5,000 persons were in attendance.

The need of a fair ground became urgent, and it was proposed to purchase permanent grounds between New Philadelphia and Dover. This project was finally deemed inexpedient, aad a proposition was submitted to the people of Dover and New Philadelphia that each purchase grounds, in which to hold the fair alternately, erect buildings and keep the same in repair, and receive the admission fees until their expenditures are repaid with 8 per cent interest, when the property was to come into possession of the society. The proposition was not accepted on the part of New Philadelphia, and permanent grounds were located near Dover on the site of the present fair grounds, and the fairs have been held there annually siuce, except in 1861, when the grounds were occupied as a recruiting camp for volunteers, and the fair, in consequence, was at first postponed a month, then dispensed with entirely that year.

The President of the society, Jacob Blickensderfer, in his report to the State Board for the year 1851, said of the agricultural resources and condition of Tuscarawas County: " The principal crops raised are wheat, com, oats and hay, with a much smaller quantity of potatoes, rye, barley, buckwheat and clover and timothy seeds. Fruit is receiving a good deal of attention in our county - The oldest settlers frequently brought apple seeds along, gathered at the cider mills of older settlements, from which they raised their orchards, without troubling themselves about grafting or budding. As may be expected, these lots brought poor fruit. At the same time, they raised a desire for something better, and for many years past great attention has been paid both to apples and other fruit. Two years ago we had our first fair. The subject was new, and not so well attended to as since. Last year the fruit failed generally, and almost totally in this part of the State. This year, for the first time, there was a general collection and exhibition of the fruit of the county at the fair. It may be safely said all found a greater variety and better quality of all kinds of fruit than was expected to exist in the county. Within the last six or seven years our cattle have been, in a sm^ll degree, improved by the introduction of foreign breeds, nearly ail Durham. The improvement, though very limited compared with all the cattle in the county, is beginning to find favor with the many. Horses appear to draw the most attention and create the greatest interest at our annual fair, but no marked improvement, by the introduction of foreign blood or otherwise, has been made."

Of the third annual fair, held October 14 and 15, 1851, the President continues: "There were, in all, 403 entries as competitors for premiums. This was more than at the two preceding fairs together. In almost every department there was also a decided improvement visible. Of the animals exhibited for premiums, 56 entries were for horses and colts, 43 for cattle, 26 for sheep and 13 for swine. In the arrangement of the building which contained the garden productions and artificial articles of female industry, the society was largely indebted to the ladies of the village and country for the time they spent in tastefully arranging, decorating and filling the same with many beautiful articles of female industry." The Treasurer's statement showed the following receipts: Cash on hand, $222; fees paid to create membership, $162; cash drawn from County Treasury, $158; discount on books purchased in New York, $37.17; total, $577.17. The expenditures for the year were: Premiums paid, $53.13; premiums due and unpaid, $54.62; cash paid for books and

For the first fair, an inclosure of about three acres was ample to exhibit the entries, but soon after the grounds were permanently located near Dover, eight acres were purchased by the society from the heirs of Christian Deardorff, and the grounds increased in size from time to time until they now include over twenty-four acres. Of these, ten acres were at first leased at $12 per acre annually, and the land afterward purchased by the village of Dover and its use donated to the society.

A floral hall and other necessary buildings were constructed early in the history of the society, and added to and improved at various times since. In 1859, the Secretary reported the erection of a race course, a third of a mile in extent. The receipts for that year were $941.97; the expenditures, $810.28. The society was out of debt, except a payment of $200, not yet due, for the grounds. In 1872, a half-mile track was graded, and a new Secretary's and Treasurer's office built. In 1874, a new dining hall, 80x25 feet, was built and an indebtedness of about $600 incurred for this and other improvements. In 1877, the dining hall was demolished, and other buildings damaged by a severe wind-storm, and the repair of them increased the indebtedness to $800. This has since been paid, and the society is at present in a most prosperous and thriving condition. The report of the society for 1881 makes the following exhibit: Amount in treasury at the last report, $62.42; received from gate and entrance fees, $2,248.45; from booths, rente and permits, $445.75; received from other sources, $202.70; total, $2,959.39. Paid in premiums, $906. 75; paid for other current expenses, $1,388.21; balance in treasury, $664.43. The cash value of the grounds, containing about twenty-five acres, was estimated at $8,000. The membership of the society was 184.