Steuben County, Indiana - Chapter 10: Agricultural, 1885

Chapter 10: Agricultural

The best prosperity a county can have is agricultural. Manufactures and mineral resources are desirable, but where they are the main dependence, there will invariably be a poor, ignorant, unenterprising class of citizens controlled by a few capitalists. Here in Steuben County, property is evenly distributed, all are comfortably situated, and all enjoy educational and social advantages. Steuben County is destined to remain an agricultural county, and it is well that it is so.

County societies for encouraging agriculture and for holding annual fairs are of very great advantage, and have so multiplied in the last few years that now almost every county in the land has its annual fairs.

The Steuben County Agricultural Society held its first meeting in 1855, among the prominent members being Alanson W. Hendry, George W. McConnell, Jacob O. Rose and George Harding. The society prospered, held several fairs before the war, and acquired a fine fair ground; but this was destroyed when the railroad was built through Angola in 18 70.

Pursuant to call, a number of citizens of the county met at the auditor's ofiice at Angola, Sept. 25, 1873, for the purpose of organizing an agricultural society. The immediate occasion of this step was the fact that, in accordance with a State law, $500 had been deposited in the county treasury for the benefit of any county agricultural society that might be organized. This failing, the money was to be given to the district society. The meeting appointed M. B. Butler, Chairman, and L. H. Stocker, Secretary. Ofiicers

The society met July 25, 1874, at the court-house, representatives being present from every township. Calvin Powers, of York Township, presided in the absence of the President. After speeches were made by J. A. WoodhuU, Dr. G. W. McConnell, Calvin Powers, A. S. Sherwood, W. I. Howard, R. G. Brown and others, it was unanimouusly voted to have a fair the ensuing fall, W. G. Croxton, Wm. L. Orton and P. W. Russell were appointed a committee on i^rounds. Directors were chosen as follows: Mill Grove, George Harding; Jamestown, Clayton Mallory; Fremont, Joshua Michael; Clear Lake, D. B. Teeters; York, William Moss; Scott, Thomas Tasker; Pleasant, A. S. Sherwood; Jackson, M. F. Giddings; Salem, Samuel Ferguson; Steuben, Samuel Carter; Otsego, Jesse H. Carpenter; Pachland, S. W. Scoville, L.E. Weicht, Allen Fast and L. Anderson. These directors were authorized to fix a time for holding a fair, make up a list of premiums, appoint judges and make all other necessary arrangements.

Sept. 29 and 30 was fixed as the date for the fair, and a modest premium list was drawn up. Having no permanent grounds, the society held its first exhibition on open grounds, and charged no admission fee, except for vehicles, which paid 25 cents each. The fair was well attended, and for a beginning was a good one. The grounds and track were the property of Dr. McConnell, and the halls for exhibition purposes were merely hastily improvised tables. The total receipts were $357.20, and the disbursements, including $151.25 for premiums, were $287. 5L At a meeting of the society held soon after, articles of association were submitted and adopted, providing for the formation of a joint stock company under the name of the Steuben Agricultural Society, with a capital stock not to exceed $15,000, divided into shares of $25 each. The following directors were chosen: E. A. Wilder, Thomas McClew, Myron Powers, Wm. G. Croxton, Moses Gonser, S. L. Clark, William Harding, D. B. Teeters, Thomas Tasker, Ziba Roberts, V. E. Simmons and S. W. Scoville. These directors re-elected the general oflacers. Through lack of interest, and perhaps from lack of able management, the society died, or at least relapsed into slumber, and for a time it seemed futile to attempt to breathe into it new life. A good many attempts were made at revival, but they only resulted in talk.

Two years passed b}'', and in the summer of 1876 the society was entirely reorganized, under the name of the Steuben County Agricultural Society. This organization went enei'getically at work and purchased a tract of land north of Angola, which was speedily put in good condition for an exhibition. The first fair under the new regime was held Oct. 18, 19, 20 and 21. Everything turned out equal to the most sanguine expectations of the management. The weather was favorable, the attendance was large and generous, and the display was full and satisfactory, considering that it was very late in the season before arrangements were begun, and great credit was given to the officers. The stockholders held their first meeting Nov. 6, following, at the court-house, and elected officers as follows: President, A. W. Hendry; Yice-President, H. D. Wood; Secretary, M. F. Grain; Treasurer, F. Macartney ; Directors, George W. Collins, H. H. Owen, Joseph A. Woodhull, L. M. Sowle, Joseph Gilbert, T. F. Wood, Horace Van Auken, Dwight Lewis, Stephen Hubble, A. S. Moore, O. H. Leas and A. D. Parsell; Executive Committee, William G. Croxton, P. W. Russell, Orrin Sowle, A, S. Sherwood and Henry Dutter; General Superintendent, A. S. Sherwood.

The second annual fair, Oct. 11, 12 and 13, had to contend against the serious disadvantage of unfavorable weather. The various departments showed the discouraging effects of this, although some were excellent. The attendance was poor, except on Friday, the second day. The aggregate attendance was 5,000. The entries numbered 1,400.

In 1878 the fair lasted three days, Oct. 2, 3, and 4. While the exhibition was very good, the main feature seemed to be the races, which extended over the three days. There were some very fast horses present. The track was well prepared, and it still has the reputation of being one of the finest in the State.

The fourth annual exhibition was held Sept. 24, 25 and 26, 1879, and was a success in every particular. The attendance was small on the first and closing days, but on the second day, Thursday, the number present far surpassed the sanguine expectations of the managers. The number of articles entered for exhibition exceeded 2,000. The stock show was hardly as good as usual. The races were exciting, and interesting to those who permit them, selves to witness horse racing. A 100-yard foot race wafi won in twelve seconds.

1, 1880. There was a better display than at any previous exhibition, in nearly all the departments, but the "clerk of the weather" was in bad humor, and as a result Tuesday and Wednesday were cold and disagreeable. Thursday morning, however, the sun rose in a cloudless sky and continued to shine brightly all day. In the afternoon nearly 7,000 people were present, and it required considerable elbowing and pushing to get around. Friday morning was rainy, but the clouds dispersed during the day. The peanut and popcorn vendors did a thriving business, as did also the sellers of warm candy. It was not an uncommon sight to see a young fellow and his girl promenading around arm in arm, he munching a piece of gingerbread, while his inamorata had a stick of taffy which she was chewing with evident relish. The 10 cent dance was well patronized, and at times some of the devotees of the, art furnished considerable amusement to a crowd of spectators outside the tent. No vendors of "Snide" jewelry and prize packages were allowed inside the gates. The books of the secretary showed 1,541 entries, as follows: Cattle, 49; horses, 80; sheep, 66; swine, 26; mechanics' hall, 80; agricultural hall, 362; poultry, 47.

In order to steer clear of the equinoctial storms, the managers fixed the dates for the 1881 fair, on Oct. 11, 12, 13, and 14. Their foresight was in vain, for after the first morning a persistent rainy season set in that lasted the entire week. In hopes of better weather, the fair was extended to include Saturday, the 15th; but this day was no better. The exhibition was very creditable, perhaps better than that of the previous year. On the third day 3,000 people were present, in spite of rain. The races were as interesting as could be expected.

The 1882 fair was held Oct. 10, 11, 12 and 13, and was a gratifying success. It was pronounced the best fair up to date ever held in Steuben County. The attendance was large, 12,000 tickets being sold on Thursday, the "big day." Rains interfered somewhat with the races, which were partly postponed to the following week.

The eighth annual fair was held Oct. 10, Hand 12, and resulted satisfactorily to all concerned. The exhibition was fully up to the average, all things considered, and the attendance was larger than ever before. The stock exhibit was the best feature. The year was a very unfavorable one for crops, and this was manifest in the agricultural part of the fair. Over 10,000 tickets were sold on the second day, Thursday. The number of exhibitors was 492; entries

The ninth annual exhibition was held Oct. 8, 9 and 10, 1884, and visitors pronounced it the best ever held in this county. The stock show was unusually good. Floral Eall fell below its average in some respects. The greatest improvement seen was in Agricukural Hall, where every available inch of space was occupied. Another good feature was the machinery building, recently erected and provided with a line shaft with which a number of machines can be connected. The attendance on the afternoon of Thursday, the second day, was estimated at 7,000. A goodly crowd was present on Friday. Rain kept people away on Wednesday. At the races Grey Harvey trotted a mile in 2:29^, the fastest time ever made on the Angola track.

In 1875 the citizens of Steuben, Salem, Otsego and Hichland townships organized the Pleasant Lake Agricultural Society "for the purpose of establishing and maintaining an association for the promotion of agriculture, horticulture and the mechanical arts." Tlie first fair was held Sept. 23 and 24, 1875 (Thursday and Friday). It was an unexpected success, both in the exhibition of articles and in the attendance. This was particularly true on the second day. The committee in charge, to whom the credit of the enterprise was due, were V. E. Simmons, Dr. T. C. Frary (Secretary), A. Shaffstall, Samuel Carter, AVal. Williams, L. I. Matson and S. W. Scoville. The officers of the day were S. B. George and L. F. Welden.

Sept. 28 and 29, 1876, the association held another fair in Simmons's Park, Pleasant Lake. The unpropitious weather on the first day was succeeded by a pleasant second day, and 2,000 people turned out to the exhibition. The displays of stock, agricultural implements, fruit and miscellaneous articles in Floral Hall were very creditable.

The third fair was held Sept. 27 and 28, two as fine days as there were in the whole autumn. The exhibition was good in the agricultural and ladies' departments, and the attendance was larger than that of previous years.

The association held its fourth annual fair at Pleasant Lake, Sept. 19 and 20, 1878, and was fairly successful. One ieature this year was a husking match, in which there were twelve contestants. The fifty ears allotted to each were husked by those receiving first and second prizes in two minutes and ten seconds. The first premium was awarded to Dan Hall, of Otsego, and the second to A. Lemmon, also of Otsego.

The next fair was held Oct. 3, 1879. No cash premiums were offered and no admittance fee charged; and therefore the exhibition part of the affair was not very pretentious. Curious games and races, closing with a dance in the evening, enabled the greater part of the visitors to have a good time. One feature was a "potato race." Rows of potatoes, forty in a row, were distributed, one in each place, at a distance of one to three feet apart, and these were to be picked up by boys, carried one at a time, and deposited in baskets at the head of the row; each boy to touch the base with his foot before dropping the potato into his basket. At a given signal the lads started in, and for a few moments the contest was lively and exciting. There were five or six contestants. A little later in the day a husking match came off, which was heartily engaged in by eight or nine persons. The task was to husk fifty ears of corn, time and quality of work to be considered. This match was a tie between A. Lemmon and Dan Fretz. Forty ears more were assigned to each, and this time Lemmon was declared the winner by one ear. He performed his work in one minute and twenty-five seconds.

Fairs At Orland

In 1876 the farmers of the northwestern part of the county, aided by a few from neighboring counties to the north and west, organized and held a fair which, all things considered, was a great success, and a benefit to all concerned.

Their second fair was held Sept. 20 and 21, 1877, at Hnnter's Trotting Park. The weather was superb on both days, and the track being in good condition, a number of fine horses were entered. The racing was the principal attraction. The exhibition of live stock was creditable in quality, but not large. The music for this fair was furnished by a ladies' band from Angola.

The following agricultural statistics, taken from the State reports, are as nearly correct as it was possible to obtain, and give the approximate acreage and yield of crops for 1882 and 1883.