Loudon township, acres of wheat Lee township, acres of wheat Fox township, acres of wheat East township, acres of wheat Augusta township, acres of wheat Washington township, acres of wheat. Center township, acres of wheat   Perry township, acres of wheat   Union townShip, acres of wheat

1,097 1,212 1,616 2,118 1,154 1,287 663 1,145 1,078

(In Corn) 689 851 661 604 697 527 324 781 497

Harrison township, acres of wheat Brown township, acres of wheat Rose township. acres of wheat Monroe township. acres of wheat Orange township, acres Of wheat

1,929 3.859 2.810 1,303 1,228

708 1,367 823 675 776

In 1885 the agricultural reports show : That in Carroll County with its four hundred square miles, sixty-eight thousand one hundred and twenty-one acres were under cultivation ; in pasture, 109,- 149 ; woodland, 40,350; lying waste, 273. Produced in wheat, 81,869 bushels ; corn, 514,155; apples, 304,000; sheep, 141,345 head; coal. 216,000 tons. At the same date (1885) the county had 5.513 school children and 124 teachers. Its mileage of railroad in 1886 was 63. CROPS There is a wide range .of produce which is typical of general farming. In the past in this county. rotation has included corn, wheat, oats, timothy as the chief crops. Very little rye or clover being sown. More recently attention has been directed to placing clover in the rotation list, usually mixed with timothy, however. There has been a decided lack of legumes in the rotations. Here one finds quite a sprinkling of orchards of both apple and peach trees. The rolling nature of the ground gives fine air drainage as well as suitable exposure for the growing of orchards. In 1919 the crop report shows timothy in the lead with an acreage of 18,838 acres. Wheat was next with 13,803 acres ; then came oats. 13,017; corn, 10,783 ; trmothy and clover, 7,113; clover, 3,746; corn ensilage, 1,394; potatoes, 502; alfalfa, 89; barley, 38; Sweet clover, 36 ; soy beans, 15. In the summer of 1919, county agent Collis Jordan, remarked to members of the Farm Bureau that some of the guide-posts along the road to progress were : 1—Better roads. 2—More and better cattle. 3-Save the manure. 4—Raise more clover. 5-Build a silo. 6-Have more fun. TIRE COUNTY FARM BUREAU The Carroll County Farm Bureau was organized in 1919, with officers and committeemen as follows: Frank Coopef, president, Hibbetts; W. S. Moses, vice-president, Malvern ; M. S. Fawcett. secretary and treasurer, Carrollton. Committeemen-Messrs. J. H. Rodebush, Carrollton (live stock) ; L. W. Ulman, Carrollton (farm managament and orchards) ; M. 0. Leyda, Pattersonville (crops) ; J. W. Goriell, Malvern (home demonstrations and clubs) ; I. B. Wagner. Carrollton ; T. 'E. Ebersole, Carrollton (dairying and poultry). The officers in 1921 are same as the above except that M. 0. Snyder, of Pattersonville, is president and T. E. Ebersole is vice- president. This bureau operates under the supervision and plans Of the Cooperative Extension Work of the U. S. Department of Agriculture and general farm extension work Of Ohio State University. CARROLL AND HARRISON COUNTIES - 41 Among the various departments of farm life which this bureau seeks to cultivate and improve upon are these : Shorthorn Breeder's Association, with John C. Long as secretary and J. H. Rodebush as president. They will hold their first annual sale of live stock in the spring of 1921. In 1920 five poultry culling demonstrations were held in the county. In 1921 they plan sixty poultry culling demonstrations and five permanent demonstrations of special farms for that purpose, where actual records are to be carefully made and preserved. Another feature in 1921 will be two orchard demonstrations, under the supervision of the College of Agriculture. Another is the pasture demonstrations. Also several Girls Food Clubs. The Boy's Calf Club work is another feature being worked out in this county by the Farm Bureau and the county agent. Prizes will be awarded. County-wide meetings to discuss lime propositions as fertilizers. There are seventeen granges in Carroll County and they are doing much good. They were the cause of a stock company of 250 farmers being formed to run the milling business and they purchased the mill at Carrollton and are making a success of it. The farmers are also organized to handle the milk products of the county, and plan selling the surplus in Pittsburgh, Cleveland and Canton. The Wool Grower's Association of the county has purchased and have on hand about sixty-three thousand pounds of wool which they are holding for more suitable prices. Four Farmer's Institutes will be held this year (1921), at Petersburg, Harlem Springs, Malvern and Augusta. CARROLL COUNTY AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY Perhaps no better description of the Carroll County Agricultural Societies can be had at this time than to quote liberally from the (1913) "Centennial Edition" of the Free Press-Standard of Carrollton about as follows, with here and there an omission of paragraphs: Carroll County being favorably located for purely agricultural purposes, was early in line with its agricultural exhibits. The first official notice we find along this line is from an entry on page 18 of the Commissioners Journal "A," kept in the auditor’s office at Carrollton, which reads: "Commissioner’s Office, Carroll County, "Carrollton, June 5, 1833. "Ordered that a notice be written and deposited with the editor of the Carrollton Gazette, to be published, notifying the citizens of Carroll county of an agricultural society meeting to be held at the courthouse on Friday, the 28th Inst., as required by law. "William Davis, John Shober, James Ferrall, Commissioners." 42 - CARROLL AND HARRISON COUNTIES The courthouse referred to was evidently the old Lutheran- Reformed Church building which was leased to the county for public purposes, for it will be recalled that the first real county courthouse was not constructed until 1835-two years later than the aforesaid meeting was to be held. THE FIRST COUNTY FAIR However, the first County Agricultural Fair was held in the old brick courthouse upon the square, with George F. Kennedy, H. A. Stidger, E. McGuire, Richard Leggett, Kendall Jackson and others as prime movers. The cross halls through the building were used for exhibiting the samples of wheat, corn, oats, fruit, etc., while the four offices on the first floor were used by the ladies for displaying their quilts, needlework, bread, cakes and jellies, the needle work of course, all being hand-work, for the sewing machine was not invented until 1847, and did not come into common use until twenty years later. PICTURES OF GRAND STAND CARROLL COUNTY FAIR GROUNDS The numerous horses on exhibition, were hitched to the rail fence of the "post and rail" type standing around the public square ; the cattle were turned loose in Atkinson's field east of the courthouse, while the sheep and swine were kept in rail pens about where the new courthouse and jail are now located. It had more the semblance of the modern street fair than the present county exhibit. Few or no cash premiums were given, but most of the prize winners were awarded diplomas, and a few received some article of merchandise presented by the business men of the place. Horse racing for premiums was not indulged in until the Carroll County Agricultural Society was organized under the laws of the State in 1850; grounds leased for ten years from Jacob Helfrich in 1857, and the needed buildings erected thereon. Gen. H. A. Stidger was the first president, who held the office from its permanent organization in 1850 until after the grounds were leased from Mr. Helfrich seven years later. CARROLL AND HARRISON COUNTIES - 43 The old fair grounds consisted of six acres in the rear of McGuire's foundry on North Lisbon Street, and the race course was only a quarter of a mile track, yet some notable riding was done upon this ring, small as it was. In 1859 Samuel Sterling, Sr., one of the enterprising business men of that day, made a fancy side-saddle as a premium for the best female equestrian. Two of the young ladies who contested for the prize were Miss Lizzie Stemple, who afterwards became the wife of John L. Miller, and a lady from Columbiana County, who had been a bare-back rider in a circus show. The latter came down from Lisbon with her steed prancing for the race and entertained the fair visitors in the forenoon with (some maneuvers around the rink. Among the strangers who saw the forenoon performances was Col. John Doyle, who came from Steubenville to Carrollton, with an untrained and spirited four-year-old colt and was the guest of Richard Leggett, proprietor of the Western Exchange Hotel, now the Cummings Trust Company Building. At the dinner table the subject of the forenoon races came up in the conversation, and Colonel Doyle offered the use of his colt to any lady present who would contest for the prize that afternoon. Miss Stemple accepted his offer and the race took place the same day. There being no grand-stand on the old fair grounds, the ring was soon surrounded by a large crowd of spectators who expected to see the practical circus rider outdistance the plain and unassuming country girl—for the lady visitor had delighted a large audience in the morning by some fancy gymnastic gyrations while standing erect upon her trained steed as it loped gracefully, though leisurely, around the ring. But the audience in the afternoon did not realize their expectations, for when Miss Stemple came into the ring, sitting erect and the young animals head reined back, presenting a beautiful picture, she soon captured the eye of all observers by her graceful position and fearless rapidity. The fourth round was made with Miss Stemple far in the lead, while the crowd went wild with excitement and rent the air with cheer after cheer. Obstructions were then placed across the track, probably at the suggestion of the circus lady, but this was not objected to by the successful lady in the race, and Miss Stemple's horse leaped safely over the obstacles one after another, to the delight of her increasing number of admirers but the circus lady, by over confidence, lost her balance and was thrown from ber horse about ten feet' from where it fell. The excited crowd rushed into the ring and the unfortunate rider was taken to the hotel more frightened than injured and the prize saddle was given to Miss Stemple, who used it victoriously at many a succeeding fair. Gen. E. R. Eckley was president of the Agricultural Society that year, and at the suggestion of the Lisbon visitors, selected the judges who gave Miss Stemple the much coveted prize. This race was held on October 6th, and ten days later the news flashed across the country that John Brown had made his famous raid upon Harper's Ferry, Virginia, and it was then recollected that the old hero of Osawatomie had bought wool in Carrollton some three years previous and had there discussed Abolitionism with Thomas Moore, Jacob Millisack and a 44 - PICTURE OF COLEMAN BUGLE BANK 1963 CARROLL AND HARRISON COUNTIES - 45 few other farmers of the county who were at the county seat on business. An account of the construction of the Floral Hall reads as follows: In the construction of Floral Hall, as it was called, and the few other buildings that were erected upon the Helfrich fair grounds, Owen Steen and John Thompson took prominent parts as carpenters. For several years decorating of the hall was left entirely to the taste and judgment of Mr. Steen and many can still remember the drinking fountain constructed by him just inside the entrance to Floral Hall, where curious visitors would tarry for hours to see the spray of water as it came from some mysterious place and fell upon the moss-covered banks of the minature lake filled with gold fish as they darted here and there through the water. His display of relics and curiosities also attracted the attention of many persons from year to year. Upon his return from Nebraska upon one occasion, he brought with him an Indian pony and a beaded suit of Indian clothes with which he dressed Phillip Meister and had him ride the pony around the race track a few times to the delight of all who saw it. The "Coleman Band," the "Carrollton Saxe Horn Band" and the Hanover Band furnished most of the music for the fairs as long as they were held on the old fair ground; although Professor Alshouse entertained many hundreds of people for many years with his comic and amusing songs, his piano and organ accompaniment, from an elevated platform in the rear of Floral Hall. Among these songs was one called the "Very Unfortunate Man" and another having in the chorus the words "Seymour is a goner, Grant is gwine to occupy de chair." The Coleman Band was so named because it was composed of the five Coleman brothers, David, Miller, William, John and Willis, together with David Levi, A. J. Poole and some others. The Saxe Horn Band was composed of M. T. Wiggins, leader ; Andrew Birch, Jacob Yealy and others. The leader of this band it will be remembered operated a blacksmith shop, a carriage factory, was engineer, fireman, brakeman, etc., on the Carrollton & Oneida Railroad; made its cars, repaired locomotives, and still had time enough to teach the choir of the Presbyterian Church and never lost a day from Sabbath school. He had too much business for a small place like Carrollton, so moved to Wood County, where he operated a railroad from Bowling Green to Totogany, and died there several years ago. Many amusing incidents occurred during the ten years occupancy of these old grounds which, if space permitted, would no doubt interest those who participated in them. Hotchkiss the candy man from Hanoverton, John Shook's grocery, Dan Rinehart's matched team of horses, and other peculiar personages, all come vividly to memory as we pen these lines; but we must pass on to 1867, when the ten years' lease expired and it became necessary to procure the new fair grounds. So in 1868 the Carroll County Agricultural Society bought seven acres of land from Absalom Aller, just north of the Carrollton corporation line and erected a tent thereon for temporary, fair purposes. The field from which this seven acre purchase was taken con- 46 - CARROLL AND HARRISON COUNTIES tained twenty-one acres, which left fourteen acres within the fair grounds still owned by the Aller estate, and was rented to the society for four days for each year during the fair, and was rented to other persons by Mr. Aller during the summer months for cow and horse pasture. William F. Bricker built a floral hall the next year after the society came in possession of the land, and during the progress of the carpenter work some one cut an ,inch off the ten foot pole and came near spoiling the calculations of the entire building before the shortage was discovered. In 1880 the society bought five acres of timber land from Isaac Crumrine and had the public road moved to the west of the original survey so as to enclose this five acre purchase within the present fair grounds. This beautiful grove adds greatly to the appearance and comfort of the grounds and makes it one of the best county fair grounds in Ohio. A good brick highway now passes the fair grounds and lands the visitors there in better shape than formerly. In 1883 the society bought the remaining fourteen acres of the grounds from George H. Aller, making the' entire enclosure twenty- six acres. George H. Miller was secretary of the society for several years and was largely instrumental in making the fairs a financial success. From year to year improvements have been made in the way of a large dining hall, an agricultural hall, a grandstand with places for grocery booths below, a check office, a bandstand with room for a grocery below, sheep stables, box-stalls for horses and cattle, the best half mile race track in Eastern Ohio, several wells of good water, etc., until there now remains but little that could be desired for the public, comfort and convenience. The premium list for 1896 stated that "the only objection visitors have to Carroll County fairs was the terrible dust caused by large crowds. We will not have the dust to inhale any more. The town enjoys as good a water work system as any city in Ohio, and it has been extended into the fair grounds." Again it says that this year's premium list "has been very generally reyised and some new features added that is thought will add greatly to the interest of the exhibition. The premiums offered with a view of bringing out a full exhibit in each department. There being no purse offered in the speed program less than a hundred and fifty dollars, assures us we will have full classes and very interesting races." PRESENT OFFICERS The 1920-21 officers of the Agricultural Society were as follows: W. H. Thompson, Carrollton, president ; L. 0. Shaffer, Minerva, vice- president ; M. B. Blazer, Carrollton, treasurer ; J. R. Booth, Carrollton, secretary ; J. M. Ramsey, Mechanicstown, marshal. Executive Committee—M. B. Blazer, M. S. Hoobler, L. E. Price, W. H. Thompson, J. M. Ramsey.