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CARROLL AND HARRISON COUNTIES - 261 CHAPTER IX AGRICULTURAL INTERESTS HARRISON COUNTY AS AN AGRICULTURAL SECTION-ITS CHIEF PRODUCTS THIRTY YEARS AGO-PRESENT FARM AND OTHER INTERESTS-LATER MINERAL DISCOVERIES INVADING FARM NG INTERESTS-FINE STOCK-LAND VALUES- AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS-AGRICULTURAL SOCIETIES-FIRST AND SUBSEQUENT FAIR GROUNDS. About thirty years ago the following was written in Dr. McGavran's booklet history of Harrison County, and is worth reproducing in the permanent annals of the county: "Irregular successions of high hills and deep ravines occupy the surface but not rough and rocky to such an extent as to interfere with the agricultural interests of the county. The soil is mostly limestone and is very productive. Coal and limestone abound in almost inexhaustible quantities. Oil and gas are found in small quantities at a depth of 1,400 feet in Green and Cadiz townships. The land is mostly in a state of cultivation. But a small per cent of timber remains. The population of the county in 1890 was 20,830. Present area in acres 256,512. The amount of taxes collected in the county in 1814 was $570.76. The amount collected in 1893 was $178,056.39, The value of farm lands, villages, real estate and chattels in 1890, was $13,449,840. "Harrison is an agricultural county. Our style of farming will compare favorably with other counties. Our farmers have adopted all the late improvements in farming implements. Nearly all of our work is done by machinery. We raise in this county about all the leading fruit ; vegetables of all kinds can be successfully raised, but the leading one is the potato, of these we have a number of varieties. Almost all kinds of grain can be raised, especially wheat and corn. Harrison County is also a good stock raising county. Our sheep are sought after in other counties and states, and our wools are in demand by eastern manufacturers. In fact more attention is devoted to the raising of sheep than any other stock. In 1884 the production of wool was 1,700,000. "A great many good horses of different kinds are raised in this county, from the finer saddle or driving horse, to the heavy draft horse. "This county is also good as a cattle growing county. We have several berd of thorough-bred Shorthorns, Jerseys and Holsteins. Some good hogs are raised, the varieties being Berkshires, Chester Whites and Poland Chinas. "The farms of Harrison County are generally in a good state of cultivation and well improved. Farms sell from $50 to $125 per acre, according to quality, improvements and location. There is no CARROLL AND HARRISON COUNTIES - 263 better county in Ohio than 'old Harrison' ; energetic toil and enterprise characterize her citizens. Her sons and daughters are to be found in almost every State and engaged in all manner of honorable avocations, and wherever they are, they do their duty cheerfully and bravely and retain in their hearts a lingering affection for the hills and valleys among which they were nurtured." 1887 FARM STATISTICS The county has an area of 320 square miles. During the year 1887 there were acres cultivated, 53,153 ; in pasture, 122,445; woodland, 34;135; lying waste, 489; produced in wheat, 198,991 bushels; rye, 1,465 ; buckwheat, 346; oats, 196,930; barley, 575; corn, 517,601; broom corn, 100 pounds brush ; meadow hay, 62,708 tons ; clover hay, 1,050 hay ; potatoes, 33,324 bushels ; butter, 415,000 pounds ; cheese, 10,000 pounds ; sorghum, 2,645 gallons : maple syrup, 2,851 gallons ; PICTURE OF LOADS OF GREEN PEAS WAITING FOR VINERS IN SHEDS-THIS PLANT PACKS 200,000 CASES EVERY DAY DURING SEASON honey, 14,545 pounds ; eggs, 414,588 dozen ; grapes, 8,900 pounds ; wine, 90 gallons ; sweet potatoes, 141 bushels ; apples, 18,558 bushels ; peaches, 8,189 bushels ; pears, 1,305 ; wool, 826,386 pounds ; mulch cows owned, 4,993. The school census at that date showed 6,529 pupils ; teachers, 181. Miles of railroad track in county, fifty-five. RECENT AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS The Bureau of Agricultural Statistics for Ohio in 1919 issued the following in its general summary report : "A review of agricultural production for the State for 1919 clearly indicates that 'Increased Production was the slogan for our Ohio farmers throughout the year-the year after the World War 264 - CARROLL AND HARRISON COUNTIES. closed. Spring wheat increased that year over the previous year by 400 per cent. They added 4,000 acres to their rye crop ; 10,000 to barley; and put in 100,000 acres more corn than in 1918. In all the State had a total acreage of almost 12,000,000 acres, an increase of 358,000 acres or 3.2 per cent over that of the previous year. The total farm value of the crops was $510,247,240, or a half million dollars in excess of the previous year. The average crop value per acre (except fruits) was $43.22$2.00 more than in 1918. VARIOUS CROPS-1919 Corn-14,164 acres; average per acre, 48 bushels. Oats-10,350 acres; average per acre, 31 bushels. Winter wheat-14,539 acres; average per acre, 23.1 bushels. Spring wheat-None reported. Rye-380 acres; average per acre, 22 bushels. Barley-543 acres; average per acre, 21 bushels. Buckwheat-75 acres; average per acre, 23 bushels. White potatoes-588 acres; average per acre, 39 bushels. (Bad season.) Tame hay-31,250 tons ; average per acre, 1.35 tons. Number horses-5,655; dairy cows-3,579; cattle-16,360; sheep —76,941; hogs-7,706; wool shorn-375,000 pounds ; number silos- 251 ; tons lime used as fertilizer-1,420; loads manure-59,191. 1920 U. S. CENSUS FACTS FOR COUNTY The latest government census reports give the following interesting figures for Harrison County, Ohio: Number of farms in the county, 2,038; a decrease of 217 in the past ten years. Twenty of the farms are owned and cultivated by colored persons. The number of farms owned and operated by the same person is 1,670 and operated by tenants, 369. Total number of acres in farms, 238,887. Farm lands have decreased 8 per cent in the last decade. Value of farm lands and buildings is $13,735,652, an increase of two and one-half million dollars in the last ten years. The same report gave the total number of horses in the county to be 5,920; mules, 163; cattle, 16,082 ; sheep, 90,204; swine, 11,003; in the last ten years horses have decreased 215 ; sheep, 60,000; hogs only sixteen head ; there was a gain of 661 cattle in the period named. There were harvested in 1919, 290,553 bushels of wheat, compared with 144,346 bushels in 1909. The number of bushels of corn harvested in 1909 was 544,605 ;,oats, 336,956 and tons of hay, 41,208. Harrison County excels Jefferson County in the number of farms, number of acres of land, number of domestic animals of all kinds, and also excels in all crop yields, excepting oats. There are nearly the same number of farms in Carroll County as there are in Harrison County, but Carroll excels in the number of horses, mules, cattle and swine, but has less than half the number of sheep of Harrison County. Carroll raised a few thousand more bushels of wheat, oats and corn than did Harrison County in 1919. CARROLL AND HARRISON COUNTIES - 265 SHEEP AND WOOL INDUSTRY The United States and State census reports of 1880—forty years ago-show that Harrison County lead all other counties in Ohio in the number of sheep and production of wool ; the number of sheep was m round numbers, 209,000; pounds of wool, 1,100,000. Venango County, Pennsylvania, had 461,000 sheep and produced 2,417,000 pounds of wool. This was counted the largest wool-producing county in the Union, while Harrison County, Ohio, ranked third. Ohio is the greatest sheep-raising State in this country, having in 1880 five million sheep, with a wool clip of 26,000,000 pounds ; next came California with a clip of 16,000,000 pounds. More than two score years ago Stewart B. Shotwell had this to say concerning the profit, etc., of raising sheep in Harrison County : "On a farm of a quarter section, 325 sheep can be conveniently pastured. This in 1880 is valued at about $5,000. The value of such a flock of sheep would be about $650. With proper care and feeding corn and hay, all of which one man can do, the annual clipping would be about seven pounds per sheep; total 2,275. At thirty-three and a third cents per pound, present price, this gives $758.33 for the wool. Then the increase in sheep is double at the end of the year, which at $2.00, each is $650. This added to the product of the wool, gives $1,308 as the annual production of the farm. About 200 large wethers are also annually sold at $5.00 each, making a total of $2,308. The largest bank accounts in our town come from wool-growers of the county. "But with all that may be said as to sheep growing, it must be stated that this county is a great corn producing section. This crop in Harrison County (1880) averaged seventy-five bushels per acre. The average of wheat is twenty-five bushels ; oats, 60 to 100 bushels ; hay from one and a half to two tons per acre—often the heaviest hay is on the summit of the hills." SWEEP-STAKE PREMIUMS Harrison County has more evidence of its being a fine wool growing section than is found by what local men say and what census books aver. It should be remembered that Harrison County wool competed at the great international expositions such as the Centennial at Philadelphia in 1876; also at the Paris, France, exposition, at the London exposition, and the Chicago World's Columbian Exposition of 1893 and carried away the sweep-stakes prizes in each and all of these international fairs. This wool was from the sheep of John Croskey of this county. IMPROVEMENT IN SHEEP The coarse-wool sheep of the early settlers did not produce on an average over two pounds of wool. Even after the introduction of the Spanish, French, Saxon and Silesian Merinos, four pounds was considered a good average. Today in Ohio the average is seven pounds. Seventy years ago there were twice as many sheep in Ohio as today, but they did not produce as many pounds of wool as were produced 266 - CARROLL AND HARRISON COUNTIES the past year. In 1868 the number of sheep listed for taxation was 7,688,100, the highest record in Ohio history. The total assessed valuation of sheep in 1868 was $14,819,090. In 1919 there were but 1,789,917 sheep listed for taxation in the State, but their assessed value was $16,837,653. HARRISON COUNTY AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY The Cadiz Sentinel on June 5, 1834, contained a call for a meeting looking toward the formation of an agricultural society in Harrison County, under the provisions of the State law. It appears nothing materialized at such meeting, nor anything further was effected until 1846, when the matter was taken up by the more progressive farmers, chiefly from the eastern part of the county. The first county fair was held in Georgetown in 1816 after that in Cadiz. For the next six years the live stock was shown on the streets, or in Dewey's field, now Lincoln Avenue, or in Walter Jamison’s field, or some other convenient place. Agricultural implements, farm products and domestic goods, were shown in the courthouse or in some of the churches. Also a plowing match was held each year. The society had no permanent abiding place or real home until 1853, when they secured Sharp's Grove near town (later known as Porter's) and four or five acres were enclosed with a good strong fence, and suitable buildings were erected. In 1853 the fair was held October 10th and 11th. It was the best attended and best fair the county had had up to that date. It was safely estimated that 10,000 persons were present on that occasion. The entry of sheep and horses was extremely large that season. The floral hall was made very attractive by the ladies who took unusual interest in the affairs of the county those days. One of the drawing features that season was ladies horseback riding contests. Those who competed for the prizes that season included : Miss Norton, of St. Clarisville; Mrs. Obediah Slemmons, Miss Amanda Simeral, Miss Gilmore, Miss Shotwell, Miss Taggart, of Cadiz, and Miss Caroline Kennedy, of Green Township. All were expert riders. During these races Miss Simeral was thrown from her horse and badly injured. Miss Kennedy won the first premium. During all the years down to 1889, the county fair was held annually at these grounds. The fair here was considered among the best in Ohio, and was a great benefit to the progressive farmers. It was in 1889 that the fair was moved to the grounds of Walter Craig, where forty acres had been secured, all neatly studded with young shade trees and enclosed by a tight fence. A half-mile race track was made and suitable' fair ground buildings made. Among the well- remembered presidents of the Agricultural Society may be recalled Ezra Cattell, John Hammond, Eli Peacock, John C. Jamison, Henry Boyles, James B. Jamison, Samuel Herron, Andrew Jamison, Samuel Boggs, Obediah Slemmons, Albert Quigley, W. W. Jamison, Andrew Smith, C. M. Hogg and Samuel Dickerson. Prior to 1893 other fairs were at Connotton Valley, Tri-County Agricultural and Mechanical Association, located at Jewett, and the Smyrna fair located at Smyrna. CARROLL AND HARRISON COUNTIES - 267 Of the Harrison County fair in 1863 it should be stated that an old agricultural report of about that date says : "The Fifteenth Annual Fair of Harrison County Agricultural Society was held at Cadiz, September 30, and October 2d and 3d, 1863 (in Civil War days) and it was well attended from this and adjoining counties. Early in the season many were depressed on account of the great war then on, and many wanted to postpone this county fair for that season. Political meetings were frequent and war mass-meetings took up the time and thoughts of the farmers in general, but upon a vote of the directors and stock-holders it was finally determined that a county fair should be held. Our people seem to have a desire to meet at least once a year and get better acquainted with one another. The fair was held and the entries of live stock and other articles equalled those of any former year in Harrison County. Mules, cattle and hogs were PICTURE OF CHAUTAUQUA GROUNDS AND LAKE, CADIZ of good quality. There were a great many fine grades of sheep on exhibition that year. They came not only from this county but from adjoining counties and States. Some sheep were sold at this fair as high as $1,000 for a single animal. "The ladies' department was well represented. Floral Hall was very attractive. "Our chief crops were wheat, corn, oats, hay and potatoes." VARIOUS FAIR GROUND SITES As a matter of history let it be stated in this connection that the first county Fair Grounds were at Georgetown, then for several years the society was really without permanent grounds. In 1853 the grounds were established in Sharp's or Porter's grove as then known, where about five acres were enclosed within a good fence, near the old Cadiz cemetery. The first fair there was held October 10 and 11, 1853. 268 - CARROLL AND HARRISON COUNTIES In 1889, after all these years from 1853, the grounds were changed to land purchased of Walter Craig, sometimes known as the Boggs farm, to the east of the present City Cemetery at Cadiz. The next change was when they moved to (under a lease) the Cadiz Chautauqua grounds, just at the southern edge of the city, where there is one of the finest racing tracks m the State of Ohio, the same being around a never-failing spring lake. The Chautauqua grounds are ideal in every particular. ,These grounds have been used by the society since 1914. A COUNTY FAIR AT JEWETT In 1891 there was a county fair at Jewett of which the Cadiz local paper had this to say: "The Jewett Fair was splendid—it was a success throughout. It was an exhibition of the products of this region of the country, embracing parts of three counties, a very garden spot. In stock, the cattle, sheep and hogs were hard to beat anywhere. The Floral Hall was a bower of beauty and reflected the greatest credit, not only in the articles exhibited but also in the tasty arrangement. There was a splendid array of farm products, but in the article of potatoes there was a display which honors any community. "On Thursday the attraction was great and the attendance near the 5,000 mark. An immense crowd of pleasant people renewing old acquaintance and having a jolly good time." |