USA > Iowa > Johnson County > History of Johnson County, Iowa, containing a history of the county, and its townships, cities and villages from 1836 to 1882 > Part 40
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" Ordered, That article third of the constitution be so amended that the officers hereafter chosen hold their offices for the terms for which they may have been elected, and until their successors are elected and quali- fied.
The following named officers were then duly elected and qualified for the year 1855, viz:
President-John Parrott.
Vice Presidents-Nicholas Winterstein, John S. Burge. Secretary-William E. Miller .*
*William E. Miller has since been chief justice of the surpeme court of Iowa; is author of the official annotated code of Iowa, and is now professor of jurisdiction and practice in federal courts, in the law department of Drake University, at Des Moines.
336
HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY.
Corresponding Secretary-W. H. White.
Treasurer-Legrand Byington.
Executive Committee-Franklin Kimball, William Sterrett, Thomas Rigg, James Cavanagh, John Smallay, Edward Carson, Thomas Lind- ley, James McGruder, James L. Kister, Joseph Beauter, Henry Dupont, D. A. Shaffer, A. H. Humphrey and Thomas Hill.
FAIR OF 1855.
At a meeting of the board of managers, held at the secretary's office, on the 16th day of June, 1855, initiatory steps were taken for the fair of that year, and among other proceedings it was
Ordered, That Dr. Jesse Bowen be appointed a member of the board of managers, for Iowa City township, in place of William Sterrett, resigned.
Ordered, That the third annual fair be held at the Capitol Square, in Iowa City, on the third day of October, 1855.
Ordered, That a committee, consisting of Messrs. F. Kimball, Jesse Bowen and Thomas Snyder, be appointed to prepare the ground for said fair.
Ordered, That 2,000 handbill copies of our premium list and regulations for said fair be published, under the supervision of a committee, consisting of Legrand Byington, S. H. McCrory and W. H. White.
N. WINTERSTEIN, Acting President. W. E. MILLER, Sceretary.
In pursuance of this order, a list of premiums was made up, much more extensive, in the number and amount of its awards, than either of its pre- decessors, and extensively published throughout the county.
Again we were highly favored by the elements, and a beautiful day smiled upon the happy thousands who graced the fair with their presence.
The competition in stock was again close, and, for a time, some slight dissatisfaction was evinced by exhibitors of improved cattle, because the judges took for their guide, in making up their opinions of individual ani- mals, the points of excellence adopted by the New York state society, instead of the amount of tallow carried by the animal. The awards were, however, acquiesced in with cheerfulness, and the winners of the principal prizes on cattle and horses were Messrs. Franklin Kimball, Legrand Byington, N. Winterstein, W. H. White, D. P. Greeley, James McGruder, Moses Adams, Oliver Thomas, Thomas Lindley, Jno. Parrott, Mathew TenEyck, Nathaniel Scales, F. H. Hempstead, W. H. Woods, J. W. McCadden and R. S. Tucker.
Receipts from all sources. $663.64
Premiums and expenses paid 685.64
Deficit for the year $ 22.00
which was advanced by the treasurer, on the credit of the society.
337
HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY.
FIRST STEPS FOR A FAIR GROUND.
It was informally suggested, at the close of the exhibition of 1855, that the winners of prizes should donate the amounts of their premiums for the purpose of accumulating a fund wherewith to procure permanent fair grounds. Accordingly, with a view of testing, immediately, the prac- ticab lity of the project, I accompanied the publication of the awards of that year, with the following card:
To the Board of Managers of the Johnson County Agricultural and Mechanical Society.
GENTLEMEN: By the foregoing list, it will appear that I received quite a number of the prizes distributed at your late fair. With me, the chief value of these premiums consist in the fact of their having been awarded to me; and as our society now needs, or will shortly need, funds for the purchase and decoration of a permanent fair ground, I take pleasure in hereby donating the entire amount of my premiums (forty-six dollars), as the foundation of a fund to be expended, when sufficient, in such purchase and decoration. Truly and fraternally, yours,
LEGRAND BYINGTON.
Shortly afterwards, Mr. Kimball sent in the following for publication, viz:
A CARD.
To the Board of Managers of the Johnson County Agricultural and Mechanical Society.
GENTLEMEN: At the last annual fair of your society, I received fifty- three dollar as premiums awarded by different committees. The obtain- ing of the awards, and thereby creating a general rivalry among farmers and mechanics, in raising the best stock, cultivating the best qualities of grain, and adopting the best improvements in mechanism, rather than the possession of these awards, has been the object I have had in view in becoming a member of your society and taking part in its deliberations. My most ardent desire in regard to it, is to see it established on a firm foundation, and increasing in members, strength and usefulness, from year to year. To this end I deem it necessary that a lot for a fair ground be obtained at an early day, and, for that purpose, I hereby donate to you the amount received by me for premiums, to be devoted exclusively to that purpose. Yours Truly,
F. KIMBALL.
Nothing further from this source having been realized, and the hope- lessness of the plan being apparent, the society, at its annual meeting in October, 1856, on motion of Dr. Bowen,
Resolved, That each member of the executive committee of the Johnson County Agricultural and Mechanical Society be furnished with a petition to solicit the county judge to submit the question to a vote of the electors of the county, of subscribing $5,000 for the purpose of purchasing agricul- tural and mechanical fair grounds, and improving the same, and that a committee be appointed for the purpose of conferring with the county judge, and preparing said petition.
Committee-Legrand Byington, Ezekiel Clark, and Jesse Bowen.
338
HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY.
FAIR OF 1856.
"The fair for 1856 was fixed on the 2d day of October, at the usual place. In the enumeration of articles, the premium list was nearly a copy of that of the preceding year, embracing 423 prizes, arranged in twenty classes; but the sums to be awarded in each class were very considerably increased, and amounted, in the aggregate, to nine hundred and twenty- eight dollars.
For the purpose of comparison, I attach an abstract of the classes, and the amount appropriated to each, as follows:
Class. Articles. .
No. of Prizes.
Amount
1 Farms, fences, orchards, etc.
21.
$87
2 Field crops, etc.
28.
79
3 Vegetables 21
30
4 Seeds. 15 30
14. 33
6 Pure Devons
14. 33
7 Pure Herefords
14
33
8 Grades.
14.
33
9 Native cattle. .
14
33
12 Thoroughbred horses
16
40
13 Other horses .
26.
67
14 Jacks, mules, etc.
13.
37
15 Swine 12.
37
16 Sheep (fine and coarse wool).
20
64
17 Poultry . . 8.
22.
47
19 Mechanical fabrics .
.67 S5
20 Household manufactures .70
70
Total
423
$928
Besides these, there was provision made for discretionary awards, for articles not specified, requiring probably sufficient to swell the list to a grand total of a thousand dollars.
The interest manifested was great, the attendance large, and the com- petition, in most of the classes, spirited. The show of cattle, horses, veget- ables, etc., was very beautiful, and much superior to any previously seen in the county. Here and there an individual occasionally dissented from the awards of the judges, but, as a whole, the exhibition was eminently creditable and satisfactory. The principal winners of prizes are annexed:
Winner.
No. of Prizes. Amount. 2
Jacob Zeller
$23
Samuel Miller
5
12
John I. Burge
12
47
Legrand Byington
23
66
Thomas Lindley
11
38
Isaac Bowen.
2
11
44
11 Sweepstakes (any breed)
10 4 35
5 Pure Durham cattle
10 Work cattle and beeves
11
18 Farm implements, etc.
339
HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY.
Winner.
No. of Prizes. Amount. 4 17
S. H. McCrory
N. Winterstein.
4 17
F. Kimball .
S
26
Receipts from all sources .
$776.16
Premiums, expenses and deficit
749.00
Balance. $27.16
The following table shows the rate per cent of increase in the county, and likewise in the business of the agricultural society, for a period which includes the years 1853-54-55-56:
INCREASE-COUNTY.
28 per cent per annum, in population.
43
taxable property.
49
live stock.
45
66
66 taxation.
INCREASE-AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY.
10 per cent per annum, in members of the society.
41 66 66
number of premiums.
25
amount of premiums.
28
receipts.
28 66
expenditures.
These certainly are very rapid strides in the great march of improve- ment; and if we could, by possibility, maintain this ratio of increase for ten years next ensuing, this beautiful county of Johnson, in the year 1867 would count a population of 140,000 people-having live stock of the value of $15,000,000-owning a taxable property of $181,000,000-on which would be levied taxes to the extent (exclusive of school house and corporation taxes) of $1,800,000-having an agricultural society number- ing 1684 members-competing in a premium list of 3,700 prizes, and receiving a revenue and paying premiums to the aggregate amount of $8,457.
The year 1859 Charles A. Vogt reported:
"The seventh annual fair of the Johnson County Agricultural and Me- chanical Society, was held on Thursday and Friday, September 15 and 16, 1859.
"The number of entries this year was not as large as last year, but it was observed by everybody that the articles on exhibition, either of stock or produce, were far superior to any fair we have held in this county. Num- ber of entries were as follows:
"Fruits, vegetables and seeds, 107; Durham cattle, 11; Devon cattle, 15; grade cattle, 18; blooded horses, 15; common horses, 39; jacks and mules, S; swine, 10; sheep, 10; mechanical department, 19; domestic manufac- tures, 56, etc., etc. Aggregate number, 343.
"The society owns a 25 acre lot about half a mile south of Iowa City, on
340
HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY.
the west side of the Iowa river, of which about 20 acres are fenced with a substantial board fence eight feet high. On this lot the society is now in debt $800."
In 1860 the county fair was held September 27 and 28. And on Octo- ber 2, 3, 4, and 5, the State fair was held on the same ground. Some items of Johnson county crops this year are worthy of remembrance. The report says the wheat averaged from 25 to 33 bushels per acre-Canada Club, Tea and Fyffe varieties. Corn-J. I. Burge raised 112 bushels per acre, of Yellow Dent corn. S. H. McCrory, John McCadden and John I. Burge are all reported as having raised Osage orange hedges success- fully.
AGRICULTURE AND WAR-1861.
The report for Johnson county this year is a condensation of many vol- umes in a single line. It reads: "No fair. Ground occupied for military purposes." What a world of historic and mighty memories that brief line suggests-of a strugle that shines immortal in the galaxy of time, where jus- tice triumphed over tyranny, brutality and wrong. The 10th Iowa Infan- try was encamped on the ground at the time the county fair should have been held, but left for the front in time for the State fair to be held on the ground. We copy from the Iowa City Republican's report some points of permanent historic interest:
"In our description of the last State fair [to which brief history was awarded the first premium for 'the best and most complete history and report of the fair in any daily, weekly, or monthly newspaper in Iowa], we gave a somewhat extended sketch of the rise and advancement of our State Agricultural Society, which we will here briefly recapitulate.
"Dr. J. M. Shaffer, of Jefferson county, and Judge T. W. Claggett, of Lee county, took the initial steps toward instituting the society. Previ- ous to the meeting of the legislature of 1856-7, but one thousand dollars had been appropriated to advance the interests of the association. At and since that session, pecuniary provision for its maintenance to the amount of two thousand dollars annually has been made by the legisla- ture.
" The third and fourth fairs were held at Muscatine, the fifth and sixth at Oskaloosa, and last year, the seventh, and now the eighth, at Iowa City. These fairs have all been successes. We make no exception in this affirmation against the fair just closed, although the Davenport Dem- ocrat and News very magnanimously pronounced it a failure in advance- thus, to the extent of its narrow influence and limited circulation, doing what it could to prevent the attendance of persons from the eastern por- tion of the state.
" Since the administration of Judge Claggett, the society's first presi- dent, the following gentlemen have been honored with the distinction of being its chief executive officer: Gen. Jesse Bowen, of Iowa City, for
341
HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY.
the year 1858; Z. T. Fisher, Esq., 1859; and Judge Geo. G. Wright, the present accomplished president, for the years 1860 and 1861. In 1856, Capt. J. H. Wallace, of Muscatine, the present gentlemanly and efficient secretary, was elected to the office he now holds, and has fulfilled its mani- fold and difficult duties with such high satisfaction to the association and the public that he has been retained in the position ever since by annual re-election.
" The citizen or stranger, whether lady fair, or belonging to the mascu- line persuasion, who, week before last, led by curiosity, the promptings of friendship or affection, or the stern decrees of a 'military necessity, visited Camp Fremont, and witnessed the camp fires smouldering in the ditch, the drill by squad, by company, or by battalion, heard the fife's shrill sound, and saw the drum chastised, noted the steady tramp of the guard, or in short, remarked in any way the martial surroundings incident to the encampment of a thousand brave and gallant men-at-arms, could scarcely realize, on re-visiting the ground on Tuesday of last week, that it was one and the same place-so changed was the scene. Camp Fre- mont, with all its, ' pomp and circumstance of war,' had suddenly, as by the enchanter's wand, been transformed into and wore the peaceful agricultural aspects of the Johnson county fair grounds-the seat of the eighth annual exhibition of the Iowa State Agricultural Society. The martial airs had died away, and the word of command and the countersign had given place to the bleating of sheep and the lowing of kine, and the gallant fel- lows of the 10th regiment, who had impressed upon the green plain of the fair ground the charm and romance of a military history, were then hurrying with cheers and hurrahs to the succor of their valiant com- patriots in arms in Missouri. But, alas! the order which brought joy to them also carried disappointment to many a heart of sweetheart, wife or friend who had been looking forward with fond expectation to sweet re-union at the opening of the state fair, but had now determined to forego the minor pleasure of visiting the fair, or avert the pain such pleasure would bring unshared with the absent and loved. So the state fair has lost many a visitor who intended to execute two specimens of the feath- ered tribe with a single boulder, by visiting a brother, son, father, or friend, or one who stood in more distant yet dearer relationship, at Camp Fremont and the state fair at the same time.
FIRST DAY.
" The local committee deserves much praise for the energetic manner in which they changed the character and appearance of the ground from a camp to a fair. It was only on the Friday afternoon previous that the Tenth regiment received their tents, and were enabled to leave the sheds. Yet now, on Tuesday morning, in little more than three days, everything is right side up. The president, secretary, marshals, and an efficient 22
342
HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY.
police-the latter composed chiefly of members of the immortal company B, of Iowa's First Volunteer Regiment-were early on the ground.
" During Tuesday the time was spent in receiving entries, which were more numerous than last year, and in re-organizing the committees, sub- stituting new names for those of absentees. The number of instances where friends answered for absent ones as their names were called, that they had ' gone to the war,' showed that the professions of arms and agriculture were by no means incompatible."
In 1862 and '63 it does not appear that any fair was held, probably owing to the all-absorbing interest and vital necessities of the war business.
In 1864 Thomas C. Carson reported: "The tenth annual fair of John- son County Agricultural and Mechanical Society was held October 4, 5, 6, and 7, near Iowa City, on grounds of twenty-five acres, well fenced with tight board fence, and otherwise in good repair, all of which belongs to the society, and is free of debt. It commenced raining October 3d, the day previous to the opening of the fair, and rained more or less every day during the holding of the same. It was cold and disagreeable, with bad roads. Every thing tended to dampen all prospects of success, though notwithstanding all this there was a fair turn out, and everything passed off as pleasantly as possible, taking all things into consideration. There were two hundred and thirty entries made."
At the regular meeting of the Johnson County Agricultural Society held at the court house, Monday, November 7, 1864, the following officers were elected for the ensuing year:
J. H. Westenhaver, president; Francis Barnes, vice-president; O. B. Barrows, vice-president; Thos. C. Carson, secretary; Frank Bowman, treasurer.
Executive Committee .- Washington township, Elias Howell; Union township, E. W. Manville; Scott township, John Parrott; Newport town- ship, Chas. Gaymon: Iowa City, I. V. Dennis, Iowa City, Cyrus Sanders; Iowa City, Edward Carson; Monroe township, N. Winterstein; Jefferson township, Jacob Shuey; Clear Creek, Bryan Dennis; Big Grove town- ship, Chas McCune; Penn township, Cyrus Abbott; Graham township, J. P. Coulter: Madison township, Jas. Chamberlain: Cedar township, Moses Adams; Oxford township, Lewis Doty; Sharon township, Chas. Cartright; Fremont township, Jacob Stonebraker; Hardin township, A. D. Packard; Liberty township, Jonas Hartman.
Committee in charge of fair ground-E. C. Lee.
On motion, the meeting adjourned to meet again for regular business at the court house, Saturday, January 28, 1865, at 1 o'clock P. M.
J. H. WESTENHAVER, President.
THOS. C. CARSON, Secretary,
In 1868 a report was made by L. E. Paine, secretary of the county
343
HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY.
society, but it contained no points worth preserving. The report for 1869 was very meager, and no name to show who furnished it.
For the year 1870, H. W. Fyffe, of Iowa City, made the report for Johnson county, giving among other things three full pages in small print of elaborate and exhaustive statistical tables. When Mr. Fyffe makes a report it gets down to bed rock. We select a few paragraphs, which have a permanent historic interest as showing certain facts and conditions of special industries at that time:
"Flax .- At least ten per cent more raised, and of much better quality, both of seed and lint, than last year. It is a paying crop, the seed bring- ing $1.60 per bushel, and the lint from $5.00 to $8.00 per ton. The flax mill worked two hundred and fifty tons of straw into lint in six months, which was shipped to St. Louis. Average yield of seed per acre, eleven bushels, at $1.60 per bushel, straw $7.00 per ton, equals $24.60 per acre.
"Hogs are attracting considerable attention. There are many late importations of Chester Whites, Byfields, Magee, Berkshires and Cheshires: the latter crossed on the Chester White, is receiving consider- able favor.
"Manufactories .- Iowa City is the principal market, and has a popula- tion of over eight thousand. In the vicinity are six flouring mills, four of which are run by steam, and two by water power; one paper mill, two woolen mills, one linseed oil mill, one flax mill, one foundery, two machine shops, two planing mills, one pump manufactory, and one reaper manu- factory, all doing a flourishing business.
"About one hundred acres are planted in grapes. The Concord, owing to its rapid growth, hardiness, and good quality, is considered the best. About ninety per cent is planted with it; the rest in Catawba, Isabella, Delaware, Rogers' Hybrid, and Hartford Prolific. About six thousand pounds were made into wine, making thirteen barrels. Two thousand pounds were consumed and sold. Average price ten cents per pound.
"Sales of nursery stock the past year amounted to $31,000."
1871. This year Mr. Fyffe again collects many items of individual experiments and their results, in different branches of agricultural and other industries of the county. Some of these have a permanent value for reference, and will always be read with interest, as showing what has been done, and therefore can be done again.
"Flax raising is becoming of great interest. Mr. Harrigan raised twen- ty-four acres, average 19} bushels; making 468 bushels at $1.50 per bushel, $702.00; straw, 24 tons, $7.00 per ton, $168.00, making $870.00 John and Jerry Carey, of Fremont township, seventy acres of new break- ing, average 14 bushels per acre at $1.50 per bushel, or $21.00 per acre, making $1,470. Mr. Cannon raised two crops of flax from one sowing;
344
HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY.
the first crop 19 bushels per acre, the second crop 33 bushels per acre, making 223 bushels at $1.50 per bushel, or $33.75 per acre.
The crop of 1871, 37,085 bushels. Average per bushel $1.45,-$53,773.25 66 1870, 21,737 66 66 66 1.75,- 38,039.75
" 1868, 33,733
66
1.70,- 57,414.10
$149,221.10
" The corn crop is the heaviest ever raised. John Fry, on ten acres of the white Ohio corn, has gathered over one thousand bushels, and many others like amounts to the acre. This corn is a class that never gets so hard as the common yellow or white. The Pokeberry For Claret has proved to be a very profitable corn for stock. The common yield is from seventy-five to one hundred bushels. Broom corn is a crop that has become one of profit. It has been raised the past five years with an aver- age of from 700 to 1,000 pounds per acre; price per ton $50 to $100. The corn raised here is manufactured into brooms and sold in this market.
M. W. Davis writes his experience in grape culture: " In'1865 I planted twenty-seven varieties of those that were considered the best and hardiest planting six by six, in deep cultured ground. I have been testing new varieties since, and the whole number of kinds planted number seventy- two. Out of these I had thirty-eight varieties of fruit the past season; the remainder mostly have been too tender for this climate.
" The past season has been very fruitful, and one in which all varieties have ripened well before any frosts. Among the varieties fruited are some worthy of special mention. Martha, a new white grape and one of the best, bears equal to Concord; berries and bunches not quite as large. Rogers' Hybrids, with me, are my favorites. I have fruited the following numbers: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 9, 15, 19, 22, 28, 30, 41, 42, 43 and 44. They are all good without an exception; berries very large, bunches large, rather loose. Mathews No. 13, a very fine grape, and I believe identical with Rogers No. 1. Perkins, a hardy, good bearer, light colored grape, took the fancy of some, but it has a peculiar flavor that I do not like; early ripening, with Hartford. Arnold's Hybrids will prove as hardy as Concords, and in quality far superior. The old Delaware with me does as well as Concord, and I get as many bunches from it as I do from the same aged vines, having picked thirty pounds from a vine four years old. I cover my vines for two winters after setting and then if a vine will not endure our seasons without protection, I re-plant with something that will.
I had the good fortune to learn the facts from our sorghum manufac- turers of the four different parts of the county:
From the eastern, 100 gallons average for 1871, against 80 gallons in 1870. From the southern, 125 gallons average for 1871, against 100 gal- lons for 1870. From the northwest, 120 gallons average for 1871, against
345
HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY.
90 gallons for 1870. From the southwest, 110 average for 1871, against 80 gallons for 1870.
During eight months, ending April 8, 1871, D. Ham purchased and shipped at Iowa City:
Eggs-229,618 dozen, average price 16 cents $36,737.88
Butter-166,515 pounds, average price 18 cents
29,973.70
Poultry -- 111,598 pounds, average price 10 cents
11,159.80
Grouse-4,460 pairs.
Quails-365 dozen.
Rabbits -756.
Amount of flour consumed by bakeries, three in all, 725 barrels. Value of crackers, bread, etc., $3,950.00.
Broom factories, two; broom-corn, fifty tons; handles, 2,335 dozen. Value of brooms, $8,752.
The paper mill in 1871 consumed 750 tons of straw, fifty tons of flax straw, and forty tons of rags; there was made ten tons of manilla paper, twenty tons of printing paper, and 400 tons of wrapping paper and paste board. Running time, four months.
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