USA > Illinois > Hancock County > Historical encyclopedia of Illinois and history of Hancock County, Volume II > Part 45
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From the upper western corner of the power house toward the Iowa shore, is a somewhat curved concrete ice fender 2,325 feet long. In the construction of the concrete work about 650,000 cubic yards of concrete were used.
There were from 1,000 to 3,000 men employed during the construction period.
The original plan contemplated the ultimate installation of thirty turbines. Fifteen turbines have been installed and are in operation. They are of special design and each has a capacity of 10,000 liorse-power.
The electrical equipment in the power house is said to be the finest and best made. There is a 110,000-volt transmission line carried on steel towers on the company's private right-of- way, 100 feet in width, from the power house to near St. Louis, touching intermediate points. This transmission line crosses the Mississippi River twice, and the Missouri River once. There
879
HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY
is also a main transmission line carrying 11,000 volts from the power house to Burlington, Iowa, and intermediate points.
The Mississippi River Power Company gen- erates and wholesales electricity. The individual corporations and public utilities purchasing the electricity at wholesale destribute it to the consumers. Not only are the larger cities, St. Louis, East St. Louis, Alton, Quincy, Keokuk, Ft. Madison and Burlington furnished with electricity for light, power, heat and other pur- poses, but about 150 of the smaller cities and towns in western central Illinois, and a large number of the smaller cities and towns in Iowa and Missouri, are also supplied with electricity from this power house in the manner indicated. The conservation of coal by the use of this elec- tricity, runs into large figures.
THE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY TELEPHONE COMPANY
The Mississippi Valley Telephone Company was incorporated March 29, 1904, with an authorized capital of $25,000. On April 1 of the same year, it purchased the Farmers' Tele- phone Exchange, then being installed in the city of Carthage. It at once took over such exchange with ninety-nine city phones. There was at that time connected with such exchange the East Carthage lines and a few rural lines, which were not purchased. About the same time, it purchased the rural lines known at that time as the Doctor Young telephone lines located largely in the vicinity of Sutter, in Walker, Rocky Run, Wilcox, and Bear Creek townships. with a line from Sutter via Basco to Carthage, and a line from Sutter to Warsaw.
In May, 1904, the company purchased from J. R. Killim, the Hamilton Exchange with a few rural lines. A short time later, it purchased the Bell exchange at Elvaston, and the rural lines in that vicinity connected with it. In June, 1904, it purchased from the Central Union Telephone Company, the Warsaw exchange, with the rural lines connected thereto, and a metallic toll line from Warsaw to Hamilton and Keokuk.
In the same month, the Central Union Tele- phone Company (Bell), then having only one long distance line from Keokuk and Quincy into Carthage, with ten phones, connected its line into the office of this company, and made an operating agreement. It disconnected its lines from all other places in Hancock County except
LaHarpe, Dallas City, Plymouth, and Augusta, and this company became its checking center, and has continued to be up to the present time.
The company in 1905 became directly con- nected under operating agreement with La Harpe, Plymouth, and Augusta. In 1905, the Hancock County Telephone Company connected its lines with this company under an operating agreement, also the McCall Telephone Company.
On February 11, 1905, the company increased its capital stock to $50,000. During 1906, it built a toll line from Carthage to Fountain Green, and Burnside, and purchased the Foun- tain Green exchange from Lewis George, with connecting lines. During the same year, it en- tered into contracts with the following com- panies, Carthage-Colusa Telephone Company, The Crow Line at Burnside, the Elvaston Hos- ford lines, the Wallace lines, and the Smith- Brant lines at Elvaston, the Shiloh Line at Carthage, the Hancock County lines at Car- thage and Bowen, also the Huston Telephone Company lines at Bowen, the LaHarpe Tele- phone Company, the Dallas Telephone Company, and the Bortz Telephone Company at Nauvoo. It also entered into an agreement with the Iowa Telephone Company at Keokuk and carried its lines across the river to Keokuk.
During the same year, it purchased the Witt line, via Big Neck to Golden, and opened an ex- change at Loraine, Adams County. During the same year, it purchased the Bowen Exchange from the Hancock County and the Huston Tele- phone companies, and built a commercial line from Carthage via West Point to Bowen, and enlarged the exchange at Basco, made an op- erating contract with Lewis George for a line into Blandinsville, and materiallly enlarged the rural service in the south-west part of the county.
The same year it purchased the LaHarpe Telephone Exchange, operated it for about one year, and sold the same back to the LaHarpe Telephone Company, with a long period of op- erating agreement.
On January 25, 1907, the company increased its capital stock from $50,000 to $100,000. The same year it bought Dallas City from Oscar Cramberg.
In 1909 the principal stockholders of the Mississippi Valley Telephone Company pur- chased the Independent, Telegraph and Tele- phone Company of Nauvoo, Illinois, and have been operating the same in connection with the
880
HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY
Mississippi Valley Telephone Company ever since.
In 1915, this company exchanged its property at Bowen, Loraine, and its rural lines in the southwest part of the county, including Tioga, to the Western Illinois Telephone Company, for its property in Carthage and Hamilton, with adjacent lines connected therewith. The West- ern Illinois Telephone Company proceeded to operate the exchanges at Bowen and Loraine, with an operating agreement with this company.
The Mississippi Valley Company at once pro- ceeded to dismantle the property composing the exchanges of the Western Illinois Telephone Company at Carthage and Hamilton, disposing of the duplicate exchanges in both places, and either dismantling the rural lines where they paralleled or rebuilding them.
In 1915, the company bought the building in Warsaw formerly occupied by the Hill-Dodge Banking Company for its office. In 1917, it pur- chased from the Reorganization Committee of the Western Illinois Telephone Company its ex- change at Bowen, a toll line from Macomb to Loraine, and also a toll line from Bowen to Camp Point and Golden, and all lines connected with the Bowen exchange, and since that period has been operating the exchange at Bowen, pur- chasing a property there for its office in 1919. In 1917 the company purchased a property in West Point for its office. In 1919, the company purchased a property in Nauvoo for its office.
The value of the company's property July 1, 1905, as shown by the books, was $49,140. The report of the company for the year ending De- cember 31, 1919, shows a value of $213,656.13.
At the time these several properties were pur- chased they were all small. All of them have been in a large measure rebuilt, and the old equipment replaced by modern equipment.
The company now operates the following ex- changes : Carthage, Hamilton, Dallas City, Warsaw, Elvaston, Adrain, Burnside, Fountain Green, Sutter, Basco, and West Point, with ap- proximately 4,000 subscribers, and is connected with as many more through other exchanges.
The company now employs sixty-five people and its monthly payroll is $3,000. The present officers are as follows: O. F. Berry, president and general manager; James I. Hendricks, vice president, and Jane Hughes, secretary and treasurer.
CHAPTER XII
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AGRICULTURE
IMPORTANCE - AGRICULTURAL SUPREMACY - THEN AND NOW-FARM MACHINERY AND AUTOMOBILES -GOOD ROADS MOVEMENT-AGRICULTURAL PROD- UCTS-RECENT FARM STATISTICS-ASSESSED VAL- UATION-AUTOMOBILES AND WAGONS BY TOWN- SHIPS-COUNTY AGRICULTURAL ASSOCIATIONS- SOIL AND IMPROVEMENTS-FARM BUREAU DEVEL- OPMENT-STOCKBREEDERS' ASSOCIATION.
IMPORTANCE
From earliest times man has tilled the land and subsisted upon the crops from his acres. In spite of twentieth century advanced civiliza- tion, man could today return to his land and live off it without the help of any outside source, although not as comfortably as at present, nor could he perform his work in as efficient or ex- peditious a manner. Still the agriculturalist is of all persons the most independent and upon him, his labors and his successes, depends the welfare of the world. During late years this importance has received the proper recognition that was so long denied to it, and to which it has always been entitled, and state and national governments have given considerable time and money to make experiments which are designed to assist the cultivator of the soil in his work, and increase the quality and quantity of his crops.
AGRICULTURAL SUPREMACY
The leading industry of the people of Hancock County is agriculture, for this is a region of valuable farms, interspersed here and there with flourishing little cities and villages, whose chief business is to supply the demands of the farm- ers in the surrounding country. Some of the most valuable farming land in the state is lo- cated in Hancock County, and part of it is held by members of the same family whose names appear on the entry papers from the government. The lands that were entered at the government
1.
Sarah 6. Dunham
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881
HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY
price, $1.25 per acre, by the first settlers has come to be well worth, and sells for, from $100 to $250 an acre today,
THEN AND NOW
A century ago a few intrepid souls, brave of spirit, steadfast in faith, and confident of their right to share in the great lands along the Father of Waters, pressed westward over the mountains, through the swamps and across burning plains until they reached a section which looked specially favorable in their eyes, and here they camped. Finding here what they had long sought, they built their rude cabins, and began improving their land. As time prog- ressed this portion of Illinois became known as Hancock County. More years passed and this name has come to stand for much that is fine and good. Today Hancock County continues the home of many prosperous, high-minded men and women, through whose intelligent labors a very desirable prosperity has been developed and a sectional pride upheld that urges them on to the further effort and greater accomplishments. In Andreas' "Historic Atlas of Illinois" pub- lished in 1874 appears the following concerning Hancock County's products :
"The products of Hancock County are wheat, corn and oats principally, but rye, hemp, flax, barley, beans, potatoes, and turnips are pro- duced. The chief exports from the county are beef, pork, bacon, lard, hides, tallow, butter, wheat, corn, flour, beans, honey, beeswax, furs and peltries."
FARM MACHINERY AND AUTOMOBILES
No modern farmer thinks of carrying on his- work without the aid of machinery and many of them have excellent equipments, operated by electricity. Many of the farm houses are steam- heated and have both hot and cold running water in all parts of the house and barns, while many are brightly illuminated by the best of electric lighting systems for comfort and real convenience. The barns and other outbuildings are usually constructed with due regard to sani- tary regulations, and the average farming plant is worth viewing because of its lessons taught of efficiency and utilization of forces at hand. The majority of the dwellers in the rural regions own automobiles, in fact its rather the exception to find one who does not possess one or more of
these modern conveyances, and in this way the farmers have been put into very close touch with other communities and each other. The county records do not disclose the actual value of farm implements and automobiles, but it runs far into millions of dollars.
GOOD ROADS MOVEMENT - 3
If any man should be interested in good roads it is the farmer, be he renter or landowner. The adoption of automobile travel and freight-truck- ing has brought about a radical change in road making projects. In nothing has there been more interest shown of late years, than in securing better roads, and while it is claimed primarily a movement of selfishness on the part of the automobilist, yet the results are so far-reaching and beneficent, that few there are who criticise, and none seriously object to the movement which is growing in strength and promises to extend all over the country and bring together through a magnificent series of perfect road- ways the two sea coasts, and the border lands North and South. The history of this good roads movement has not yet been fully written, but when it is the eyes of both business man and farmer will be opened to the value of a great innovation that will cause men to wonder how their fathers were content to plod along through muddy roads and drive slow-moving teams of oxen and horses.
AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS
In 1840, when Hancock County contained about 10,000 people, of whom 1,791 were engaged in farming, its agricultural products, as shown by government reports, were as follows: Horses and mules, 1,761; neat cattle, 4,717; sheep, 2,451; swine, 10,671; bushels of wheat, 10,675; bushels of oats, 120,768; bushels of rye, 395; bushels of buckwheat, 1,812; bushels of corn, 259,825; bushels of potatoes, 24,000; tons of hay, 2,345 ; pounds of tobacco, 1,910; pounds of cocoons (none now), 36; products of dairy sold, $455.00 ; products of orchard sold, $855.00.
RECENT FARM STATISTICS
The State reports for 1917-18 give the follow- ing concerning the various farm products of Hancock County : Corn-182,804 acres; average per acre, 39 bushels; price, $1.25. Wheat-
882
HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY
29,486 acres; average, 21 bushels; price, $2.13, fixed by the government for War purposes. Pastures-63,258 acres; value per acre, $4.25. Oats-13,486 acres; average yield, 47 bushels. Barley-242 acres ; average per acre, 31 bushels. Rye-24,103 acres; average per acre, 13 bushels. Buckwheat-780 acres; average yield, 20 bush- els ; price, $2.00. Timothy seed-bushels pro- duced, 3,000; price, $3.60. Clover seed-1,000 bushels produced ; price, $20.35 per bushel. Alfalfa-2,000 acres; sold at $30.00 per ton. Butter-pounds sold in 1917, 7,983; price per pound, 53 cents. Milk-gallons sold in 1918, 3,382 ; 30 cents per gallon. Cream-gallons sold in 1918, 57,891; price, $2.25 per gallon. Beef cattle-number in 1918, 16,038; sold in year, 3,688 ; average value per cwt., $12.25. Dairy cows-number kept in 1918, 11,686; value per head, $105.00; total value, $1,227,000. Hogs- number in May, 1918, 39,579; marketed in 191S, 32,851; average weight, 225 pounds; price, $17.00; Sheep-in 1918, 5,440; value per cwt .; $11.00. Wool-pounds shorn 1918, 7,796; price, 62 cents. Colts foaled in 1918, 300.
ASSESSED VALUATIONS
The assessor's books for Hancock County in 1918 show the following assessed valuations : Horses in county, 16,200, assessed at an average of $87.43 each ; neat cattle in county, 38,522, as- sessed at an average of $44.93 ; mules in county, 1,217, assessed at an average of $94.81; sheep in county, 6,934, average assessment, $7.96; hogs in county. 48,977, assessed at an average of $11.25; farm wagons in county, 5,873; auto- mobiles and trucks, in county, 2,720, assessed at an average of $215.99.
AUTOMOBILES AND WAGONS BY TOWNSHIPS
Automobiles Wagons
Augusta Township.
106
265
St. Mary's Township.
174 228
Hancock Township
57 165
Fountain Green Township.
101
233
La Harpe Township 192
235
Chili Township 154
318
Harmony Township
103
244
Carthage Township
218
306
Pilot Grove Township. 104
274
Durham Township S3
361
St. Albans Township. 103
244
Bear Creek Township
87
268
Prairie Township 91
331
Rock Creek Township. 135
345
Dallas Township 84
140
Pontoosuc Township 47 120
Walker Township
130
268
Wythe Township
104
243
Montebello Township 163
233
Appanoose Township
98
265
Rocky Run Township
70
247
Sonora Township 119
292
- Wilcox Township. 33
53
Warsaw Township 103
79
Nauvoo Township
61
26
Totals
.2,720
5,783
COUNTY AGRICULTURAL SOCIETIES
Ever since just before the Civil War period Hancock County has been able to maintain a creditable county fair, with annual exhibits of the products of field, orchard, garden and stock- yard. Here, as in every community, the burden of carrying on this enterprise has fallen on the shoulders of the few, while the many have hung back, and at times thwarted the interest that should at all times be manifested in such mat- ters. The records at the courthouse show that in August, 1859, the Board of Supervisors in session were urging the various members to go to their respective townships and urge the farm- ers there to subscribe and in all other ways aid the Agricultural Society which had just been organized. The original county fairs were held on grounds southeast of the city. For a number of years this society seemed to flourish, but the on-coming Civil War broke in on all such enter- prises and after the close of the war the prob- lems of the days of reconstruction, North as well as South, claimed the special attention of both farmer and town people for a considerable time. But finally in 1882 a new society was formed, styled the Hancock County Agricultural Board, made up of stockholders in each township in the county. This continued until 1902, and then went down under a cloud. This organization had forty acres of land, including the present fair grounds to the northwest of the city, which property was sold under a mortgage for $4,000. Soon thereafter all the buildings and improve- ments were taken down and removed.
In 1916 the Hancock County Fair Association was organized with Dr. E. M. Robbins, presi- dent; R. D. Denton, secretary ; Carl Cain, treas-
1
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HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY
urer, and its affairs under the control of seven directors. The old fair ground tract was leased from W. O. Kunkle, and includes the one-half mile track said by horsemen to be the best in Illinois. On these grounds a new set of build- ings have been erected and here excellent an- nual fairs are held. Dr. Robbins was president and actively interested in the old agricultural society for more than twenty years. No other man in Hancock County has accomplished more of lasting good along this line, and he was among the first to advocate conducting the fairs according to business principles and under the supervision of a board of directors.
The first fair under the new management was in the autumn of 1916, since which time the county fair period of four days is looked for- ward to each year with interest by many throughout the county. The annual catalogue shows the officers to be as follows: president, E. M. Robbins, Carthage; vice-president, E. A. Wilcox, Carthage; secretary, Ellis Cox, Car- thage; treasurer, C. D. Merrill, Carthage ; board of directors, E. M. Robbins, L. L. Chevillon, W. E. Lyon, W. W. D. Egbers, W. O. Kunkle, J. J. Welch, E. A. Wilcox.
SOIL IMPROVEMENT ASSOCIATION
What was known as the Hancock County Soil Improvement Association was organized as a result of a meeting in February, 1913, of a committee appointed by the Hancock County Bankers' Association at Carthage. Steps were immediately taken to incorporate under the state laws. The first plan was to get as many farmers in the county as could be induced to do so to join for three years by the payment of one dollar per year. The banks of the county with two exceptions agreed to pay one-tenth of one percent of their capital each year for three years to the treasurer of the association. This fund amounted to about $900. This plan for the development of the Soil Improvement Associa- tion did not materialize as had been hoped, and other plans were tried until finally in the winter of 1913-14 several public meetings were held which were largely attended by farmers and bankers. Through the advice of A. G. Smith, state leader of County Agents for Illinois, it was finally decided to fix the membership at $10 per year for three years, and a committee was appointed to canvass the county and secure members. This committee was G. W. Briley,
L. B. Clark, S. H. Ferris, E. S. Clark, Sr., and Robert Baird. By August 11, 1914, a few more than 300 members had been secured, and a meet- ing was held to perfect the organization under the improved plan. Committees were sent out to employ a farm adviser, and on April 1, 1915, Professor A. M. Wilson, of the Carthage High School, was selected for the position. He con- tinued in office until January 15, 1916, when J. H. Lloyd, the present Advisor, assumed charge of the association work.
AIM AND OBJECT
The Soil Improvement Association was or- ganized for the purpose of improving the agri- culture and rural community life in Hancock County. It was aided by the co-operation of the University of Illinois, and the U. S. Department of Agriculture, both of which organizations con- tributed toward the financial support of the association. Office rooms were provided at the courthouse by the county board of supervisors, beginning May 1, 1916. Members in the associa- tion enjoyed the advantage of visits from the County Advisor, co-operative purchase of seeds, feeds, and fertilizers, personal consultations, cir- cular letters of information, and free use of the monthly exchange list. During the World's War the work of this association was of great bene- fit to the farmer and to his country. Patriotic meetings were held in different parts of the county, and everything possible was done by the association to assist with all of the war drives. Also greater production of food stuffs was urged and assistance procured in the harvesting of the large crops which resulted. It was after the Hancock County Soil Improvement Association had been in operation for almost three years, and was about to re-organize for another three- year term beginning April 1, 1918, that a new name was given to the society, the Hancock County Farm Bureau.
FARM BUREAU DEVELOPMENT
On April 1, 1918, the Farm Bureau commenced work with a membership of 402 farmers, and on basis of that membership was in successful operation until May 1, 1920, when a county-wide membership campaign resulted in 1,980 Farm Bureau members. No greater evidence of the success of the organization could be given than to cite the increase in membership as noted above.
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HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY
From Farm Adviser, J. H. Lloyd's report of September 1, 1920, and other sources of data the following information has been gleaned.
The Farm Bureau Officers at that date were : George A. Wemhaner, president; P. A. Fulton, vice-president; A. H. Graham, secretary ; S. H. Ferris, treasurer; executive committee, J. F. Hurdle, T. E. Burner, M. G. Lambert, H. R. Graham, W. O. Kunkel; board of directors, S. D. Gnann, J. W. Koontz, J. C. Damron, W. O. Kunkel, John L. Rand, W. F. VanMeter, Victor A. Bell, L. D. Callihan, B. B. Rinehart, R. E. Lyon, J. E. Thompson, Sr., I. N, Hosford, John W. Bertchi, C. L. Martin, J. M. Avise, O. E. Prox, Lee Siegfried, G. E. Bolt, Wm. E. Schenck, R. K. Crawford, Chas. Aleshire, F. M. Hardy, C. H. Schaad, R. B. Johnson, P. A. Fulton.
The work of the Farm Bureau during the year ending September 1, 1920, includes the fol- lowing undertakings :
FARM VISITS-217 different farms were vis- ited during the year.
OFFICE CONSULTATIONS-During the year covered by this report there were 2,125 office consultations.
PERSONAL LETTERS-3,500 personal letters dealing with various items relating to the work of the Bureau were written.
CIRCULAR LETTERS AND BULLETINS- 54 copies of the circular letter were mailed out from the office. On August 1st the first volume of the "Hancock County Farm Bureau Bulletin" was issued. This bulletin is published on the first of each month.
EXCHANGE LIST-The publication of the monthly exchange list is a great help to many of the members.
FARMERS' ELEVATORS-One Farmers' Ele- vator, located at Colusa, has been organized during the past year, and is one of the strongest farmers' co-operative organizations in the county.
LIVESTOCK SHIPPING ASSOCIATIONS- Assistance in the organization of livestock ship- ping associations has been given in all cases where there was a call for this service. A total of five associations have been organized since November 15, 1919.
WOOL POOL-A total of 52,4291/2 lbs. of wool have been consigned through The Hancock County Wool Pool.
BREEDERS' ASSOCIATIONS-An organiza- tion of the horse breeders of the county has been perfected. The Angus Breeders have organized
the Hancock County Aberdeen-Angus Breeders' Association, while other subsidiary breeders' as- sociations previously organized have been active in the promotion of the interests of the various breeds.
LIMESTONE-1,440 tons of limestone were delivered on orders sent in through the Farm Bureau.
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