History of Marshall County, Kansas : its people, industries, and institutions, Part 22

Author: Foster, Emma Elizabeth Calderhead, 1857-
Publication date: 1917
Publisher: Indianapolis : B.F. Bowen
Number of Pages: 1276

USA > Kansas > Marshall County > History of Marshall County, Kansas : its people, industries, and institutions > Part 22

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

There is no creamery in the county now, but several dairies are in opera- tion. There are one thousand four hundred and twenty-nine cream sepa- rators in the county, and cream to the value of ninety-seven thousand two hundred and twenty-six dollars was sold to creameries for the year ending March 1, 1916. Six hundred and fifty pounds of cheese was made and sold in the county, by individual cheese-makers, there being no cheese factory in the county. During the same period, three hundred and eighty-two thousand nine hundred and one pounds of butter-fat have been shipped out of the county and sold.

BREEDS FOR DAIRY PURPOSES.

The dairy breeds that are the most popular are the Holsteins and Jerseys. Lackland Brothers, W. O. Morrill, F. E. Austin, Mr. Arnold and others champion the Holsteins, while the Jerseys are preferred by C. Thomas, R. O. McKee, George Hall. Joseph Krasney and others. AAlfred Sanderson is the only man in the county who is specializing in Guernseys.

Several years ago large numbers of cattle were fed for the markets. Among the large feeders were Perry Hutchinson, Patrick Finegan, Charles Scholz, William Cassidy, Charles Butler, and John Cottrell. Butler and Cot- trell are still in the business.

One predominant factor in the promotion of the animal industry in the county has been alfalfa, ever since its introduction. The man who raises alfalfa, not only makes two blades grow where but one grew before, but he grows ten, and everyone, green or dry, is a stick of meat and fat for horse, cow or hog.

To Bernard Nauman, of Frankfort, belongs the credit of having brought the first alfalfa seed to this county about 1872. It was many years getting under cultivation, but once fairly started it became the favorite it deserves to be, and no farmer can "keep house." without it now.

The silo has become a strong ally of alfalfa for dairy and fattening purposes. It furnishes "canned" green feed of excellent quality to all kinds of stock at all seasons of the year. Fifty-eight of these feed preserves were reported in use for the year ending March 31. 1916, in the county, and in January, 1917, the number had been nearly doubled.

CHESTER ROWE, BOY FRIZE WINNER IN COUNTY CONTEST, WITH SILVER CUP. Calf prize and exhibit of corn. He also won first state prize at the Kansas State Agricultural College.

Y. M. C. A. EXHIBIT AT MARSHALL COUNTY FAIR.

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THE HORSE.

With the coming of the German settlers on Horse Shoe creek, among whom were the Friedrichs, Raemers, Koenekes, Schottes and Westermans, came the knowledge of good draft and general utility horses. Those men were from the north of Germany, where the splendid breeds of horses for cavalry and for heavy draft use were well known and appreciated. Those German farmers had no desire for racing stock and they at that time and for many years, continued to raise the best draft horses in the county.

The desire for fast horses, which usually attends frontier life, was present for some years in the county and was in a small measure indulged in by H. H. Lourey, J. Gano, Dave Barrett and Charles Hill, of Frankfort; Perry Hutchinson, Dr. G. A. Scaman, Dr. E. L. Willson, St., A. G. Shepard, and in later years, H. E. Wiedemeyer, of Marysville, were patrons of the turf. A racing association and track were maintained at Frankfort and Marysville for many years, but the men who once kept fancy horses are no longer living and few of the men of today evince the sporting spirit of the "race-horse man." The Marshall County Fair and Stock Show may again attract races and revive the old spirit. L. W. Libby was a lover of good horses and at one time had one hundred and twenty-five head of the Sangaree breed, which he raised for market, but the decline in the price of horses during the years 1894 to 1898 resulted disastrously for Mr. Libby.

HIGH-GRADE HORSES INTRODUCED.

About 1876 Henry Bull brought a high-grade Norman horse to Marys- ville and in 1883 Degnan & Degen brought two imported French Norman horses. To Dr. E. L. Willson, Sr., belongs the credit of having done more for the improvement of the horse in the county than to any other number of men. From 1882 to 1886 he imported seventy-two Percheron, Clydesdale and English Coach thoroughbred stallions from Canada and Scotland, and to this day when a good stepper is seen, it is almost sure to be a descendant of Doctor Willson's "Sangaree" or "Karatas," although Doctor Willson retired from active horse business many years ago.

Horse raising was quite an industry up to 1894, by which time the county was full of very good horses of all kinds. The year 1894 will never be forgotten by all who lived in the county, as the year of the hottest winds ever experienced, killing not only the corn and hay, but all the fruit and denuding even the forest trees of foliage, so that by September the trees

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were as bare as in the winter. There was no feed nearer than St. Joseph or Kansas City, Missouri, where owing to its scarcity the price was prohibi- tive. Many horses were given away for lack of feed to support them.

I. B. Davis bought a good team of mules, wagon and harness on the streets of Marysville for sixty-seven dollars. During that winter horse buy- ers from Eastern markets scoured the county. One man from Omaha bought two carloads at one time in Marysville, not one of the horses weighing less than fourteen hundred pounds and without blemish, at an average of forty-five dol- lars per head. This buyer toll the writer that it was the finest lot of horses he had bought in many years. That fall ( 1894) it was reported in Marys- ville that there was a sign on the gate of a pasture, which contained a lot of cattle and horses, just across the state line in Gage county, Nebraska, bearing these words: "Help yourself to horses, but don't let the cattle out."

In February, 1896. Robert Halter. of St. Gall, Switzerland, came to Marysville to purchase a cargo of horses. The best horses had been sold by this time. John Degnan drove him to the country to make purchases. On Horse Shoe creek, two hig fine horses were shown and Halter told Deg- nan to "go a hundred dollars apiece on them." Degnan offered the owner eighty-five for the two, which caused the Swiss to run behind the barn, expect- ing the owner of the horses to resent the "insult" by opening fire. Hearing no shots he returned to find that Degnan had bought both horses for eighty- five dollars.

In the fall of 1894 Halter had been told to come to Kansas and buy horses, but when he got as far west as Ohio, he was informed that there was nothing in Kansas but ponies and that people lived in dug-outs, so he bought his cargo of undoubtedly western horses in the Eastern markets at Eastern prices and returned to Europe. Needless to say, that when Halter obtained an introduction to Kansas horses and prices in 1896 he was a wiser but poorer man. . At such prices ruling horse raising was anything but profit- able to Marshall county farmers.

The recovery of the industry was slow and the introduction of the automobile did not encourage it any. However, many good sires were con- stantly being brought in and while recovery and development have been slow, it has been in the right direction. The county is still behind other sections of the country in the production of good horses. The raising of thoroughbred horses for breeding purposes has not been pursued in this county to any extent. August Wempe, of Frankfort. is breeding Percherons, but has only a small number at present.

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AUTO VS. HORSE.

in July. 1912. G. Philip Schmidt, of Marysville, because the first owner of an automobile in the county- a one-cylinder Oldsmobile. On January I. 1917, there were at least two thousand automobiles in the county, one thousand nine hundred and fifty-four of them being licensed machines, or one machine to every ten and one-half inhabitants. In 1900 there were from two to four livery stables in each town, supporting from two to ten teams cach. Now the horse livery and the livery horse are practically extinct, the auto having displaced them.

During the past four years the tractor engine has begun to displace the horse on the farm, principally at the plow.

There is still plenty of room for the good farm and draft horse. but the roadster and saddler have become too slow for present-day conditions. The farmer of today living three miles from town can go to town in his. auto, transact business and return in less time than it took his "dad" to yoke "Buck and Jerry.'

Since the outbreak of the European war, many horses have been pur- chased in this county for shipment to Europe and the previous market price has been enhanced about twenty-five per cent.

SHEEP.

Sheep have never played a very important part in the system of agricul- ture in Marshall county. Dr. J. G. Crawford had rather an extensive sheep ranch in Center township from 1872 till 1878. but no wide-spread sheep industry has been carried on in the county. Sheep. in limited numbers, have leen fed for market in various places, but as a money-making product of the farm they have not ranked with either hogs or cattle. Some of the farmers in the county who feed out some sheep yearly are Hawk Brothers, William Wrester, Henry Farrar, J. Farrar and Jesse Craik.

The following shows the number of sheep listed in the county for the past four years : 1913. 285: 1914. 391 : 1915. 366: 1916, 1,450.

Since the foregoing report was rendered. Francis Benson, Ross Kinney, Fred Reinders, William Jones and Anton Feldhausen have invested in sheep and will give the business a try-out. At the present time there are over two thousand head of sheep in the county.

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MAKSIMIL COUNTY, KANSAS.

IIOGS.

The raising of hogy was one of the first side lines that the farmer took up in connection with other farm activities in Marshall county. The first pure-bred hogs in the county were the Berkshires, Poland Chinas and Chester Whites, J. D. Farwell, of Waterville, is credited with bringing the first Chester Whites to the county. It cannot be determined who introduced the other breeds. Charles Scholz, of Snipe Creek, introduced the Duroc-Jersey breed.

During the first three decades of Marshall county history the hog was the "mortgage lifter." Early-day farmers raised hogs more for the purposes of market and consumption, than for pedigree. The state agricultural reports show that Marshall county was a big hog-producing county of the state.

During the last thirty years hog cholera has increased and has caused losses to farmers running into thousands of dollars. During the year end- ing March 1, 1913. the reports show that 39.296 hogs were raised in the county. Of this number 5,588 died of disease. For the year ending March 1, 1914. 32.844 hogs were raised, and 6.394 died of disease. In 1915. 41.904 hogs were raised and 6,071 died of disease. This aggregated a loss to Mar- shall county farmers of over $200,000. In 1916 the number was 40,919 hogs, and 1.325 died. Of this latter number 813 died of cholera.

CHOLERA ERADICATION STATION.

In July, 1914. the Bureau of Animal Industry of the United States Department of Agriculture established a hog cholera eradication station in Marshall county, with headquarters at Marysville, with an expert veterinarian and a corps of assistants. The entire expense of maintaining this station is Torne by the Federal government.

The bureau made a thorough investigation of hog diseases prevalent in the county and immediately instituted vigorous warfare on such diseases. A decrease is shown by the last report in the total death rate, and a very marked decrease in the death by cholera.

1 .. R. Smith, D. V. S., who has been in charge of the station since September. 1915, states that for the past fifteen months there has been practically no loss in the county from hog cholera and that during forty days he did not receive a call in the county. Hearty co-opera-

HOLSTEIN BULL, VALUE $1,700, EXHIBITED AT MARSHALL COUNTY FAIR.

HEREFORD CATTLE, SHOWN AT MARSHALL COUNTY FAIR.

RIVERSIDE PARK, WHERE THE MARSHALL COUNTY FAIR AND HORSE SHOW IS HELD.

FLORAL HALL, RIVERSIRE PARK.

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tion between the farmer and bureau will result, it is hoped, in a permanent eradication of the disease and a consequent gain to the producer.

A large percentage of the hogs now raised in the county are registered or are eligible to registration. Some of the farmers who have been exten- sive breeders of thoroughbred hogs are. Thompson Brothers, Ben Bell, A. B. Garrison. A. B. Swank and J. M. Nielson.

The following breeders exhibited thoroughbred hogs at the Marshall County Stock Show at Blue Rapids in 1916: J. A. Carlson, George Honey- cutt, Howell Brothers, J. O. Honeycutt, Ed. Erwin, Herman Anderson and F. B. Wempe.

POULTRY.

There is not a town in the county which has not one or more dealers in poultry and eggs, and the "helpful hen" is not to be despised as an assist- ant money maker, by any means.

Official reports show the value of eggs and poultry sold in the county for the period ending March 1 of the following years to be-1913-$200,099: 1914-$203.557: 1915-$231.312: 1916-$239.242, an annual average of $221,605. These results do not take into account the eggs and poultry con- sumed at home.

Of the many breeds of chickens, the Rhode Island Red and the Barred Plymouth Rock are the most numerous; after these, almost every known breed is well represented and enthusiastically supported. The county has many men and women who specialize in thoroughbred chickens, and who sell a great number of eggs for hatching purposes at fancy prices, ranging from fifty cents to six dollars a setting of fifteen.

While the hen has not gone out of business entirely as a hatcher, never- theless, her process is too slow for this age of speed mania, and for that reason the incubator, which hatches from one to several hundred chicks at one time or setting, is universally used.

MARSHALL COUNTY FARM BUREAU.

The Marshall County Farm Bureau was organized in the spring of 1916. Marshall was the sixteenth county in Kansas to perfect an organiza- tion. F. B. Williams was elected county agent and began his work on June 21. 1916.

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The bureau is a co-operative educational organization of the farmers of the county to promote better farming, better stock raising and better farm and rural home conditions. In every county in the state there is a vast amount of practical knowledge that can be used to assist in solving the agri- cultural problems of the present day. If this knowledge can be organized and placed in a readily available form, it will be the most valuable informa- tion that can be secured from any source. Such practical information is the first essential in successful farming. Every farmer will admit that it is necessary to keep well informed also upon so-called "scientific farming." which is merely the application of the best known principles of agriculture to every-day farm operations.

A farm bureau giving continuous attention to agriculture, will help to organize available information and to keep all concerned well informed. The farm bureau is financed by the government, the state, the county and by the individual members. The services of the county agent are free. He is furnished with an automobile and will respond at any time to the call of the farmers of the county requiring his assistance. The county agent is not an "adviser," but is a man with an agricultural education and practical experi- encc, working under the direction of the farm bureau, to improve agricul- tural conditions.

METHODS OF WORK.

The farm bureau conducts its work by means of demonstrations and demonstration meetings, publications, through committees and by personal visits of the agent. Some of the projects carried on are variety tests. seed selection, testing insect control and orchard work; drainage, planning farm buildings, live-stock improvement, cow testing, boys and girls' clubs, and anything that the bureau deems advisable. The farm bureau working in the United States has been an unqualified success. There are' now one thou- sand two hundred and forty agents at work, and the good being accomplished is far greater than was originally anticipated.

CORN CONTEST, 1916.

First honors in the Y. M. C. A. acre-growing corn contest were won by Chester Rowe, of Marysville. As winner of the contest he received a silver loving-cup, offered by R. S. Panley, of Beattie, and a Holstein calf.

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offered by Lackland Brothers, of Axtell. The cup will be held one year and then passed on to the winner of next year's contest.

Maynard Reb, of Blue Rapids, won second honors ; Jay Hendel, of Blue Rapids, third. and Harold Wager, of Irving, fourth. Maynard Reb received the Poland China gift, offered by A. B. Garrison & Son, of Summerfield.

The contest will be continued in 1917. The Lackland Brothers have been so well pleased with the interest shown that they have again offered a Holstein calf to the winner. P. T. Burk, of Marysville. has also offered a seventy-five dollar silo for the first prize.

FARMERS EDUCATIONAL AND CO-OPERATIVE UNION.

In the year 1912 a number of the farmers of Marshall county, believing that they could better their condition by some method of farm marketing. began to discuss the question of organization and co-operation. Some wanted to organize the county by itself, others favored joining the Grange, but the final decision was to unite with the Kansas branch of the Farmers' Educational and Co-operative Union of America.

The first local in the county was organized by Mr. McAuliffe, of Salina, president of the state union, in January, 1913, at the school house in district No. 75, two and one-half miles south of Vermillion. Later a local was organ- ized at the Lamb school house in district No. 134, two miles west of Ver- million, and during the next few months a number of locals were organized in different parts of the county.

On May 24, 1913, the several locals of the county met at the court house in Marysville to perfect a county organization, in order, that by co-operative effort in the county, they might better accomplish the ends they were striving for. McAuliffe, of Salina, was present and assisted in the organization.

A constitution and by-laws were adopted and officers elected as follows : President. N. S. Kerschen, of Marysville ; vice-president, John Frost, of Blue Rapids ; secretary-treasurer. A. F. Johnson, of Vliets ; county organizer, W. G. Swanson, Vleits ; conductor, Clarence Steel, Vermillion ; doorkeeper, Roger Pichney, Waterville.

Farmers' wives and daughters are eligible to membership in the organiza- tion and have taken a very active part, not only in the social and educational features, but have assisted materially in the business enterprises.

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ENTERPRISE SUCCESSFUL.

As the organization had to grow and learn at the same time, the members worked along step by step. At first they clubbed together to ship their grain and live stock, and buy their supplies in carload lots, and found by so doing they could save considerable money.

By the end of the first year they found it would be necessary to employ men to take care of their shipments, and in 1914 the county was divided into four sections with the following men elected by each section, to take care of this work: L. H. Van Valkenburg, of Blue Rapids: E. W. Bergman, Axtell; Charles R. Wallace. Vleits, and J. H. Schulte. Home City.

From this humble start in 1913 the organization has continued to increase its membership and enlarge its business activities, until, in January, 1917. its membership is 1,855, with fourteen business associations, consisting of thir- teen elevators, one store and fifteen produce stations, located as follows: Blue Rapids, Marysville, Schroyer, Waterville, Irving. Winifred, Axtell, Summer- field. Vliets, Oketo, Beattie. Home City, Herkimer, and a store at Mina.

These business enterprises have a paid-up capital of over $75,000, and the business transacted in 1916 aggregated $800.000.

The directors of the business associations are chosen from among the farmers and nearly all the managers are farmers. Every association has been a financial success-sufficient evidence that the Union will make better farms. better homes, better towns, and place the business of farming in the front rank of the great industries of the world.

FARM PRODUCE CONTEST.

.At the county fair held at Bhuie Rapids in October, 1916, five locals entered a contest for the best display of farm products. Lamb Local No. 779, of Vliets, won first prize with a display of two hundred and fifty products, grown on the farm of Charles R. Wallace, near Vliets, besides a number of products from other farms in Lamb local, among which were the best ten ears of white corn shown at the fair, grown by E. Schubert, of Vermillion. The other locals contesting were Blue Valley Local No. 781, which took second prize in the general exhibit, also a number of blue ribbons. Cottage Hill No. 801 won third prize with a splendid exhibit. Cooley Local No. 807 won fourth prize with a very creditable exhibit.

The county union now consists of forty local unions, with a membership of 510 women and 1,345 men, making a total of 1,855 members.

HORSES EXHIBITED AT MARSHALL COUNTY FAIR.

THE WEST 30 YEARS AGO.

THE WEST THIRTY YEARS AGO.

BIRD'S-EYE VIEW OF MARYSVILLE.

ORIGINAL BLUE VALLEY CREAMERY.

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Meetings of the county union are held quarterly at the following points : Marysville, in January : Beattie, in May: Frankfort, in July, and at Blue Rap- ids, in October.

In January, 1915, the following officers were elected: President, W. T. Gossin, of Axtell; vice-president, John T. Ellenbecker, Marysville; secretary- treasurer, Charles R. Wallace, Vliets. At that time the organization was chartered.

In January, 1916, the following officers were chosen : President, William T. Gossin, of Axtell; vice-president, John Frost, of Blue Rapids; secretary- treasurer, Charles R. Wallace, of Vliets.

The officers for 1917 are: President, Ralph H. Hawkins, of Marysville; vice-president, A. D. Fitch, of Frankfort; secretary-treasurer, Charles R. Wallace, of Vliets.

NUMBER OF LOCALS AND SECRETARIES, 1917.

No. 859-Roy Christy, Axtell. No. 781-Charles Musil, Blue Rapids. No. 776-L. W. Davis, Vermillion. No. 779-J. A. Johnson, Vliets. No. 780-Neil Swanson, Vliets. No. 782-A. W. Bennett, Waterville. No. 796 -Charles A. Schulz, Marysville. No. 797-James McNew, Marysville. No. SoI-Charles Stenson, Waterville. No. 807-C. H. Palmer, Blue Rapids. No. 809-M. T. Bigham, Frankfort. No. 822-R. D. Blair, Blue Rapids. No. 838-E. C. Talbot, Marysville. No. 841-H. A. Waters, Marysville. No. 834-R. S. Hawkins, Marysville. No. 854-O. C. Severns, Marysville. No. 857-Fred W. Koepp, Home. No. 858-Anton Nieberding, Marysville. No. 808-Stephen Navricek, Irving. No. 924-H. C. Lucas, Frankfort. No. 948-R. F. Carver, Frankfort. No. 951-Phil Smith, Frankfort. No. 961- William T. Gossin, Axtell. No. 964-Willis Conable, Axtell. No. 967- H. H. Feldhausen, Frankfort. No. 968-Charles Wuester, Beattie. No. 971 -V. C. Miller, Summerfield. No. 990-H. A. Wanamaker, Blue Rapids. No. 997-Dan Bachoritch, Oketo. No. 998-George E. Raymond, Bigelow. No. 1002-Irwin Otto, Marysville. No. 1005-A. H. Seaman, Axtell. No. 1851-Otto J. Wullschleger, Winifred. No. 1071-Sidney Johnson, Frank- fort. No. 1122-H. F. Bergman, Vermillion. No. 1232-Charles Schroeder, Home. No. 1238-Emil Hohn, Marysville. No. 1259-N. G. Schmidt, Marysville. No. 1288-J. C. Shepard, Irving. No. 1349-Harvey Smith, Home.

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MARSHALL COUNTY STOCK SHOW AND FAIR ASSOCIATION.

The Marshall County Stock and Fair Association, located at Blue Rapids, was chartered in March, 1916, and its capital stock fixed at $10,000, divided into 1,000 shares of $10 each. For the purpose of interesting as many as possible in this matter, it was determined not to sell more than one share to any one person.

The following first board of directors was elected at the first stockholders' meeting held at Blue Rapids, June 21st, 1916: E. R. Fulton, William Acker, S. W. Tilley, W. J. Gerard, J. W. Stewart, Niel Robinson, A. B. Garrison, John Cottrell, A. R. Dean, Frank W. Lann, C. E. Nichols, C. B. Mayer, G. D. Curry, Ernest Hermann and R. J. Wells. The organization was completed by the election of Neil Robinson. president : J. W. Stewart, first vice-president ; A. B. Garrison, second vice-president : W. J. Gerard, treasurer, and C. J. Brown, secretary. Executive committee: W. J. Gerard. . A. R. Dean. Neil Robinson, C. B. Mayer and G. D. Curry.

The city of Blue Rapids gave to the association, for a term of years, the use of its Riverside park, for stock show and fair purposes, and in this beau- tiful park the first fair was held October 10 to 13. 1916.

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History of Marshall County, Kansas : its people, industries, and institutions, Part 22

Author: Foster, Emma Elizabeth Calderhead, 1857- Publication date: 1917 Publisher: Indianapolis : B.F. Bowen Number of Pages: 1276

Author: Foster, Emma Elizabeth Calderhead, 1857-
Publication date: 1917
Publisher: Indianapolis : B.F. Bowen
Number of Pages: 1276