History of Green County, Wisconsin. Together with sketches of its towns and villages, educational, civil, military and political history; portraits of prominent persons, and biographies of representative citizens, Part 59

Author: Union publishing company, Springfield, Ill., pub. [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Springfield, Ill., Union publishing company
Number of Pages: 1168

USA > Wisconsin > Green County > History of Green County, Wisconsin. Together with sketches of its towns and villages, educational, civil, military and political history; portraits of prominent persons, and biographies of representative citizens > Part 59

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. As has been before stated, Wisconsin is es- sentially a grain growing State. This interest has been the principal one, not because the soil is better adapted to grain growing than to gen- eral stock or dairy farming, but rather because this course, which was at an early day most im- mediately profitable, has been since persistently followed from force of habit, even after it had failed to be remunerative.

The increase in the production of grain was very rapid up to 1870, while since that time it has been very slight. This rapid increase in grain raising is first attributable to the ease with which this branch of farming was carried on, upon the new and very rich soils of the State, while in the older States this branch of husbandry has been growing more difficult and expensive, and also to the fact that the war in our own country so increased the demand for grain from 1861 to 1866, as to make this course the most immediately profitable. But with the close of the war, came a diminished demand. Farmers were slow to recognize this fact, and change the character of their productions to accord with the wants of the market, but rather continued to produce the cereals in excess of the demand. The chinch bug and an occasional poor season seriously injured the crops, leaving those who relied principally upon the produc- tion of grain, little or nothing for their support. Hard times resulted from these poor crops. More wheat and corn was the farmer's usual remedy for hard times. So that more wheat and corn were planted. More crop failures, with low prices, brought harder times, until gradually the farmers of the State have opened their eyes to the truth that they can succeed in other branches of agriculture than grain grow- ing, and to the necessity of catering to the de- mands of the market.

AGRICULTURAL HISTORY OF GREEN COUNTY. [By Thomas H. Eaton, of Clarno.]

The farming interest in Green county has al- ways been fully up to that of any other of its industries.

The first settlers were young and middle aged men. They came here with but little stock-in- trade, save their strong hands and a determina- tion to succeed. The early settlers in this county had some advantages not common to all new counties. The proximity to the lead mines fur- nished them with a ready market at remunera- tive prices, for all their surplus products. In fact, a considerable portion of the county was a

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HISTORY OF GREEN COUNTY.

mining district. Some of our most wealthy farmers got their first start by "digging" lead ore. When the lead mines of Lafayette, Iowa and Grant counties began to supply themselves by their own agricultural resources, the farmers of Green county still had an outlet for their ex- ports in the lumbering camps in the Wisconsin pineries.

Before the days of railroads, in Wisconsin, when a Green county farmer wished to build a new house or barn, it was his custom to load a train of wagons, in the winter season, with wheat, oats and pork, and take it to the lumber camp, where prices were always satisfactory. He would load back with pine shingles and the better qualities of finishing lumber. It was thought, at that time, a grand luxury to put on an inside finish to a house. We had an almost inexhaustable supply of the finest black walnut lumber, also butternut, but the walnut was en- tirely too common, and it must be painted some other color. At the present time, most any one with a house thus painted, would give some- thing to have the paint removed, and the rich walnut finish restored.

But there came a time in the history of Green county agriculture, when the tune was changed. The lead mines and lumber camps were being supplied by fertile fields nearer home, and the Green county farmer was compelled to cart his surplus crops to the lake shore; and these came in competition with the older settled districts of the country. There were still, at this time, many ox teams in the country, oxen were a natural adjunct to breaking the new prairie -- sward; for when night came on they could be unyoked in the last furrow, the yokes and chains dropped there, and the next morning the oxen would be found close at hand fully fed on the luxuriant blue joint grass, that abounded every where. But, when it came to loading a wagon with wheat and, with an ox team, starting for Milwaukee, it was quite a different affair. It meant, on the part of the farmer, camping out and doing his own cooking, and if his "train"

was overtaken with a "spell" of weather, he was lucky if he got home without being in debt. Many is the story I have heard related wherein the entire proceeds of a load of wheat would be eaten up in expenses, and the farmer would come home in debt.

Green county in its first settlement was as fine a wheat growing country as any on record. I have known as many as forty bushels of num- ber one spring wheat to be grown to the acre on large tracts of land ; and thirty bushels to the acre was a common thing. Wheat was about the only crop grown in this county until the chinch bug made its appearance. I have often thought the little pest was a blessing in dis- guise, because there never was any money in wheat raising. The expense attending the har- vesting and threshing always made too large a hole in the farmer's profits. Then, when there was an occasional failure, or partial failure, it left the cultivator of the soil badly in debt.

There was one compensation, however, in wheat farming which cannot be said about corn raising: Our rolling prairies did not wash so badly. The farmers of this county made some mistake, however; they thought, at an early day, that the soil was inexhaustable, and they were in the habit of burning their straw as soon asit was threshed. There was another custom adopted by many, and that was to plow a few furrows around a field, so as to protect the fences and then set fire to the stubble. I have heard many an argument on this practice. The claim was, that the ash was of as much value for ma- nure as the stubble turned under. I have always thought that the heating of the surface of the soil had a quickening influence on it, and caused . it to produce well for the time being; but had an exhausting influence upon the productiveness of the soil in later years. Be this as it may, there is no one now that allows any thing to be burned on his farm.

The raising of pork, for the market, has been a leading industry ever since the wheat crop I began to fail, and, in fact, to a considerable ex-

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HISTORY OF GREEN COUNTY.

tent for a good many years before that time; as this county has always been measurably free from "hog cholera" and all other diseases pecu- liar to swine.

The farmers of Green county have always used the newest inventions and the best im- proved farm machinery that the market af- forded. The use of the land roller by all classes of farmers was said to have been brought about in this way: One of the most enterprising farmers of the county, having plowed up a num- ber of large bowlders, determined to remove them so as to have them out of the way of the reaper when the harvest came. Having no means at hand, he employed an old fashioned "stone boat." Having loaded it with bowlders, he drove over the new sown wheat to a ravine at one side of the field, making, of course, dif- ferent roads all over his field. He found that the wheat came up much quicker, also thicker, in these roads, and when harvest came on the wheat was found to have ripened some days sooner in these roads than on other parts of the same field-so much so, it is said, that you could see the track of the stone boat as plainly in the early harvest, in the earlier maturity of the wheat, as when they were fresh made.

Speaking of the custom of burning the straw and stubble ground, reminds me of a novel kind of threshing machine which was in use to some extent in this county when I first came here. The machine was mounted on wheels, to which was attached a platform upon which a number of shocks of wheat or oats could be loaded. The practice was to drive up to the stack and load the platform, then take a circuit round through the field. The movement of the car- riage set the machinery in motion. The straw was scattered in the rear, or wake, if you like it; the cleaned grain deposited in a receptacle for that purpose; and the straw was left in a good condition to set fire to.

During the stimulus to the wool interest caused by the War for the Union, the farmers of this county went largely into sheep husbandry,

thereby demonstrating that the county was re- markably well adapted to sheep culture. But, from several causes, some of which were, the want of an efficient dog law, the existence of an occasional hungry wolf, and the want of a proper discrimination on the part of Congress in behalf of the farmer, and especially the wool interest, the people largely changed off to cattle and horses-although there are at this date (1884) some very fine flocks of sheep kept in the county. The winter feeding of sheep for the Chicago fat stock market is largely and profitably engaged in by a number of our most enterprising farmers.

Several of the most wealthy citizens of this county are engaged in breeding herds of cattle of the famous "Shorthorn," and other pure breeds, largely for the supply of other commu- nities. And the same may be said of the swine breeders of this county. Probably no other county in the State has done more to improve the sev- eral different breeds of hogs than has Green county.

But, to the dairying interest, this county owes more than to any other industry for her unparalleled prosperity. Through it the people of the county have been able to pass through two almost entire failures of the corn crop without a ripple in their finances. There are at this time, in this county, seventy-five cheese factories, of which forty-eight are engaged in the manufacture of Limburger cheese, twenty iu Swiss cheese, and seven in American cheese, besides several butter dairies that make a large amount of first-class butter. The number of milch cows in the county (as per assessor's re- port) is 17,433; number of pounds of butter manufactured, 933,041; and of cheese, 2,015,- 760. Since the farmers of this county have turned their attention to the dairy interest and stock raising, the fertility of the soil has been largely increased.

In later years much interest has been mani- fested in the improving of the breed of horses. There is probably as fine specimens of the Nor-

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HISTORY OF GREEN COUNTY.

man breed owned and kept in this county as can be found anywhere in the United States. There are also some fine specimens of the Clydesdale breed. A. Ludlow, the chief breeder of Short- horn cattle in this county, has as fine a stud of full blood Clydesdale horses as can be found anywhere. He uses no other kind of horses on his extensive farm, which lies immediately ad- joining the city of Monroe. Ile informs me that the Clydesdale are easily broken; always reliable, and good walkers; and always bring a good price when he wishes to sell.

There is one question that the farmers of Green county have settled to their own satisfac- tion, at least, and that is the question of "rail- road monopoly." While other communities are sweating and toiling over the subject of "cheap transportation," the farmers in this community are perfectly happy and contented.

When the markets of the lead mines and of the pineries were supplied by communities nearer to them, heretofore referred to, the farm- ers of this county thought if they only had a railroad to Milwaukee and Chicago, this would be a paradise indeed; and they set to work to build the Milwaukee & Mississippi Railroad (now the Milwaukee & St. Paul). The farmers along the line of the road subscribed all the money they could rake and scrape towards building the road. Many of them even mort- gaged their farms to the enterprise. During the time the road was being built, times were improved somewhat by the large consumption of farm produce by the railroad hands; but when the road was once built, it augmented the class of producers to as great an extent as it facilitated the transportation of our surplus crops. The cry up to this time had been that of "quick transportation," but when the farmer's bushels of wheat, or bushels of oats or corn, had been whirled away to Milwaukee in eight hours, when it used to take him three weeks to haul it there with an ox team, he found that the railroad freight and warehouse charges had eaten up all his profits, and he was in no better

plight than he was before the road was built. Then came the cry of "cheap transportation," and the subject of additional lines of railroads was agitated. There were a few farmers in this county-notably Mr. Crowell, of Green's Prairie, several of the Swiss colonists of New Glarus, and a few others-that never seemed to be in any worry about the "transportation question." It was noticed that five times out of every six when Mr. Crowell came to Monroe with a'team, he came with an empty wagon and returned with it loaded. He was engaged in cheese- making, and fed up all the products of his farm to his milch cows and purchased large quanti- ties of feed besides. The example of these men was sufficient for the balance of the county. The cost of transportation of a pound of but- ter or cheese is so insignificant when compared with the cost of its production that it is scarcely felt by the producer.

Then, again, the dairying interest goes largely hand in hand with that of hog raising; so that the Monroe depot is the banner station in the State as a hog shipping point.

As a further evidence of the very satisfactory condition of the farming interests of this coun- ty, and, in fact, of that of every other branch of industry, is the fact that interest is not al- lowed on special bank deposits.

There are probably few districts of country any where that is better adapted to dairying and stock raising than Green county. The un- bounded supply of pure spring water on nearly every farm in the county; the grand facilities for fencing; and its rich pasture lands; together with its steady and dry winters; make it a very healthy region for all kinds of stock.

EXTRACT FROM THE AGRICULTURAL ADDRESS OF TIIE PRESIDENT OF THE AGRICUL-

TURAL SOCIETY, 1855.

"I wish to call your attention to some statis- tics, which I have carefully gleaned from the census of June, 1850, and from which, with the aid of the census of last June, I have been able to make some calculations for the present year.

John Morelande

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HISTORY OF GREEN COUNTY.

By the census of 1850, the population of Green county was 8,566. The value of all stock owned in the county was $223,000, and of all animals slaughtered $34,000.

Of wheat and oats, there were raised 150,000 bushels of each; corn 134,000 bushels; potatoes 17,000 bushels; and of wool 15,000 pounds, and of butter 114,000 pounds.

Those who resided here in 1849, will recol- lect that owing to the immense emigration to California, and other reasons, thousands of acres of land, before improved, lay idle and unculti- vated. According to the census of June last, our population has almost doubled the last five years, and there is no doubt twice as much land to the inhabitant, is cultivated the present year as there was in 1849; the value of stock has doubled, and its quantity more than doubled. We are therefore safe in making the following estimate for 1855:

Value of stock owned in the county. $672, 000

Value of animals slaughtered. $170, 000

Bushels of wheat raised. 600, 000

Bushels of oats raised. 500, 000

Bushels of corn raised. 550, 000

Bushels of potatoes raised 50, 000

Pounds of wool. 60, 000

Pounds of butter. 300, 000

and many important articles are left out of the computation. Who that is able to reason from cause to effect, will doubt that through the in- trodnetion of improved breeds of stock, better implements, and better varieties of the different kinds of farm products, and by means of the improved cultivation which will naturally fol- low from the competition here induced, that the yearly products of the farm in Green county, may be increased without additional ontlay, at least 25 per cent. But to be sure to keep within bounds, suppose the annual product, be increased in value only 10 per cent. Take the article of wheat alone (which I suppose amounts in value to near half of the aggregate products of the county), and on that, if worth $1 per bushel, this small increase would amount to $60,000, a sum which distributed among the farmers of Green county, would afford, at least, a tempo-

rary relief from that most disagreeable of dis- orders -- "hard times."

CHEESE STATISTICS FOR 1883.

The following table shows the number of cheese factories doing business in Green county in 1883, and the number of cows furnishing milk. It also indicates the number of pounds of milk consumed each day, and the pounds of cheese made:

Number of factories manufacturing Limburger cheese 48

Number of factories manufacturing Swiss cheese. 20 Number of factories manufacturing American cheese

Total number of factories.

Number of cows furnishing milk to Limburger cheese factories 6,365

Number of cows furnishing milk to Swiss cheese fac- tories. 1,920 Number of cows furnishing milk to American cheese factories. . 2,380

Total number of cows furnishing milk. 10, 665

Number of pounds of milk used at Limburger cheese factories (daily) 190,650 Number of pounds of milk used at Swiss cheese fac- tories (daily) 60,300 Number of pounds of milk used at American checse factories (daily) 69,000

Total number of pounds of milk used (daily) .. 319, 950 Number of pounds of Limburger cheese made (daily). 21, 183 Number of pounds of Swiss cheese made (daily) .. 7,667 Number of pounds of American cheese made (daily). 6,700

Total number of pounds of cheese made (daily) 35, 550 The value of cheese made each day in Green county, for 1883, at an average price of ten cents per pound, was $3,555.

GREEN COUNTY AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY.

Green county, since its earliest settlement, has been pre-eminently an agricultural county. This fact early led to the organization of an agricultural society. On the 4th day of July, 1853, a few persons interested in a society of this kind met in the village of Monroe. An organization was effected by electing E. T. Gardner president, J. V. Richardson secretary, John A. Bingham corresponding secretary, and A. Ludlow treasurer. The first fair of the so- ciety was held in November of the same year at the court house in Monroe, at which time the munificent sum of $100 was disbursed for pre- miums. It is to be regretted that the original list of entries and awards is not now in exist- ence, as it would furnish very interesting read- ing for the agriculturists of the present day.

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HISTORY OF GREEN COUNTY.

Some time during 1854 arrangements were made by which the society secured grounds of its own just north of the village, on lands owned by A. Ludlow. The grounds then con- tained about seven acres, for which they agreed to pay the sum of $400, as appears from the deed now in the hands of the secretary of the society. In order to meet the expenses of fenc- ing and erecting buildings, life membership certi- ficates were issued and sold at $10 apiece. The second annual exhibition was held on the new grounds in October, 1854, and the sum of $200 paid out as premiums. It is impossible to ar- rive at any accurate record of the doings of this society, owing to the fact that the early records of the society, together with the treasurer's book and life membership list, was destroyed in one of the disastrous fires which visited Monroe several years since.

At the session of the State legislature in 1856 an act for the encouragement of agriculture was passed, and pursuant to that act the society re- organized, July 7, 1857, by electing S. M. Humes, president; M. Kelly, Sr., vice-president; J. V. Richardson, recording secretary, J. A. Bingham corresponding secretary; N. Churchill, treasurer; and A. Ludlow, superintendent.

The constitution and by-laws of the society adopted at this reorganization shared the fate of the early records of the society, and departed this life in a puff of smoke. At the present writing (1884) there has been no constitution nor by-laws adopted, and the constitutional busi- ness of the society is transacted on the strength of the memory of the "oldest inhabitant" as to what the constitution "used to be." What will be done when the "inhabitant" is no more, remains to be seen. At a meeting of the society July 20, 1857, we find the following:

Resolved, That a vigilance committee, con- sisting of one person from each town, be ap- pointed, whose duty it shall be to solicit people of their town to become members of the society.

Which resolution was unanimously carried; also the following resolution, which will explain how the present society secured the title to the fair grounds of the old organization:

Resolved, That the secretary and president be and are hereby directed to issue certificates of life membership to each of the life members of the former society (there being seventy in number) in payment for the fair grounds which was purchased and fenced by the former society, said certificates to be issued on the title to said grounds being made to the present society.

The first fair under the new organization was held Sept. 24, 25 and 26, 1857, on the fair grounds. The treasurer having neglected to submit his annual report, we have no means of getting at the financial condition of the society for that year.

In 1858 we find several of the members dele- gated to prepare essays on various subjects, which essays were afterwards published in the Sentinel and Independent.

At a meeting held on the fair ground in September 1858, the executive committee were instructed to inquire into the expediency of removing the fair ground and to examine any proposal made to the society.

A great many of the early premiums of the society up to and including 1859 were paid in subscription to the " Wisconsin Farmer." At the annual meeting in 1860 we find the fol- lowing motion to which was appended a paren- thetical note of the section, which we copy in full. " On motion it was ordered that the fair " ground be mowed and not pastured, the hay "to be reserved for the use of the society. (Gone to grass, hey ?") A committee was ap- pointed at this meeting to consult with the peo- ple of Albany in relation to holding the next fair at that point, but little seems to have been accomplished, as we find the next fair of the society held at Monroe, Sept. 20 to 22, 1860. At this fair the number of entries was 620,

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HISTORY OF GREEN COUNTY.

We append the financial statement for that year in full :

State appropriation.

100 00

Annual members.

173 00

One life member

10 00

Pasturing fair ground.

15 00

Sale of single tickets.

132 50

All other sources.

45 50

$476 00

DISBURSEMENTS.

Paid balance due on fair ground.

$ 44 82

Expenses of fair ...

118 95

Amount of premiums awarded.

311 91

Balance in treasury

$476 00

The next fair of the society was held in Monroe, Sept. 26 to 28, 1861, at which time there were 532 entries, and $293.66 paid in premiums, the receipts and expenditures bal- ancing at $384.36.

In 1863 the fair was held Sept. 24 to 26, with a falling off of the entries, there being only 356, and $254.81 being awarded as premiums.

The fair of 1864, which was held Sept. 22 to 24, seems to have proved discouraging in the extreme. We quote at length from the records of Sept. 24, 1864 :

" The three days set apart for this annual fair " were enough to discourage any set of mien, " except men of Green county. The first day was " raw and chilly, and but very few entries made. " The second day, which is usually the day of " the fair, was decidedly a rainy day, and noth- "ing was done. The third day opened un- " comfortably cold, and remained so until noon, " the afternoon being fair and pleasant. Had "the two days preceding been as favorable as " the last half day of the fair, we should " probably have had a good exhibition notwith- " standing the irrepressible ehinch bug."

The number of entries at this fair was 391, and the amount awarded for premiums $167.04.

At the July meeting, 1865, Mr. Ludlow of- fered to exchange for the seven acres of the old ground, ten acres to be selected by the society from lands owned by him described as being east of and adjoining the residence of E. E. Carr. A committee was appointed to

examine into this matter, who reported at an adjourned meeting July 15, 1865, in favor of the proposed exchange, and the report was adopted. About $360 was subscribed at this meeting for fitting up a fair ground. At a special meeting in August the committee reported $627.00 subscribed, and further reported a strong preference in favor of Ludlow's addition, on which to locate the new grounds. No fair was held in 1865.

April 14, 1866, the old fair grounds were sold to Christopher Martin at $105 per acre, and. a committee consisting of O. J. White, O. H. P. Clarno, J. S. Smock, C. J. Simmons and Christopher Martin were appointed to secure grounds proper for a fair ground and race course for the society. April 28, 1866, this committee reported that they had made ar- rangements whereby they could secure eighteen acres of land suitable for the purposes of the society. The said land lying east of and adjoining Ludlow's addition to the village of Monroe. Twelve acres belonging to A. Ludlow could be purchased at $100 per acre, and six acres be- longing to William Hodge at $125 per acre, Mr. Hodge to donate $50 of the purchase price to the society.

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History of Green County, Wisconsin. Together with sketches of its towns and villages, educational, civil, military and political history; portraits of prominent persons, and biographies of representative citizens, Part 59

Author: Union publishing company, Springfield, Ill., pub. [from old catalog] Publication date: 1884 Publisher: Springfield, Ill., Union publishing company Number of Pages: 1168

Author: Union publishing company, Springfield, Ill., pub. [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Springfield, Ill., Union publishing company
Number of Pages: 1168