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In the fall of 1918, a meeting was held in Atlantic for older boys and men with an interest in pig feeding, to discuss the possibility of starting a club for the young people in Cass County.

The next spring of 1919, a meeting of those same boys and girls was held at the Washington No. 2 School in Washington Township. Officers were selected and thus started a 4-H Club in Cass County.

By 1920, this club had 47 boys and girls from the entire county, and their main interests were sewing and pig feeding.

By 1923, the interest in 4-H had grown to include 12 4-H Clubs within the county. This included a Baby Beef Club, Pig Club, Purebred Gilt and Boar Club, Dairy Club, Lamb Club, Girls Garment Club, and Girls Canning Club. There were specific organized girls' clubs in Benton, Pymosa, Washington, Grove, Union, Edna and Pleasant Township.

In 1925, the 4-H program was threefold, including emphasis on making and selection of garments, footwear, and music appreciation. The first county-wide Rally Day was held in 1925 in Sunnyside Park in Atlantic. One hundred thirty members and their parents gathered in the morning, and after registration, enjoyed a basket dinner. Following the dinner, a meeting was called to order by the county club leader, Mrs. R. S. Campbell, followed by community singing. Election of county officers resulted in Mabel Thomson being elected president, Mildred Joyce, vice-president, Lillian Metz, secretary, and Beryl Campbell, treasurer. Gladys Winston was entered in the State Health Contest in 1925 and won the position of tying for second place among all the girls in the state.

Front row left to right: Marie Brehmer, Ruby Bagley, Lucille Johnson, Opal Thomson, Mildred Thomson, Ethel Johnson. Second row: Raymond Comes, Armin Brehmer, Mervin Curtis, Harold Zellmer, Irma Thurman, Luin Jipsen, Emil Brehmer. Third row: Ralph Berry, Irene Moller, Ralph Brehmer, Ora Moller, Keith Curtis, Delbert Berry, Mabel Thomson, Eleanor Grulke, Emilie Brehmer. Fourth row: Lydia Knop, Ethel Jipsen, Mildred Hansen, Zella Thomson. Fifth row: Johnnie Knop, Maurice McFadden, Lester Hansen, Mary Trissler (Leader), Otto Dreager, Oscar Zellmer, Willie Grulke, Clarence Hansen.

One girls' club in Cass Township was organized and decided to carry a major emphasis of first-aid since they were all getting the clothing work in the Lewis School.

1925 was the first year Cass County was represented at the Iowa State Fair with a carload of baby beef. In the group of ten calves in mixed breeds, Cass County took first place.

The days following the close of the fair in 1927, members saw the beef calves loaded for their last trip to the auction ring in Chicago. Thirty-four calves made the trip, as the Grand Champion of the show, belonging to Edwin Hendersen, was sold in front of the amphitheater the last day of the fair in Atlantic. He was purchased by the Greater Atlantic Club at $23.50 per hundred weight and sold over the block at the Sauer and Dahlberg Market.

A cup, donated by the Livestock Exchange to the best market pig, was given to Eleanor Hendersen, sister of Edwin. Roy Shepherd of Grove Township was judged the champion club member from Cass County and received a Chicago-Rock Island-Pacific railroad trip to the International Livestock Show in Chicago. Achievement Day was held at the City Hall in Atlantic, at which time Mrs. Clarence Pellett awarded silver loving cups to Pleasant and Washington Townships. The clubs tied for first place in the Music Memory Contest. Virginia Shahan and Helen Trialer of Brighton Township were chosen to represent Cass County at the State Fair with a demonstration on "Hooked Rugs". The 4-H health was emphasized in 1927 and each girl was given a complete examination during Club Achivement Program. Seven doctors from Atlantic donated their time to complete the examinations. Dr. W.U. Hammer and Dr. Code Hammer gave the dental examinations. Dr. Earl Montgomery gave the ear, eye, nose and throat examinations, and Drs. Barnett, Greenleaf, Roy and F.J. Becker gave the general examinations. Miss Ruth Wahlert was selected as the most perfect club girl and represented Cass County that year at the State Fair. She ranked fourth during the State competition.

In December of 1930, Miss Viola Meints of the Extension Service, met with the townships' project leaders and their publicity chairmen for the Annual Poster Training School. Top posters were selected at the Achievement Day and advanced to State Fair competition. There were 120 girls enrolled in the Canning Club in 1930 and they canned 4,389 quarts of food and planned and prepared 1,387 meals. The winning demonstration team representing Cass County at the State Fair was Gladys Frazeur and Helen Mueller of the Full-O-Pep Club of Pleasant Township with their demonstration on canning chicken. In 1930, the girls' clubs names were the G.G.G. Club, Golden Dell Club, P.E.P. Club, Merry Maidens, Washington Workers Club, Full-O-Pep Club, and Eldeen Club.

Cass County had eleven local boys' 4-H Clubs in 1939 with a total enrollment of 156 boys. There were eleven girls' 4-H Clubs in the county and their major emphasis was on Home Furnishing. Members were enrolled in several clubs in the county. These inluded Baby Beef Club, Dairy Club, Pig Club, Sheep Club, Colt Club, Corn Club, Garden Club, Farm Record Book Club.Emmert Euken won a $25 prize and Earl Peter Kirk won a $10 prize for keeping the top record books.

At the 1939 Iowa State Fair, George Peter Hopley won Grand Champion overall with his senior angus steer and Wayland Hopley Jr. won the Grand Champion with his purebred heifer.

The boys' 4-H clubs in 1939 were the Victoria Stockmen in Victoria Township with Guy DeVore as the leader; G.E.M. 4-H club in Washington Township, James Winston, leader; Benton Future Farmers, Benton Township, with Loyal Possehl, leader; H.O.T. 4-H Club, Grove and Franklin Township, Harold Henderson, leader; Victors 4-H Club, Union Township, Carl Pollock, leader; Massena Champions, Massena Township, Lou Raasch, leader; Pleasant Boys 4-H Club, Pleasant Township, Phil Frazeur, leader; Square Deal 4-H Club, Lincoln-Grant Township, Bob McCrory, leader; Brighton 4-H Club, Brighton Township, with Charles Pitfenberger, as leader; Fletcher Chapel Cubs in Bear Grove Township, Earl Kirk, leader; F.B.A. 4-H Club in Cass Township with F.I. Northrup, leader; Ski Hi Club in Pymosa Township with Vallie Pellett, leader.

4-H continued to grow and expand to new areas throughout the years until 1950, when Cass County had 473 4-H club boys and girls and 73 4-H leaders.

4-H projects continued to rotate on an annual basis between Food and Nutrition, Home Furnishings, and Clothing. Girls were encouraged to enter the County Dress Revue Contest, The County Better Grooming Contest, as well as can and freeze food, preserve jam and jelly, refinish furniture, and construct garments.

4-H boys were encouraged to complete a baby beef project, a pig project, lamb project, colt project, or dairy project. In addition to these specific areas, 4-H club members were expected to conduct community service programs including health, citizenship, fire prevention, and even gardening.

Cass County 4-H clubs also cooperated or took part in such programs as the International Farm Youth Exchange, sending garden seeds abroad, packing boxes to send overseas, or orphanages in this country, club and district camps, State 4-H Conference and State Fairs.

Cass County 4-H and FFA members exhibited at the new fairgrounds in Atlantic in 1950, moving to the west end of town. A number of special programs was always presented as part of the fair program.

1950 was also the year Cass County had the State 4-H Vice-President in Delores Prall. Twenty-five years later, Delores Prall Nelson's son, Kirk, was elected to the State 4-H Office of President.

By 1960, 4-H had continued to grow in Cass County with membership reaching 546 enrolled in 30 local clubs, with more than 80 local volunteer leaders.

County events held during the 1960s included the Annual 4-H Officers Training School, Annual 4-H Award Banquet, 4-H Camping Program, 4-H Leaders' Recognition Night, many community service activities, plus the Cass County Fair.

The largest single 4-H activity held in the county during the year was the Cass County Fair. The Cass County Fair has continued to be a free fair supported by donations from local businesses with it's [sic its] primary purpose to evaluate the projects and activities of 4-H members from throughout the year. One of the big assets of the 1960 Fair was the construction of the new 160 foot pole type barn with built-in show ring and bleachers. The Grounds Committee provided the funds for the materials which were suppplied by the lumber yard in Massena.

The County Committee continues to appoint fair superintendents, who in turn assume the major responsibility in conducting the overall fair.

Atley Wedemeyer, Dennis Karstens, Gary Harmen, and Gary Mueller represented the county in the State Crop Judging Contest and tied for sixth place. Thirty-one 4-H clubs existed in Cass County in 1960. In 1979, 4-H enrollment is 540 4-H members, with 150 volunteer leaders in 29 4-H clubs.

A project leader system has been incorporated during the last ten years in which 4-H project leaders are selected within a local 4-H club to work with 4-H members in a particular area. Project areas have expanded from the once two major projects in the county to now over 50 projects with some 4-H members enrolled in such areas as entomology, woodworking, bees, pets, electric and snowmobile.

The 4-H program in the past was carried out jointly with the Home Economist and the County Extension Director. However, in 1945 Dorothy Pont joined the Extension Staff during the summer to help carry out the 4-H program. From then on to the present time, a special person has been in the county office conducting the 4-H program. Titles have varied for this person ranging from 4-H Club Agent, County Youth Assistant, County 4-H Agent, to the present title of 4-H and Youth Leader.

By: Mary E. Ottmar, Extension 4-H and Youth Leader

Transcribed July, 2023 by Cheryl Siebrass from History of Cass County Iowa, by the Cass County Genealogical Society, 1980 History, Inc., pp. 9-10.