AGRICULTURE AND RAILROADS.

Chapter IV.

Being purely an agricultural county, it was very natural that an agricultural society should be among the earliest associations of the county.  Hence we find that in 1858 the Harrison County Agricultural Society was formed by the following members, as officers and directors:  Henry Olmstead, President; John G. Downs, Secretary; directors: Dr. J. S. Cole, J. H. Farnsworth, William Dakan, Henry Reel, Robert McGavren, Stephen Mahoney, Lucius Merchant, William T. Raymond, John M. Raymond, Patrick Morrow, John Noyes, Jacob S. Fountain, Daniel Brown, W. S. Meech, H. M. Huff, and others.

Their early fairs were held in the vicinity of the old court-house, at Magnolia, that building sometimes being used as a hall in which to exhibit fruits, vegetables and fine art work.  The first annual exhibit was made in the autumn of 1858, and they continued at the same place for eight years, at the ingathering of the yearly harvest. As the soil then produced even more bountiful than now, full of rivalry and ambition, the early fairs were indeed of a better order than those of more recent date.  Again, those days were not cursed by the presence of “wheels of fortune,” “chuck-luck boards,” soap fiends, and patent-right vendors, so common in these days of “advanced civilization.”

Among the “hundred and one” premiums awarded at the Second Annual (1859) County Fair, were the following:
Best stallion, A. Servis, $3.00; best pair horses, Phineas Caldwell, $3.00; best pair two year-old steers, James Hardy, $2.00; best plowing, Thomas Chatburn, $3.00; best seed corn, O. V. Brainard, $1.00; best fresh butter, Mrs. P. Caldwell; best cheese, G. M. Brown, $1.00; best yarn stockings, Mrs. H. M. Irish, 50c.; best embroidery, Mrs. G. W, Harris, 50c.; best hat (braided), Mrs. S. Rice, 50c.; best lady horseback rider, Mrs. Phineas Cadwell, $4.00; best vegetables, A. Servis.  At the first fair B. C. Adams and Judge Stephen King ran a foot-race, to the great amusement of all present.

In 1866, a proposition was made the society to remove headquarters to that portion of the county which should donate the best set of buildings, grounds, etc.  In such contest, the people of Little Sioux far outrivaled all others, and the base of annual fairs for Harrison County, in 1867, was changed from Magnolia to Little Sioux.  Here the people had enclosed twenty acres of land, provided a good race-track, built excellent buildings, including floral hall and shedding.  But growing out of the fact that a joint fair was held with Monona County for a year or two, there came another cry from the people, to remove the fair to Missouri Valley, whose enterprising populace gave good fenced grounds, erected spacious buildings, and put in order a fine race track.

In 1872 the annual exhibit was held at Missouri Valley, and has been ever since, except seasons when the floods and rains descended from heaven too strong!  During 1887 there was a new and excellent floral hall erected, 30X100 feet, and so made as to light and ventilation that all were pleased at the improvement.  The old buildings had become decayed and element worn—indeed by some it is related were so dangerous that many procured accident policies before entering the gateway!  The new building cost $1,200.  The society has always been an exception to Iowa fairs, from the fact that it has been a financial success.  In 1887 the gate money amounted to $1,700.00, besides other cash resources, amounting to $2,700.  Fine arts, fruits, grains, vegetables, fancy grades of stock, etc., have annually attracted thousands of people, both in and outside Harrison County.

Henry Olmstead, served as President two years (1858-’59), and Hon. Phineas Cadwell was elected twenty years in succession (except 1879, when G. D.  Wilson relieved him).  In 1883 H. B. Cox was elected, and served as President until the present one, B. J. Moore, of Dunlap, was elected.

The first Secretary, John G. Downs, served until he entered the Union army in 1862.  Others served until 1872, including Judge Henry Ford; C. W. Ode took charge in such capacity, serving until 1878, and was succeeded by James K. McGavren; he served until 1883, and gave way to A. B. Hosbrook, the present incumbent.  It is claimed that too much praise cannot well be given to the planning and labors of both Mr. and Mrs. Hosbrook.  It should here be said that in 1872 the society was reorganized by the following persons:  Phineas Cadwell, Joe H. Smith, C. W. Oden, William H. Eaton, J. A. Brainard, J. S. Cole, E. Cobb, Patrick  Morrow,  Job Ross, W. S. Meech, O. J. Goodenough, Jacob T. Stern, George Richardson, Colonel J.R. Wheeler, A. L. Harvey, R. B. Terry, Stephen King, H. B. Cox, David Gamet, Samuel De Cou, William Chambers, Henry Garner.

AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS.

The subjoined is transcribed from the last State Census Compendium, published in 1885, and gives figures for that year on Harrison County as follows:  Acres of corn: 116,763 –bushels harvested, 4,282,223; spring wheat, acreage, 16,556 – bushels harvested, 232,577; oats, acreage, 13,259 – bushels harvested, 353,061; pounds of sorghum sugar, 30,633; pounds of honey, 19,414; number of bearing apple trees, 31,194 – bushels, 27,310, pounds of grapes raised,  140,718, pounds of butter, 662,485; cattle sold, 9,691; hogs  sold, 46,519; number dogs in county, 2,344.  At that date – six years ago –the average size of farms in Harrison County was 261 ¼ acres; average monthly farm hand wages, $19; average value of farms, $6,873.  At the same date (1885) Harrison was ranked as the third county in Iowa for bushels and average per acre in corn – Polk being first and Fremont second.  Harrison County yielded an average of thirty-six bushels per acre that year.  In 1858 Stephen King sold wheat, which averaged forty bushels per acre on forty acres, at one dollar and a quarter per acre.  He took it to the mills in Calhoun.

SHIPMENTS FROM THE COUNTY.

The following shows the shipments of various products from the railway stations within the county for the year ending July 1 1891, and showing an average for five years.  In later years this may be of much interest:

THE FARMERS' MUTUAL FIRE AND LIGHTNING INSURANCE ASSOCIATION

Of Harrison County, was incorporated May 25, 1887, with headquarters at Woodbine.  Began to assume risks June 25 of that year. The incorporators were William H. DeCou, J.H. Rice, J. D. DeTar, E.W. Milliman, H. C. Harshbarger. J. A. Danielson, and L. D. Harris. 

The first report was made to the State Auditor in January, 1889, and was as follows:
Amount of risks in force at the beginning of the year, $131,088; amount of risks written during the year, $73,259.99; amount of risks canceled during the year, $6,942; amount of risks in force at the end of the year, $197,850.99; amount of losses paid during the year, $52; amount of other expenses, $125.86; total expenses during the year, $177.86.  The first six losses paid were; Jonathan Holeton, horse, $75; J. A. Deal, steer, $12; J. H. Rice, yearling and a calf, $27; G. W. Bobbitt, heifer, $25; W. B. Gilkerson, steer $18; F. W. Myers, cow, $22.50.

The association is steadily increasing as the farmers are becoming acquainted with it and the low rate of insurance, which is from 75 cents to $1.oo per $1,000 annually.  The headquarters at the present time January, 1892, are at Logan. 

J. H. Rice, President, L. L. Dewell, Vice President, C. M. Cadwell, Secretary, E. W. Millman, Treasurer.

Statement, December 31, 1891:

Amount of risks in force……………………. $580,313

Amount of risks renewed during year……… $  86,895

Total………………………………………… $667,208

Amount of risks in force……………………. $  10,170

Amount of risk in force…………………….. $657,038

Losses paid during the year, $445; total expenses, $510.06.

RAILROADS

In those days of fast mail trains and live-stock freights, it is hard for one to realize that in the early settlement of Harrison County, the matter of railroads was never brought into account.  In fact, Henry Reel, one of the pioneers, left Indiana because he preferred to live away from the sound of a locomotive whistle.

At the time this county was settled by “Squatters” there was not a mile of railroad within a thousand miles, and it was several years before the first train of cars ran upon Iowa soil—the first being on the Rock Island line in 1856, to Iowa City, then the State Capital.  The Northwestern line was the first to be built to the Missouri River, and the date was December, 1866, ten years from the time it crossed the Mississippi at Davenport.

In January, 1859, a company was formed for the purpose of building a railroad from the Missouri River to the great pineries of Eastern Minnesota.  It was styled the “Council Bluffs, Boyer Valley & Minnesota Railroad Company”.  The officers were J. W. Denison, President; J. E. Johnson, Vice President, H. Olmstead, Secretary; and N. Harris, Treasurer.  The directors were J. W. Denison, J. E. Johnson, Stephen King, N. Harris, William M. Hill, J. S. Cole, H. Olmstead, G. W. McGavren and C. Baughn. 

A little later he same year a company was organized, of Harrison and Shelby County men, known as the “Harlan Junction, Magnolia and Platte Valley Railroad Company.” (then named “Montana”) March, 1856; to Council Bluffs, December, 1866. 

The Sioux City & Pacific, now a part of the great Northwestern system, was completed in December, 1867. 

The Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Road, which touches Harrison County, was constructed in 1881. 

These three railway lines give Harrison County ample shipping and rapid transit facilities.  The Northwestern enters the county just above Dunlap, in the northeast corner of the county, traverses the county in almost a direct southwest course to Missouri Valley, passing through Harrison, Boyer, Jefferson and St. John Townships, with stations named Dunlap, Woodbine and Logan.  From Missouri Valley it runs due south into Pottawattamie County on to Council Bluffs.  After leaving California Junction the Sioux City and Pacific branch runs northwest through Cincinnati, Taylor, Morgan and Little Sioux Townships, passing from last named into Monona County.

The Milwaukee system passes through Washington Township from north to south, with Persia and Yorkshire as station points.

The mileage of Harrison County railroads is as follows:

Chicago & Northwestern line, 30 miles, assessed at $10,300 per mile.
Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul line, 7 miles.
The Fremont, Elkhorn, Missouri Valley line, 7 miles.
Sioux City & Pacific line, 31 miles, assessed at $3,500 per mile.
Total mileage in the county, 75. 

Whatever may be said against railway management it must be admitted that the railroads have been the great factor in development in all the portion of the country west of the Ohio River.  What were Illinois, Iowa and Nebraska without their great net works of railroads?  Before their advent, say back in 1859-60, corn could not be given away scarcely.  Much rotted in the crib and some sold at eight cents per bushel.  It took two bushels then to purchase a pound of nails.  Pork sold at from one to two cents per pound, and all because of lack of any sort of transportation to the far off Eastern markets.

In 1858 the Hon. Isaac Parrish, a man recently from the Twenty-sixth Ohio District, which he represented in Congress, settled near where California Junction is now located, and in speaking to early settlers in Harrison County, at that date, he remarked that, “it will not be ten years before the cars will be rolling down the Boyer Valley.  They will strike McIntosh Point, go west, cross the Missouri River, and so on to California.  Men may come and go from New York to San Francisco in ten days by rail.”  Men called him foolish to thus talk, but eleven years passed by—that’s all—and passengers journeyed from ocean to ocean in eight days.