---

V. THE PURE BRED INDUSTRY

The beginning of the pure bred cattle industry in the state of Illinois was antedated by the introduction of the mongrel bred cattle by a very narrow margin of time. While there were probably a few mongrel bred cattle in the state before 1830, those that were brought in after that date were the real foundation cattle. These cattle were brought from the eastern states, by the early pioneers, for milk cows, and it is their descendants which are referred to when the native cattle of the state are spoken of.

The changes which have been made from the mongrel bred cattle that were brought into the state by the early settlers to the present day improved breeds have been marked.

"For almost a century, attention has been given to the breeding of pure bred cattle in Illinois. As early as 1833, a man by the name of James Williams, brought some Shorthorn cattle of the Patten Stock, from Kentucky to Sangamon county. In 1834, J. D. Smith and J. N. Brown brought a number of Shorthorns from Kentucky to the central part of the state. In the spring of 1838, Colonel John Williams, a son of James Williams, brought a Shorthorn bull and a Shorthorn cow from Lexington, New York, into Sangamon county. These three importations of pure bred stock into Illinois were the earliest of which there are any records. Other importations of Shorthorns into the state were made at later dates, however, and they soon became the leading breed of cattle in the state for both beef and dairy purposes."[25]

The rapid dissemination of Shorthorns throughout the state was probably due chiefly to the method by which the breed was advertised. The leading breeders held public auction sales annually on their farms, or at some convenient place, and people all over the state were invited to come to these sales and bring such pure bred animals as they had for sale. In view of apprehensions on the part of some of the breeders, that this method might tend to spread disease among the cattle, it became a rule to require that every contributor to a sale furnish a certificate from a veterinarian, showing his cattle to be in good health, and that they had not been exposed to any contagious disease.

Shorthorns held full sway in the state until about 1865 or 1870, when the tide began to turn. Other breeds began to be introduced into various parts of the state. Some of these breeds gained popularity so rapidly that within a very few years the competition became very keen between them and the Shorthorns. At the shows, all breeds were shown in the same class. This created considerable excitement among the enthusiastic advocates of the various breeds and often resulted in fist and skull fights.

"At the Chicago show in 1879, there was close competition among the breeds when it come to tying the ribbon for sweepstakes award. Mr. F. L. Miller, a Hereford man, wanted to put the breeds to a slaughter test. The other breeders refused to kill their pure bred cattle, but some grades were slaughtered instead; one Shorthorn, one Hereford, and one Devon."

Neither of these steers had marbled flesh. One family who ate some of one of the steers was said to have been made sick, due to the excessive fatness.

The feeders of this time gave very little or no attention to the marbling of meat. All they noted was whether an animal was getting fat or not. They didn't notice whether they were putting the fat on evenly.[26]

From the very earliest improvement of cattle in Illinois, Shorthorn blood has been used more extensively than that of any other breed. They were the first pure bred cattle brought into the state and were the only pure bred cattle in the state for several years. They were more generally known by farmers throughout the state and at a very early date were found in almost every county.

Hereford cattle have ranked next to Shorthorns, both in number and popularity.

"About 1870, Herefords began to play an important part in beef production in this state, and it was only a few years after this time that they were taken into Sangamon county, where Shorthorns had first gotten their strong hold."[27]

"The competition between the Herefords and the Shorthorns grew stronger each year. In February of 1885, the Shorthorn Breeders' Association, in session, decided to ask each member to contribute fifteen cents for each Shorthorn owned by him, to be used for the good of the Shorthorn interest. The rivalry between the different breeds of cattle was so sharply defined and closely pressed that they thought it indispensable to the protection and prosperity of the Shorthorn interest and thought the State Association of Shorthorn Breeders should be kept in an active and strong existence."[28]

The following is a summary of reports gathered by the Bureau of Animal Industry in 1885, by sending out questionnaires to different parts of the state, showing the breed of cattle that has been used moot extensively in cattle improvement.

T. L. Miller

"Early in the "seventies," Mr. T. L. Miller, than a business man in Chicago, who owned a farm at Beecher, Will county, Illinois, became interested in Hereford cattle."

Mr. Miller was born at Middletown, Connecticut, on April 7, 1817. In 1842, he went to Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, where he was in business until 1856, when he removed to Chicago, Illinois. Here he was in the fire insurance business until about 1870. He had bought the first 320 acres of his farm at Beecher and 207 acres three miles to the north. He commenced to improve the farm with buildings in 1862. His nearest railroad station then was Monee, on the Illinois Central. In 1870, the Chicago, Danville, and Vincennes Railroad, was built, and Mr. Miller bought about 340 acres of additional land to the west of that already acquired and laid out the village of Beecher. He closed out his business in Chicago and went to live on this "Highland Stock Farm" in March, 1870. A few years later, he laid the foundation for his herd of Hereford cattle.

Mr. William Powell, an Englishman, who later on bred and handled Herefords extensively on his own account both in Illinois and Texas, was jointly interested with Mr. Miller in some of his earlier ventures in Herefords. An item in the "National Live Stock Journal" for February, 1872, reads as follows: "We learn that Messrs. Byers and Campbell, of Nevada, Ohio, have sold to Messrs. T. L. Miller and Wm. Powell of Highland Stock Farm, Beecher, Will county, Illinois, an individual half interest in three Hereford cows and two bulls, and thirty-six pure bred Cotswold sheep. Mr. Miller's farm soon afterward became the center of the greatest American activity in the Hereford trade."[29]

Thomas Clark

"Thomas Clark was born in Herefordshire, England, near the Monmouth border, in 1842. His father was a cattle grower of local repute, who used pure bred Hereford bulls, but did not profess to be a handler of pedigreed strains. Thomas Clark came to the United States in the spring of 1866, and after working for a time on a farm near Pittsfield, Ohio, was employed by a Cleveland butcher having a large city trade. Thrifty and possessed of an inborn faith in the "white faces" of his native land, by dint of hard work and economy in the course of a few years, Clark found himself in a position to get into business in a small way on his own account. As foreman and cutter in Cleveland, he acquired a practical familiarity with what lies under a bullock's hide, that was of distinct advantage in his subsequent career as a breeder and feeder of good cattle. He had an interest in his brother-in-laws little butcher shop in Elyra, but his own fondness for the fields led him to give most of his time to the 80 acres he had under lease near town. He moved on this farm and began breeding Hereford cattle. He bought his first bull, Sir Arthur (705), as a calf, from F. W. Stone of Canada.

"In 1877, when Mr. Clark's lease on the Ohio farm expired, seeing that the west was becoming a good market for Herefords, he decided to remove to Beecher, Illinois. He had shown every year at the Ohio fairs, and always won. He made one show at Erie, Pennsylvania, while breeding in Ohio, and another at Jackson, Michigan, in 1876, winning first prize on herd, in competition with seven Shorthorn and Devon herds. This was the first time Herefords had won that prize in Michigan, and the event caused a lot of controversy. Clark had, meantime, sold three calves to T. L. Miller and delivered them personally. He was impressed with the idea that Illinois would be a better location for his cattle business than Ohio. He bought 80 acres of land, about one and one-fourth miles from the village of Beecher. He afterward added forty acres to the home farm, and subsequently, bought twenty-six acres in addition. Mr. Clark always kept his own lands largely in grass, and leased fields for farming purposes. He brought his Ohio herd, numbering at that time about twenty-eight head, to Beecher.

"In 1877, Mr. Clark showed a herd at the northern Ohio Fair at Cleveland, winning all prizes shown for."[30]

(1857) "There is no question but what the native cattle of the state may be improved by successive generations of judicious breeding, but if in and in-breeding is followed, as at present, the effects will be negative.

"The true comparison between native steers and improved steers is seen when they are put on the market. Shorthorn and Hereford steers at weaning time are worth about $15, while the native steers at weaning time are worth about $5. The Shorthorn and the Hereford steers could be made to go to the New York market weighing around 1800 to 2000 pounds gross, and sell for 12 cents to 15 cents per pound, while the native steers were sent to market at six or seven years of age, weighing from 900 to 1000 pounds, and sold for 10 to 12 cents per pound.

---

"The Illinois Cattle Importing Company received a shipment of 38 Shorthorn cattle from Europe."[31]

"Messrs. Calef and Jacoby at Springfield, Illinois, sold at auction, March 23, fifteen head of cows and heifers, all Shorthorns. Two of the number were imported. They reached an average of $583. They also sold eight Shorthorn bulls which averaged $171.98 each."[32]

"Messrs. H. E Gardner of Bradfordton, Illinois, and J. S. Highmore of Rochester, Illinois, sold 30 Shorthorn cows and heifers at the Sangamon County Fair Grounds. The total number brought $3,140. Average of the cows was $104.66. They also sold 14 bulls for $10.20. The highest price paid in the sale was $280 for a cow. The total sale for cows and bulls amounted to $4,160, an average of $95.54. L. C. Carlin of Edinburg, Illinois, bought a bull for $100. Philimon Stuart of Cotton Hill, Illinois, bought one for $100 also.

"In the afternoon of the same day, D. W. Smith of Bates, Illinois, sold five cows and heifers for $770, an average of $154; also three bulls sold for $710, an average of $236.66. The total of the cows was $1,480. The highest cow sold to Lafayette Funk of Shirley, Illinois, for $2.30. The highest bull sold to George M. Caldwell, Williamsville, Illinois, for $300."[33]

"Rossland Park Stock Farm at Ashkum, Illinois: The farm is 73 miles south of Chicago, on the Illinois Central Railroad, in Iroquois county. It is composed of 120 acres of deep, dark prairie soil.

"This farm was first owned by Mrs. Ross of Chicago, who gave very little attention to it and allowed it to become badly run down. It was then purchased by G. W. Henry of Chicago, who at once set about to improve it. He put a new fence around the entire farm and prepared it to be kept as a grazing farm for cattle.

"Mr. Henry was a Shorthorn enthusiast and bred Shorthorns until 1884, when he became interested in Herefords. High grade and pure bred Herefords had his attention then for two or three years, after which he decided to deal in none but pure-breds. He sold his entire lot of grades. R. W. Hollenbeak of Casey, Iowa, purchased 73 of the two year olds at $75 a head; 25 high grade one year old at $50 a head; one yearling grade bull at $75; and 49 young grade calves at $40 a head.

"There were left on the farm about 150 pure bred Herefords which soon were increased enormously by using some valuable bulls as herd headers."[34]

"The "Summit Farm", owned by Mr. Wentworth, comprises about 4000 acres, which is mostly prairie. He has on his farm 80 Shorthorns. He has some yearling heifers by the son of "Booth's Lancaster", which are very promising. He also owns the "Fifteenth Duke of Ardie" who still holds his place as one of the grandest Bates bulls in existence.

"Mr. Wentworth feeds mangles in connection with hay."[35]

"The Polled Aberdeen Angus herd, belonging to Messrs. Anderson and Findley, of Lake Forest, Illinois, is one of the oldest herds in the United States, and is probably the largest of any in the United States or Scotland."[36]

"Our first importation was made in the summer of 1878, and consisted of the bull Nicolis 1102, and the five females: Jeannie Gordon 2914, Lazy 3rd 1100, Violet of Brucehill 1951, Diana 4th 3226, and Waterside Fancy 1854, and thus was established the first breeding herd of Aberdeen Angus cattle in the United States so far as we know. The cattle in this importation did so well with us that we were induced to make further importations, and the cattlemen of this country readily recognized the superiority of the breed, and with proverbial American go-aheadness, took hold of them at once. Such was the demand for animals of this breed in the early eighties that we found ready sale for them at prices almost beyond the reach of cattlemen of moderate means. We, together with other importers, drew upon the parent stock in Scotland to such an extent about this time that the straining point was soon reached and prices rapidly advanced in that country also.

"The land at Lake Forest, Illinois, upon which for so many years we maintained our herd, was constantly appreciating in value, until it is now (1901) worth about four hundred per cent more than when we first established our herd there. We were, therefore, compelled to move our herd into cheaper lands, and this we began to do about 1894, and in 1897, practically all of our herd had been transferred to our Allendale Farm, in Allen county, Kansas. We purchased most of the land composing Allendale Farm in 1878, and have improved and added to it since until now, we have over 2000 acres, making as fine a place for the breeding of fine stock and the fattening of cattle as can be found in the country."[37]

"The Illinois Cattle Breeders' Association was organized in 1895. The first annual meeting was held at Springfield, on January 13, 1896. Mr. J. Frank Prather presided at this meeting. Mr. J. H. Pickrell was the first secretary. A committee was appointed to draft by-laws.

"The first paper on the program was "Home and Foreign Demand for Beef Cattle" by A. C. Howell, the editor of the Drover's Journal. The paper was read by the secretary, Mr. Pickrell. The main theme of the paper was on Baby Beef, in which he said that it was no longer a fad, but a profitable business."