Agricultural Societies

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Agricultural Societies ~ Granges ~ 

Coal and Fruit Interests

Agricultural Societies

The people of Macon county, feeling the need of a county fair, feeling the need of a county fair, effected an organization in 1859. The benefits of such an organization,  when rightly conducted, are varied and manifold. The society placed right ideals before the people, and by various incentives, called them to a higher plane of thought and action. The best thoughts of the world, the results of much study, experiment, and investigation, are transferred from all lands and brought into the homes of the people. The premium list covers the whole circle of human industries, and every family in the county feels the benefits incident to emulation. The gathering of people in masses and the annual display of the best products for examination, comparison and study, carries higher ideals and new thoughts to every home. Farmers discuss these matters around the fireside and their farms begin to show improvements in every way. Improved breeds of stock are introduced, better seed is sown: and new cereals tried, improved implements are bought, farmhouses are constructed on better plans, and the home is furnished with many comforts and luxuries which would never have been thought of, without the fair. It may be conceded that conductors of fairs have fallen below the true ideals, and have not used all the forces placed in their hands by these organizations for human improvement, but the Macon county fairs have never fallen below the average.

The Macon County Agricultural and Mechanical Society was incorporated  June 6, 1859, with the Following members :

There were 18 lodges of Patrons of Husbandry in the county, number fully 1000 members 

It has been estimated that about two-thirds of Macon county is underlaid with coal of the best quality. The most important of the workable mines are those which are located at and near the town of Bevier, five miles west of Macon. At this point Loomis and Snively operate mines numbers one, three, and four. The firm is composed of W. H. Loomis, L. J. Loomis and S. V. Snively. These mines were opened before the late Civil War by the Central Coal Mining Company. Loomis and Snively mine their coal by machinery without picking it into screenings. Their shafts are sunk from 60 to 70 feet below the surface of the earth. They own 2,000 acres of coal land. In the winter of 1883-84 they shipped from 800 to 900 car loads of coal per month, and employed from 300 to 400 men. In the summer they shipped from 600 to 700 cars per month. The coal veins average about four and one-half feet in thickness.

Thomas Wardell, of Macon, owns three mines at Summit in the vicinity of Bevier; only two of these are now worked. He employs about 200 men in the winter, and from 80 to 100 men in the summer. He ships upon an average about 257 cars of coal per month; the vein is four feet in thickness, and the shafts run to a depth of 100 feet. Mr. Wardell owns 2,800 acres of coal lands.

The Oak Dale Company, composed of J. W. Atwill and H. J. Seip, located at Bevier, employ about 75 men upon an average, and ship 200 cars of coal per month. This company works mine number two, which was opened during the late war. The coal is about four feet thick; 80 foot shaft. This company owns 120 acres of coal land.

The Watson Coal Mining Company is also located at Bevier, and is operated by W. S: Watson & Sons. The mine was opened in 1882; four and one-half foot vein and 75 foot shaft. About 80 men are employed; 300 cars of coal are shipped in winter per month and about 125 in the summer.

Tile Emmerson coal mines are in Narrows township and are owned operated by William R. Jones & Co., the members of the company being William H. Jones, P. Y. Hurt, Jefferson Morrow, C. M. George King, William King, John King, Henry Vanskike. These mines work about 50 men, and ship about 75 cars of coal per month.

The richest coal fields in the county, so far as they have been developed, are in Bevier and Chariton townships. The fields occupy the country lying below the Hannibal and St. Joe Railroad, between the Wabash Railroad and Middle fork of the Chariton river, and cover an area of about 70 square miles.

Coal is found in sections 21, 22, 4, 8 and 9 in Chariton township. In section 22 the vein is about seven feet in thickness. The mines in Chariton township have no railroad facilities; they belong to J. G. Richmond, E. S. Gipson, P. M. Tuttle, J. M. Barris and others. Much of the coal in Chariton township crops out on the banks of the streams. The oldest coal mine in the county was opened at Carbon, east of Macon, in Hudson township; this, however, has been abandoned for some time.

Thomas Jobson operates a mine at Lingo. He supplies coal to the local trade and also to the railroad. This mine has been opened about 12 years. From 40 to 75 men are employed and from two to four car loads of coal are taken from the mines per day.

The coal supplied by Macon county is most excellent in quality, and is classed as the very best of steam-making coal. There are but few counties, if -any, in the State that are more highly favored in regard to coal-both as to quality and abundance-than Macon. From the foregoing it will be seen that nearly 2,000 car loads of coal are shipped from Macon county every month, or 24,000 car loads per annum, saying nothing of the quantity used for home consumption.

FRUIT

Macon county is one of the best fruit growing counties in the State  and will in a few years equal if not surpass any other county in the production of apples. The apple crop for the winters of 1882 amounted to 105,000 barrels that were shipped to Chicago and the Northern markets, saying nothing of the thousands of bushels that were sold to the local trade and used at home. Edward and N. H. Green (brothers) cultivate the largest apple orchard in the county-- they having an orchard of 80 acres of bearing trees. J. W. Patterosn is putting out an orchard of 40 acres, as are also H. S. Gordon and  J. P. Moore. The apple crop for 1884 promises a greater yield than for any preceding year. The Ben Davis takes the lead; the come the Genitan, Jonathan, Winesap, Baldwin, Willow Twig, Yellow and White Belle Flower, Parmain, Maiden's Blush, Milan, Newtown Pippen, the Northern Spy and a few other kinds. Small fruits, such as cherries, currants, gooseberries, blackberries, strawberries and raspberries do well, and are not only raised by the farmers, but these fruits are to be seen in the yards and gardens of those the towns and villages throughout the county.

Grapes, especially the Concord, thrive well, and could be produced in great abundance if there were any market or demand for away from the county. Pears hit occasionally-once every two or three years; peaches do well when they are not injured by cold weather; an ordinary hard winter, however, will kill the trees.