Livingston county history
SOIL & WATER CONSERVATION
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- UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI EXTENSION
SOIL & WATER CONSERVATIONDISTRICT OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY Interest in the formation of a Soil and Water Conservation District in Livingston County developed early in 1962. An organization meeting was held in Chillicothe, July 20. After petitions were approved, a hearing was held by the Missouri Soil and Water District Commission of December 11, 1962, followed by a referendum on January 26, 1963. Five hundred landowners and representatives voted in favor of the establishment of a Soil and Water Conservation District. Fifty-two opposed. At the same time, the following were elected to serve as Supervisors. Area I, Jackson, Sampsel and Cream Ridge Townships - Virgil Mason Area II, Medicine, Wheeling and Rich Hill Township - W. W. Lowe Area III, Chillicothe, Grand River and Fairview Townships - Jerry Litton Area IV, Mooresville, Monroe, Green and Blue Mound Townships - John Warren On March 14, 1963, the Board of Supervisors was organized as follows: Chairman -- Virgil Mason, Chillicothe Vice Chairman Treasurer -- Jerry Litton, Chillicothe Treasurer -- John Warren, Dawn Member -- Wilmer Lowe, Wheeling The Extension Director serves as Secretary to the Board. The term of office is four years. The Livingston County Soil and Water Conservation District incorporates all of Livingston County. The total land area is 341,320 acres. The Conservation District carries on its program by securing cooperation and assistance from other organizations, agencies and individuals. The district furnishes technical help to land-users in planning and applying conservation practices on their land. The first SCS personnel assigned to the District was Warren George in 1968. Lowell E. Grimm transferred in 1964 and Hal Norwood in 1965. Lyle Noblitt replaced Warren George as District Conservationist in January 1966. Other farmers elected to the Board include: Area I, Merle Doughty; Area II, Melvin Littrell, W. C. Wombles, Voyle Grothe Area III, Everett Williams, Graham Alter; Area IV, David Gilliland, Charles Morse, Kent Mouser and Jay McVicker. In 1972 the State Commission allocated each Conservation District money to hire a clerk part time. Valeta Jones was hired in September of 1972. Debbie Bowe replaced her in April 1976. Extension personnel that served as secretary include Frank Miller, Hubert Headrick and Clem Koenig. Livingston District has served as a training location for the SCS, due to the varied conservation work being done. C. L. Carter, Gary Peterson, William Gilliland, Rex Moore, Diane Reinhardt, Ted Utz, Unja Martin, Darrell Shiply and Shelly Emmons all trained or worked part-time in the Livingston Conservation District. The Goal of the District is to use every acre within its capability and treat it according to its needs. UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI EXTENSIONExtension Work in Livingston County began in 1918 when the University of Missouri sent Brett Harris to Chillicothe to impress upon Livingston County farmers the need for them to grown more food to satisfy wartime needs. He established an office in the Courthouse and showed farmers how to test seed corn with the rag doll seed test. Germination tests on some prominent farmer’s farms were not as good as anticipated; they blamed the new County Agent and he was terminated. In 1920 a Farm Bureau organization was started in Livingston County and under its auspices Vance Hershan came as County Agent. Officers of the Farm Bureau were L. F. Bonderer, F. W. Rickenbrode, A. W. Gale and J. S. Hooper. A pig club was started with 38 boys and girls. In 1921 Dick Forrestor came as County Agent and he began farm demonstrations. In 1922 the office was moved to the new Federal Building, now the Livingston County Memorial Library. Mr. Forrestor, with a flair for the dramatic, staged “The Burial of Timothy Hay”. A follow up was a Beauty Contest for farm girls competing for the honor of “Queen of the Hays”. In 1927 the County Agent was Elmer McCollum; in 1928 the Livingston County Agricultural Extension Association was formed. Women were included for the first time in 1927 when Miss Bina Slaughter came to Chillicothe to hold a meeting on kitchen improvement. In 1927 The Co-Op Creamery was built and boys and girls clubs were organized in dairy. A questionnaire sent to farm wives in 1928 showed that while 105 had some kind of water in the house, only 13 had bathrooms and only 47 had lighting systems. Only 45 had some kind of built-in cabinets. In 1928 farm wives had a hen culling school. In 1929 the first home ec girls clubs were started: 4-H clothing began that year with 28 local leaders. The first 4-H clothing club was Rich Hill with 70 girls enrolled. The Rainbow, Sturges, and other women’s clubs sponsored girls’ clothing clubs. Among the first winners were Ruth Kissick, Elouise Saale, Juanita Hopper and Geneva Bowman. The first girls achievement day was held in 1931. There were three women’s extension clubs in that year with a membership of 66. In 1931 and 32 the emphasis was on “Remodeling Garments”; 4-H girls also learned to make their own bloomers, slips and brassieres. There was a canning demonstration in 1932 at the State Industrial Home where methods of pressure canning and hot pack 49 were demonstrated. In 1933 Eugene Lee became Ag Agent; the county bought a movie projector and film strip projector. Early extension clubs still in existence are New York, Rainbow and Sturges. In 1934 there was emphasis on record keeping in raising chicks. Extension clubs had increased to eight with 154 members. They learned to make mittens and to waterproof shoes. A booklet was compiled for school lunch recipes. In 1935 the County Council of Women’s Extension Clubs was organized; Mrs. Ira Hanks was the first president. The first Achievement Day for adults was held in August with 140 in attendance. The Council held 134 clinics and also immunization clinics for typhoid and diphtheria. In 1936 Mrs. E. W. Timmons, Council President, was sent to Washington as a delegate to the Association of Countrywomen of the World. Projects for the year were making aprons, collars and cuffs, and yard beautification. There were demonstrations of floor coverings and dry cleaning. This was the year of grasshoppers and drouth; trench silos were used to try to save the crop. In 1937 the first Home Demonstration Agent, Marguerite McClelland came to Livingston County. 4-H Club work grew and three Livingston County 4-H boys and girls went to National 4-H Congress that year. There were 39 4-H clubs and 36 Women’s Extension Clubs. Extension Clubs helped observe the Livingston County Centennial with a float “Better Homes”. Twelve clubs began to sponsor hot lunch programs in country schools. Popular projects in the late 1930’s were making wooden beaded purses, leather purses and leather gloves. Yeast breads, raw vegetables and homemade rugs were also made. In 1939 REA came to Livingston County; Rural Youth Organizations were started in 1939. Recreation schools were held; extension clubs made pressing equipment, sleeve boards and rolls. 4-H Community Clubs were begun in Rich Hill, New York and Sturges communities. Extension women had a one-act play and music contests and a County chorus was started. In 1940 Ruth Burke came as Home Demonstration Agent; in 1941 the first 4-H Sundays were held in 9 communities. With the war beginning, stress was on greater home food production and preservation and nutrition. Clothing projects were making housedresses and children’s clothes. Red Cross sewing and knitting classes were held. A school was made to make cotton mattresses and 475 were made; furniture repair and slip covers was also a project. Women were encouraged to attend Soil and Crops Conference. Club members were asked to sign the consumer pledge and practice good consumer buying. Cooperative canning projects were begun during the war; hot school lunches were started at Chula, Mooresville, Wheeling and Bedford with WPA help. USO Clubs came to town and Extension Club women baked cookies and enrolled their daughters as USO hostesses. In 1943 Geneva Todd came as Home Agent. Lessons were held on recaning chairs, doing home tailoring, sharing the meat, and wartime meals. A canning center was held at Central School. In 1944 there was a shortage of Farm labor. A favorite lesson was “Desserts under Rationing.” Miss Cleta Brundidge and Mrs. John Hill started a canning center at the Vocational Ag Building. Other canning centers were at Mooresville and Wheeling. In 1945 Bob Kaye was the County Agent; Ruby Ice was Home Agent with S. Taylor Dowell as 4-H Agent. 87 dress forms were made that year and 53 chairs and divans were slip covered. 64 women participated in sewing machine clinics. The first interstate 4-H Show was begun in St. Joseph. Frozen foods became possible, Balanced Farming Programs were introduced in the county. In 1947 the agents were Abe Early, Ruby Randall and Frank Miller. Textile painting was popular. In 1949 Vernon Whistler and Clark Lewis were added to the Extension Staff; everyone was getting home freezers. Aluminum tray making was popular. In the 1950’s the home agents were Shirley Clowdis, Ruth Leiberam, Maurine Stephens and June Lamme. In the 1960’s came reorganization of the Extension Service with Kay Wade as nutritionist and Delois Buswell as clothing specialist. In the years since the war most farm homes have become modernized and farm income has risen beyond the subsistence level. The backyard privy is gone and has been replaced by two or three modern bathrooms. Many farm homes have dishwashers and garbage disposals; automatic washers and dryers have replaced old wash tubs and wash boards. Farmers get their information from T.V. and have less need for bulletins and books and meetings. Modern farm machinery has taken the drudgery out of farming and farms are specialized to such an extent that most farms no longer have chickens or a cow. The 1960’s brought specialization to the Extension Staff; Hubert Hedrick was named Area Director, Kaye Wade worked with nutrition, DeLois Buswell with Clothing, Clem Koenig with farm management, June Lamme with continuing education and Bob Barnet with 4-H. Later Jack McCall came on as Community Development Agent, Barbara Hughes Burton as Family Life, Ron Stoller as Continuing Education, Ed Gann as Business specialist, and Art Schneider as Youth Agent. In the 1970’s, Extension worked with the entire community, not just 4-H families. With more women working outside the home, smaller families, lower birth rate, women’s liberation, more senior citizens, T.V. dinners, fast food restaurants and the acceptance of pant suits, women’s lives have changed and there is not as much interest in women’s extension clubs. Television not only educates the children but the parents as well. Farming is big business; the small marginal farmer has been squeezed out. A farmer must have big acreage to support his expensive tractor and multi-rowed machinery. Inflation has brought other changes though as the 1980’s decade begins; there is a back-to-the-land movement and once again young families are moving out to small acreages where they may want to raise a few chickens, milk a cow, and raise a garden. Farm people still get together once a year at the 4-H FFA Fair. The first county fair was started in 1962 and was held at the Litton Charlais Farm. In 1963 and 1964 the County 4-H FFA Fair was held at the Milbank Mills, then in the late 1960’s arrangements were made to get a long term lease on land at the Chillicothe Airport for a County 4-H FFA Fair. Improvements have been made each year until now in 1980, the 4-H FFA Fair Ground boasts two enclosed buildings, a Hog Barn, a Sheep Barn, a Cattle Barn, a Horse Barn, a fenced in arena and other improvements. The fair is held annually the third week in July. -- Ruth Seiberling Directory: History History -> Developed for the Ontario Curriculum History -> A chronology 1660-1832 The Restoration Settlement History -> History and Social Science Standards of Learning Enhanced Scope and Sequence History -> Evolution of the National Weather Service History -> Chronological documentation for the period through 1842 Copyright Bruce Seymour blio, Cadet Papers of Patrick Craigie History -> History of the 14 History -> History of the ports in Georgia History -> That Broad and Beckoning Highway: The Santa Fe Trail and the Rush for Gold in California and Colorado History -> Capitol Reef National Park List of Fruit and Nut Varieties, Including Heirlooms Prepared for the National Park Service through the Colorado Plateau Cooperative Ecosystems Studies Unit by Kanin Routson and Gary Paul Nabhan, Center for Sustainable Download 1.01 Mb. Share with your friends:
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