Not That DeKalb County Was Rural and Agricultural in 1920, But....

From the March 4, 2020, MidWeek  "Looking Back."

1920, 100 Years Ago.

""Frank Furr will move from the Kelley farm to the Marshal farm which he bought.

"D. Werden will move from the Hines farm to the Kelley farm.

"Sam McCormick will move from his own farm to Wisconsin.

"Carl Modeen will move into the McCormick farm.

"Henry Lankton has sold his farm to Cooper and Leonard and will move to Genoa.

"Fred Anderson will move from the Waite farm to a farm north of Kirkland."

And Cooter Will Figure Out How to Milk a Cow.  --Cooter

A Short History of the Village of Spring Grove, Illinois-- Part 1: Early English Settlers, Fish and Fred

From the March 21, 2018, Hi-Liter newspaper by Sandra Landen Machaq.   She has written a lot of articles about local history for the paper, as well as has a book out about our neighboring village of Johnsburg.

Illinois was celebrating its 200th anniversary as a state in 2018, and our little village of Spring Grove has made its contributions to the state's growth, most notably with this fish hatchery and the first silo in the country, developed by local farmer Fred Hatch.

Spring Grove was not incorporated until 1902, some 84 years after Illinois became a state.  But the village's beginnings can be traced back 60 years before that.

Jonathan Imeson became the first settler here in 1830, when he made his home in a shanty for a year before he was joined by other English families with names like Wrays, Lawsons, Richardsons, Hoffmans, Fowles, Manns, Rices and Blivens.  Many of their descendants still live in the area.

The 1830s was when the last Indians were removed from the area.

They were soon followed by John Sanborn and Alfred and Merrells Stevens.  Alfred Stevens was the father of Burton Stevens, for whom Burton Township, where we live, is named.

We still have a road in the village named English Prairie after these early residents.  Spring Grove was also called  Bliven's Mill at first and we still have a Blivens Road.  The Richardsons are a huge agribusiness with what is reputed to be the biggest corn maze in the country and quite a fall celebration.

--CooterLocal

Even With the Kaiser Canned, Keep Those War Gardens Going

From the December 12, 2018, MidWeek  (DeKalb County, Illinois)  "Looking Back."

1918, 100 Years Ago.

"Even though the Kaiser has been canned and the United States war gardens have helped out wonderfully in the work there should be no letup in the raising of foodstuffs for the coming year.

"The consignment of seeds  for the various dealers in the city came in this morning, and it looked queer to see large boxes of seeds being delivered before the city had even had a snowstorm."

Keep A Good Thing Going.  --Cooter

Workin' In Those Oat Fields in 1918

From the August 22, 2018, MidWeek  "Looking Back."

1918, 100 Years Ago.

"Sid Rowe, George Rowe, Wes Concidine and Fire Chief McEvoy went to the Hickey farm today to shock oats and Conidine and George Rowe had boasted of their ability to stay in the field all day and do more work than the others.

"Police Magistrate Glidden called at the Hickey farm this noon concerning the work of the men and learned that Concidine and Rowe had been given a leave of absence from the field at 11 o'clock and it was necessary to administer first aid to the two workmen.  The other two men, according to the telephone word this noon, were still in the field, working along in fine shape and all the oars that would be cut would easily be shocked by night."

Again, a wartime lack of manpower.

Who Got Bragging Rights?  --Cooter

DeKalb Wagon Co. Goes to the Oats in 1918

From the August 22, 2018, MidWeek  (DeKalb County, Illinois)  "Looking Back."

1918, 100 Years Ago.

"As a diversion from the daily routine of factory work and also as a patriotic movement, 20 employees of the DeKalb Wagon company were sent to Cliff Hunt's farm last night after five o'clock and shocked oats until dark.

"Farm help this year is scarce, and farmers who have large fields of small grain have been compelled to send out S.O.S. calls  for men to get bundles shocked."

There was a major problem in agriculture as far as workers because of World War I.

Young Men Away in the Military.  --Cooter

Working the Oats in the Field in 1918

From the August 15, 2018, MidWeek  "Looking Back."

1918, 100 Years Ago.

"The employees of the Fourth street bank, Robert McCormick, Frank Fordham and George Hanrahan, put their Thursday half-holiday to the best possible use yesterday when they went to the farm of Martin Mihm, a former employee of the bank, and shocked oats until dark.

"The fellows stated that they had several engagements from now on, and that many chicken suppers, etc., had been offered if they would only put in an appearance for work in the oat field."

Of course, with so many young men at war, there was a big need for help in the fields.

Will Work for Food.  --Cooteat

A Tale of Detasseling in DeKalb County in 1968: $1.25 an Hour Pay

From the July 25, 2018, MidWeek  (DeKalb County, Illinois)  "Looking Back."

1968, 50 Years Ago.

"A sort of 'children's crusade' will hit the cornfields in DeKalb County the next three weeks as the DeKalb Agricultural Association begins its annual summer corn detasseling campaign.

"The operation employs about 1,00 youngsters age14 and older.  With its 26 plants throughout the nation, the DeKalb Agricultural Association is probably the largest employer of children in the country.

"The youngsters get $1.25 an hour to pass up and down the rows of corn and pull the tassel off selected corn.  Close to 9,000 acres are involved in Waterman and Esmond."

Hot, Hard Work for $1.25.  But a McDonald's Hamburger Cost 15 Cents.  --Cooter

Making Wheat Pay in 1917

From the August 30, 2017, MidWeek  "Looking Back."

1917, 100 Years Ago.

"Harry Sittler, a farmer near DeKalb came in yesterday with a heaping wagonload of fine new wheat.  He went home minus the wheat but $1.25.50 richer in pocket, having disposed of his product at the rate of $2.25 per bushel.

"This he considered a pretty fat day's work, even in the present days of inflated markets."

Heaping.  --CootRich

Watch Those Corn Machines in 1942: They'll Get Your Fingers

From the October 27, 2017, MidWeek  (DeKalb County, Illinois) "Looking Back."

1942, 75 Years Ago.

"Within a few weeks farmers will be making use of modern machines, the mechanical device for picking corn.   The machine not only enables them to accomplish a tremendous amount of work but also turns into almost a meat grinder taking an annual toll of fingers, hands, and even arms.

"Farmers are warned to take a few more seconds time and shut off the power of the machine when it becomes jammed with stalks for husks.  Allowing the machine to run and trying to clear the rollers with a gloved hand may be accomplished once and lead to tragedy the second time.

"Shutting off the power is the safe way to handle a dangerous situation."

--Cooter

Electricity Comes to DeKalb County Farms in 1917

From the November 22, 2017, MidWeek  "Looking Back.'

1917, 100 Years Ago.

"Life on the farm has been revolutionized these days by electricity.  The use of electric current has totally changed the methods of existence on the farm and where is this seen better than right here in DeKalb county.

"William Rich, one of DeKalb county's prominent farmers living about four and a half miles northwest of DeKalb has just completed the electrification of his farm establishment and is mighty proud of his equipment."

--Cooter

Fred Hatch's Farm Silo: Brother Bob's Missile Silos

Spring Grove, Illinois' claim to fame other than a huge fish hatchery. The Tribune article had a video about Fred Hatch's innovation. The Hatch farm is still there on Main Street just east of Spring Grove's downtown. There is an eight-sided barn and silo, but not the original one. His grave is on Wilmot Road (going from US-12 to Wilmot, in Wisconsin and founded by the Hatch family in the 1830s) in a small cemetery. //// There is also a plaque to him in a small park by the Nippersink Creek near downtown. //// When we first moved to Illinois back in the early 1960s, my brother Bob had heard about missiles in the Chicago area and thought the silos out on the farms were missiles. //// Easy Mistake to Make. -- DaCoot

A Brief History of Summer Vacation-- Part 2: Adjusting Calendars

Urban students before the Civil War endured as many as 48 weeks of school a year with just one break per quarter. Education was not, however, compulsory and attendance was often sparse. In Detroit, in 1843, only 30% of enrolled students attended year-round.

In the 1840s, educational reformers like Horace Mann moved to merge the urban and rural claendars out of concern that rural schooling lagged. Then current medical theory held that overstimulating yound minds could lead to nervous disorders or insanity.

Summer emerged as the obvious choice for a break. It offered teachers a needed break, meshed with the rural calendar and alleviated physician concerns that students packed into sweltering classrooms would be prone to spread disease.

The modern U.S. school year, which averages 180 days, has its critics as well. Some say the long summer break is responsible for low math scores and graduation rates.

Like my wall plaque in Margaritaville says, "Three good reasons to be a teacher: June, July and August.

Can't Please Everyone. --Cooter