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June 24, 1882, the lower Village Creek valley experienced its highest water on record, from rains of that morning and the preceding night. Families in the village of that name narrowly es caped with their lives, and the wagon and railroad bridges at the mouth of the creek were both taken out.

AGRICULTURE AND MANUFACTORIES.

Allamakee County has always been classed as one of the best of agricultural regions, because of the diversity and fertility of its soil. The principle products have been wheat, corn, oats, barley and potatoes. But owing to the partial failure of what was formerly the staple crop-spring wheat-continuing for several years in succession, the attention of the farmers have been turned to a greater variety of resources, having learned from dear experience how greatly the universal dependence upon the wheat crop will impoverish a region through impoverishment of the soil. Butter and eggs, hogs and cattle, etc., have always been produced for export to a considerable extent, but have been more relied upon within a few years, with the addition of flax, sorghum, onions, etc. Fine stock and the dairy, especially, are beginning to receive that attention which they demand; and these, with the increase of manufactories, will prove the pecuniary salvation of our people. There was not a creamery in the county until 1880, when one was established at Waukon, which has made this season (1882) as high as 2,000 pounds of butter per day, and ordinarily 1500 pounds per day. There are now five of these establishments in the county manufacturing from 400 to 1,500 pounds per day.

Our manufactures are not extensive as yet, but the many unimproved water powers and other natural advantages for that class of industries are a guarantee that they will one day become as important as our agricultural resources. They consist at present of one large lumbering establishment, one foundry, one brewery, five creameries, numerous wagon and plow shops, brick yards, etc., and flouring mills, and last but not least, a woolen mill. The latter is situated at Village Creek, and was established by H. O. Dayton in 1865, the building being of stone, three and a half stories. It did a large business until October 28, 1868, when it was destroyed by fire, involving a loss of $35,000-nothing but the bare walls being left. It was rebuilt and new machinery put in, but on May 21, 1875, it was again destroyed by fire, at a loss of $25,000. In less than a year the mill was once more in operation, and has since continued to do a large business, notwithstanding the proprietors, Messrs. Howard, Carrolls & Ratcliffe, have met with many discouragements in the shape of disastrous floods, which have washed out the dam, time and again, causing great loss of time and expense for repairs.

Of the flouring and grist mills, they are between twenty-five and thirty in number, although all are not now in operation, owing to the great decrease in the wheat crops in the last few years.

Names of Townships

From the latest available statistics (the results of the census of 1880 not having been made public yet except in regard to some items) we have compiled the following tables relating to agricultural and manufacturing matters, and where practicable have given opportunity for a comparison of different years.

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Makee

Paint Creek

Post

Taylor

9085 69178 53610 34690 3595 1611 633 7136 54658 47710 32117 870 2410 416 8213 32895 58950 25260 3018 2902 516 10 6400 46751 37725 20541 180 Union City 4525 36205 50590 14055 620 Un'n Pra're 7878 65143 64875 39116 8426 Waterloo 6037 55634 45490 21963 1534

5

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3

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946 406 2

757 244 597

375 282

749 155 1040

1466 443
653 314 9

2

879 308 1284

808 233 816

Total

114118 814531 798166|418793 43034 23749 6897 114 14686 5697 11027

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In 1880 the amount exempt from taxation in Allamakee County on account of fruit and forest trees planted was $7,250.

LIVE STOCK IN ALLAMAKEE COUNTY.

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Agreeable to a notice signed by Geo. C. Shattuck, John Raymond, D. H. Gilbert, John A. Townsend, Thos. A. Minard and Robert Isted, a meeting was held at Waukon, on the 7th day of June, 1853, of which John Raymond was President and Joel Baker Secretary, and which resulted in the formation of the "Allamakee County Agricultural and Mechanical Society." The first officers of the society were:

President--John A. Wakefield.

Vice Presidents-Robert Isted. John Laughlin, Wm. C. Thompson.

Recording Secretary-J. J. Shaw.

Corresponding Secretary-John Haney, Jr.
Treasurer A. J. Hersey.

The original roll showed a membership of eighteen persons, as ollows:

John Raymond, John S. Clark, Robert Isted, M. B. Lyons, John A. Wakefield, Reuben Smith, C. W. Cutler, Absalom Thornburg, L. S. Pratt, M. Lashman, G. C. Shattuck, D. H. Gilbert, J. M. Cushing, Ezra Reed, A. J. Hersey, Scott Shattuck, Austin Smith, John Haney, Jr.

We quote from Judge Dean:

"June 23d at a meeting of the directors it was voted that there be a County Fair at Waukon on the 13th of November. At this Fair Ezra Reed and G. C. Shattuck took premiums on sheep. Robert Isted, John M. Cushing, and Shattuck, took premiums on swine. Patrick Keenan, John Raymond, D. H. Gilbert, Robert Isted, and Abraham Bush, took premiums on cattle. Jehial Johnson, J. B. Cutler, Moses Shaft, G. C. Shattuck, took premiums on vegetables. L. Abbott took premium on wheat. Moses Shaft on corn. John A. Wakefield on best ten acres of corn. Benjamin Beard, L. Abbott, Mrs. L. T. Woodcock, Mrs. J. A. Townsend, Mrs. J. M. Cushing, and Mrs. Prescott, took premiums on household products. This was the first Agricultural Society or Fair ever held in the County, and for those early days was a grand success, although held on the open prairie."

The following year D. W. Adams was elected President of the society. Although we have no record of the old society at hand. to refer to, we know that for several years quite successful Fairs were held, for those days.

At the suggestion of Mr. Adams and John Plank, Sr., a meeting was held at Waukon Jan. 8th, 1868, for the purpose of reorganizing a County Agricultural Society, which was successfully accomplished, and this organization has held a County Fair each year since then, nearly all of which have been successful ones, and the society is prosperous. At that meeting the following officers were elected:

President, John Haney, Jr.; Vice President, John Plank, Sr.; Secretary, D. W. Adams; Treasurer, Charles Paulk.

Directors-Center township, John Stillman; Fairview, D. F. Spaulding; Franklin, Selden Candee; French Creek, Porter Bellows; Hanover, Hans G. Hanson; Iowa, A. B. Hays; Jefferson, C. D. Beeman; Lafayette, W. Smith; Lansing, G. Kerndt; Linton, Harvey Miner; Ludlow, Thos. Feely; Makee, C. O. Howard; Paint Creek, John Smeby; Post, W. H. Carithers; Taylor, James Carrigan; Union City, Benj. Ratcliffe; Union Prairie, A. L. Grippen; Waterloo, W. Robinson.

It was decided to purchase grounds adjoining Waukon, and each director was made an agent for the sale of life and annual membership tickets to accomplish this.

The present fair grounds, comprising seventeen acres, admirably adapted to the purpose, were purchased and paid for, inclosed by an eight foot tight board fence, and a half mile track made within the inclosure, at the following cost:

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