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."