240 Shorthorns
80 Herefords
28 Angus
17 Devons
_State by Sections_
Northwest 27 Shorthorns
Counties 9 Herefords
5 Angus
Northern 34 Shorthorns
Counties 13 Herefords
5 Angus
4 Devons
2 Galloways
Western 32 Shorthorns
Counties 8 Herefords
5 Angus
4 Devons
3 Galloways
Central 55 Shorthorns
Counties 20 Herefords
3 Angus
1 Red Polled
Western 20 Shorthorns
Counties 14 Herefords
7 Angus
Southwest 9 Shorthorns
Counties 1 Herefords
1 Angus
Southern 44 Shorthorns
Counties 6 Herefords
3 Devons
1 Dutch Belted
Southeast 10 Shorthorns
Counties 2 Herefords
2 Devons
_T. L. Miller_
"Early in the "seventies," Mr. T. L. Miller, than a business man in
Chicago, who owned a farm at Beecher, Will county, Illinois, became
interested in Hereford cattle."
Mr. Miller was born at Middletown, Connecticut, on April 7, 1817.
In 1842, he went to Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, where he was in business
until 1856, when he removed to Chicago, Illinois. Here he was in the
fire insurance business until about 1870. He had bought the first 320
acres of his farm at Beecher and 207 acres three miles to the north.
He commenced to improve the farm with buildings in 1862. His nearest
railroad station then was Monee, on the Illinois Central. In 1870,
the Chicago, Danville, and Vincennes Railroad, was built, and Mr.
Miller bought about 340 acres of additional land to the west of that
already acquired and laid out the village of Beecher. He closed out his
business in Chicago and went to live on this "Highland Stock Farm" in
March, 1870. A few years later, he laid the foundation for his herd of
Hereford cattle.
Mr. William Powell, an Englishman, who later on bred and handled
Herefords extensively on his own account both in Illinois and Texas,
was jointly interested with Mr. Miller in some of his earlier ventures
in Herefords. An item in the "National Live Stock Journal" for
February, 1872, reads as follows: "We learn that Messrs. Byers and
Campbell, of Nevada, Ohio, have sold to Messrs. T. L. Miller and Wm.
Powell of Highland Stock Farm, Beecher, Will county, Illinois, an
individual half interest in three Hereford cows and two bulls, and
thirty-six pure bred Cotswold sheep. Mr. Miller's farm soon afterward
became the center of the greatest American activity in the Hereford
trade."[29]
_Thomas Clark_
"Thomas Clark was born in Herefordshire, England, near the Monmouth
border, in 1842. His father was a cattle grower of local repute, who
used pure bred Hereford bulls, but did not profess to be a handler of
pedigreed strains. Thomas Clark came to the United States in the spring
of 1866, and after working for a time on a farm near Pittsfield, Ohio,
was employed by a Cleveland butcher having a large city trade. Thrifty
and possessed of an inborn faith in the "white faces" of his native
land, by dint of hard work and economy in the course of a few years,
Clark found himself in a position to get into business in a small way
on his own account. As foreman and cutter in Cleveland, he acquired
a practical familiarity with what lies under a bullock's hide, that
was of distinct advantage in his subsequent career as a breeder and
feeder of good cattle. He had an interest in his brother-in-laws little
butcher shop in Elyra, but his own fondness for the fields led him to
give most of his time to the 80 acres he had under lease near town. He
moved on this farm and began breeding Hereford cattle. He bought his
first bull, Sir Arthur (705), as a calf, from F. W. Stone of Canada.
"In 1877, when Mr. Clark's lease on the Ohio farm expired, seeing that
the west was becoming a good market for Herefords, he decided to
remove to Beecher, Illinois. He had shown every year at the Ohio fairs,
and always won. He made one show at Erie, Pennsylvania, while breeding
in Ohio, and another at Jackson, Michigan, in 1876, winning first prize
on herd, in competition with seven Shorthorn and Devon herds. This was
the first time Herefords had won that prize in Michigan, and the event
caused a lot of controversy. Clark had, meantime, sold three calves to
T. L. Miller and delivered them personally. He was impressed with the
idea that Illinois would be a better location for his cattle business
than Ohio. He bought 80 acres of land, about one and one-fourth miles
from the village of Beecher. He afterward added forty acres to the
home farm, and subsequently, bought twenty-six acres in addition. Mr.
Clark always kept his own lands largely in grass, and leased fields
for farming purposes. He brought his Ohio herd, numbering at that time
about twenty-eight head, to Beecher.
"In 1877, Mr. Clark showed a herd at the northern Ohio Fair at
Cleveland, winning all prizes shown for."[30]
(1857) "There is no question but what the native cattle of the state
may be improved by successive generations of judicious breeding, but
if in and in-breeding is followed, as at present, the effects will be
negative.
"The true comparison between native steers and improved steers is seen
when they are put on the market. Shorthorn and Hereford steers at
weaning time are worth about $15, while the native steers at weaning
time are worth about $5. The Shorthorn and the Hereford steers
could be made to go to the New York market weighing around 1800 to
2000 pounds gross, and sell for 12 cents to 15 cents per pound, while
the native steers were sent to market at six or seven years of age,
weighing from 900 to 1000 pounds, and sold for 10 to 12 cents per pound.
* * * * *
"The Illinois Cattle Importing Company received a shipment of 38
Shorthorn cattle from Europe."[31]
"Messrs. Calef and Jacoby at Springfield, Illinois, sold at auction,
March 23, fifteen head of cows and heifers, all Shorthorns. Two of the
number were imported. They reached an average of $583. They also sold
eight Shorthorn bulls which averaged $171.98 each."[32]
"Messrs. H. E Gardner of Bradfordton, Illinois, and J. S. Highmore of
Rochester, Illinois, sold 30 Shorthorn cows and heifers at the Sangamon
County Fair Grounds. The total number brought $3,140. Average of the
cows was $104.66. They also sold 14 bulls for $10.20. The highest price
paid in the sale was $280 for a cow. The total sale for cows and bulls
amounted to $4,160, an average of $95.54. L. C. Carlin of Edinburg,
Illinois, bought a bull for $100. Philimon Stuart of Cotton Hill,
Illinois, bought one for $100 also.
"In the afternoon of the same day, D. W. Smith of Bates, Illinois, sold
five cows and heifers for $770, an average of $154; also three bulls
sold for $710, an average of $236.66. The total of the cows was $1,480.
The highest cow sold to Lafayette Funk of Shirley, Illinois, for $2.30.
The highest bull sold to George M. Caldwell, Williamsville, Illinois,
for $300."[33]
"Rossland Park Stock Farm at Ashkum, Illinois: The farm is 73 miles
south of Chicago, on the Illinois Central Railroad, in Iroquois county.
It is composed of 120 acres of deep, dark prairie soil.
"This farm was first owned by Mrs. Ross of Chicago, who gave very
little attention to it and allowed it to become badly run down. It was
then purchased by G. W. Henry of Chicago, who at once set about to
improve it. He put a new fence around the entire farm and prepared it
to be kept as a grazing farm for cattle.
"Mr. Henry was a Shorthorn enthusiast and bred Shorthorns until 1884,
when he became interested in Herefords. High grade and pure bred
Herefords had his attention then for two or three years, after which
he decided to deal in none but pure-breds. He sold his entire lot of
grades. R. W. Hollenbeak of Casey, Iowa, purchased 73 of the two year
olds at $75 a head; 25 high grade one year old at $50 a head; one
yearling grade bull at $75; and 49 young grade calves at $40 a head.
"There were left on the farm about 150 pure bred Herefords which
soon were increased enormously by using some valuable bulls as herd
headers."[34]
"The "Summit Farm", owned by Mr. Wentworth, comprises about 4000 acres,
which is mostly prairie. He has on his farm 80 Shorthorns. He has some
yearling heifers by the son of "Booth's Lancaster", which are very
promising. He also owns the "Fifteenth Duke of Ardie" who still holds
his place as one of the grandest Bates bulls in existence.
"Mr. Wentworth feeds mangles in connection with hay."[35]
"The Polled Aberdeen Angus herd, belonging to Messrs. Anderson and
Findley, of Lake Forest, Illinois, is one of the oldest herds in the
United States, and is probably the largest of any in the United States
or Scotland."[36]
"Our first importation was made in the summer of 1878, and consisted of
the bull Nicolis 1102, and the five females: Jeannie Gordon 2914, Lazy
3rd 1100, Violet of Brucehill 1951, Diana 4th 3226, and Waterside Fancy
1854, and thus was established the first breeding herd of Aberdeen
Angus cattle in the United States so far as we know. The cattle in this
importation did so well with us that we were induced to make further
importations, and the cattlemen of this country readily recognized the
superiority of the breed, and with proverbial American go-aheadness,
took hold of them at once. Such was the demand for animals of this
breed in the early eighties that we found ready sale for them at prices
almost beyond the reach of cattlemen of moderate means. We, together
with other importers, drew upon the parent stock in Scotland to such an
extent about this time that the straining point was soon reached and
prices rapidly advanced in that country also.
"The land at Lake Forest, Illinois, upon which for so many years we
maintained our herd, was constantly appreciating in value, until it is
now (1901) worth about four hundred per cent more than when we first
established our herd there. We were, therefore, compelled to move our
herd into cheaper lands, and this we began to do about 1894, and in
1897, practically all of our herd had been transferred to our Allendale
Farm, in Allen county, Kansas. We purchased most of the land composing
Allendale Farm in 1878, and have improved and added to it since until
now, we have over 2000 acres, making as fine a place for the breeding
of fine stock and the fattening of cattle as can be found in the
country."[37]
"The Illinois Cattle Breeders' Association was organized in 1895. The
first annual meeting was held at Springfield, on January 13, 1896. Mr.
J. Frank Prather presided at this meeting. Mr. J. H. Pickrell was the
first secretary. A committee was appointed to draft by-laws.
"The first paper on the program was "Home and Foreign Demand for Beef
Cattle" by A. C. Howell, the editor of the Drover's Journal. The paper
was read by the secretary, Mr. Pickrell. The main theme of the paper
was on Baby Beef, in which he said that it was no longer a fad, but a
profitable business."