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Farm Journal Illustrated Directory of Allegan County 1916

Book
Directory with about 250 pages of listings of Allegan farms with abbreviated information that could include acreage, boards, telephone, # of children, house and lot, ownership, retirement status, tenancy, number of horses and cattle. Directory also displays a selection of advertising, facts about Allegan County, list of officials, "Handy Things to Know" about common and uncommon measurements, seeds per acre, suitable distances for planting trees, shingles and nails required in a roof and advertiser index. The final ±30 pages are a general classified business directory that includes blacksmiths, commodity (eggs, butter) buyers, canneries, dry goods, mills, groceries, hardware, harnesses, meat markets, physicians, shoe repair and "women's furnishings"[?] plus spraying formulas and calendar, farmers' bulletins, and advice for treating cow, poultry and horse ailments.
cover
Scattered throughout the directory are photographs and humorous or sentimental placeholder illustrations.

2022.88.23

The number of listings and advertisers speaks to the economic importance of agriculture in Allegan County in the 1916. In addition, the advertising hints at the desires and concerns of local farmers. From the introduction that begins on page 5: "Allegan County, with a total of 6,217 farms in an area of 833 square miles, is distinctly a farm county. More than 88 per cent. [sic] of the entire area of the county is in its farms, and more than 74 per cent. is under cultivation. The farms are, as a rule, of more than average size, less than 3 per cent. being under ten acres. ... The farm population ... is almost exclusively native-born white. There are but few foreign, and 67 negro farmers in the entire county ... The largest single crop is ... corn ..." The next largest crops were grapes, potatoes and oats.

1870 Fruit growing, farming, agriculture

Winthers, Sally

9-1/8 in

6-1/4 in

Wilmer Atkinson Company

1916

024 Basket Factory, Fruit Exchange, Fruit Growing

Fair

end-papers separated from covers

House, Edwin Harvey 1875-1958

01/12/2023

01/13/2023