Agriculture in Lexington

From "Lexington" by Mary Wilson and Sharon Y. Asher, published sometime after 1975.

HISTORY OF AGRICULTURE IN LEXINGTON

The earliest farmers of Lexington had very little in common with the modern farmer of today. About all the pioneer family owned that the farmer of today can claim is the land itself. The first farmer had land but no knowledge of the types of soil or soil adaptions to certain crops. His equipment was very meager, consisting of the ax, long-barreled rifle (the two most efficient tools), hoe, wooden mold board plows, sickle and ox team.

He planted his corn field by dropping the seeds by hand in each hill and covering them with a hoe. It was later harvested by hand with the corn knife and stacked in shocks. The wheat and oats were broadcast and harvested by hand with the primitive sickle, scythe and cradle.

By the year 1850, new tools appeared on the market, including a two-horse grain drill, two and four-row corn planters, cultivators, wagons, plows and harrows. These were made available to farmers in the Lexington area by F. M. Campbell's implement store.

In 1868 the O & M Railroad was built through Lexington. This gave the farmer a new outlet and broadened his markets. He could ship and sell his produce to the larger cities. At this early date only the rail fence existed to hold the farm animals. Many farmers allowed their cattle to graze at large. In order to separate them from their neighbor's, the farmers marked the cattle's ears with a mark recorded in the County Recorder's Office at the courthouse. Following are a few of the markings of farmers in the Lexington Township:

l. James Blair's ear mark for his stock was a crop (cut) and split in the right ear. Entered on April 6, 1844.

2. James Middleton 's ear mark for his stock was two holes in the right ear and a half and a crop in the left. Entered on May 17, 1837.

3. John Hall's ear mark for his stock was a crop off the right ear. Entered May 18, 1837.

4. William Kennedy's ear mark for his stock was a square crop in the right ear with a slit in the same and a half crop off the upper side of the left ear. Entered May 7, 1838.

5. Francis Hall's ear mark for his stock was a slope off the upper side of each ear. Entered April 7, 1849.

6. James Baldwin's ear mark for his stock was a slit in each ear. Entered September 7, 1842.

7. Daniel Baldwin's ear mark for his stock was a slit in each ear. Entered September 7, 1842.

8. Daniel Kimberlin's ear mark for his stock was changed from a crop off the right ear and a hole in each to an under bit in each ear and a slit in the right ear. Entered October 18, 1833.

The early cattle were long-legged, long-haired and long-horned. The swine were commonly known as ridge rooters or razar backs. The horses were of equal quality.

During the early 1900's Oliver Mahan had a stock yard by the B & O Railroad where he would buy and ship cattle to Cincinnati, Ohio. Mr. Mahan continued this work until 1930 when he ceased due to old age. Later trucking replaced his work.

Thus, agriculture' s transition from the pioneer to the modern stage of development has led the farmer from self-sufficiency to commercial business. He has quit soil mining and has begun the practice of soil renewal and has progressed from man powered farming to horse powered to mechanical powered farming. He, in fact, is no longer a cultivator and stockman only, but also a citizen farmer.

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