"Your Loving Father, Jack": Southern Illinois Farm Life in the 1890s as Seen through the Correspondence of the Jack Pierce family

Abstract

woods are getting green hereFrom early 1894 to late 1898, southern Illinois farmer John Jack Pierce sent numerous letters to his son, Charles W. Pierce.1 The father occasionally addressed these letters to his fourth son to my boy, and affectionately signed many of correspondence, Your Loving Father, Jack. Other family members and friends also wrote frequently to Charlie Pierce during this time. The letter writing flurry sprung from a simple cause-Jack's twenty-one-year-old son had abruptly left his home in remote Horse Creek area of southern Illinois in early 1894 to work in thriving farming region of Macon County, in central Illinois and, for a briefer period, in Iowa.Going north to places like Macon County was a common practice on part of restless young men who had found themselves growing frustrated working less prosperous soil of southern Illinois region for low wages.2 Farms tended to include more acres in flat relatively treeless prairie region of central and northern Illinois. On other hand, southern Illinois farms, including those in Charlie Pierce's part of state in northeast corner of Jefferson County, were smaller, hillier and often broken up by large sections of woods.3 While overall, Illinois farmers at this time had higher capital than farmers in other states, this was not case in southern portion of state. Census records for 1870 also showed that southern Illinois region, including Jefferson County where Pierce clan lived, was poorest region in state. The average value for real and personal property was $835 for state as a whole but only $563 for extreme southern Illinois counties.4 Soil type made difference. Dennis Nordin and Roy Scott, in their study of development of Midwest farming starting around 1850, noted that Midwest region where Macon County, Illinois, lay was home of the most fertile soil.. .in United States. Conversely, Charlie Pierce's home region's soil in southern Illinois, along with similar soil types in southern Indiana and southern Ohio, did not generally yield much for its occupants. Furthermore, it seldom developed into successful farming operations.5 Few agricultural innovations occurred in these southern regions as a result. Cultural forces may also have also played a role in this. Connecticut native Solon Robinson, who would dedicate his life to improving farming in Indiana, lamented that southern Indiana farmers, and their backward upland south indolent ways were the worst epidemic that ever raged in any country.6 Jane Adams especially emphasized poorer upland southern culture of bottom third tier of Illinois, noting Geographically and culturally it is more part of upland south...than of rich prairie region to its north.7In rich soil regions of Midwest, areas often dominated by New England settlers, innovation seemed commonplace.8 Nordin and Scott observed, in this regard, that investments in agricultural implements and equipment soared between 1850 and 1900 in these places. This dynamic may explain Charlie Pierce's many comments in his letters home regarding greater prosperity north and more up-to date equipment and superior seed varieties available in Macon County. Interestingly, Charlie's New England-raised father was quick to write and tell his son to make these improved seed types available to his kin in southern Illinois.Vast changes were occurring in farming culture at time Pierce letters were written. Susan Sessions Rugh, in her study of nineteenth century farming in Hancock County, Illinois, in west central part of state, contended that one major change involved beginning shift away from family centered farming to a more business centered model.10 Jane Adams, in her case study of rural life in southern Illinois's Union County from 1890 to 1990, however, contended that family, and ensuing community kinship connections within particular rural areas, stood at heart of farming life in southern Illinois and that this dynamic lasted longer than in many other more productive farming regions of nation. …