July 29, 1921
IN 1860
Henry and Bill Wallace owned 2000 acres at Tolu, most all in pecan and hickory nut orchard and wild hogs, wild turkeys. Bottom land worth $15 per acre; ridgelands $2 per acre in woods.
Four fifths of the western part of Crittenden county was in large white-oak timber, would be worth now $400 per acre. Anon [Amon] Bebout had 280 acres of land at $2 per acre in woods known as the Jim Sullenger place. He sawed lumber by hand, hewed logs, made the first wooden cane mill; made shoes and killed deer and wild turkey.
In 1860 Marion consisted of one dry goods store, one hotel, one drug store and one blacksmith shop owned by Joe Adams, he made nearly all the plows hoes and harrows. He was the International Co. of that day. He ran a big foundry of honest work. Clothing was made at home without money or price. Tanyards and shoe makers in nearly all homes. We then had good flour mills, good brick yard, good wagon shops; honest officers, good religious shouting truthful church members.
Now we have no brick yard, no canning factory, no plow and wagon manufacturing company, no woolen mill, no glass factory; no packinghouse no improvement since '87 when first car came to Marion.
Wake up and do something to help the farmer. Buy his bacon, pork, potatoes, beans, fruit and corn. Quit buying these things away from home[.] Poor farmer you have got to be a peasant without any freedom. Stop the leak before the vessell [sic] sinks.
--Aaron.
Source: Crittenden Press. (Marion, Ky.) 1919-Current, July 29, 1921, Edition 1, Image 1 - Chronicling America - The Library of Congress.
[My comments are in brackets.]
