Reverend Samuel Adair And The Corn Crop in 1856
Osawatomie’s pioneers battled nature when they were founding Osawatomie during the 1850’s, and Reverend Samuel Adair, John Brown’s brother-in-law, reported on the an infestation of worms that were destroying the corn crop planted by John Brown to help feed his family in a March 26, 1856 letter to John Brown’s father, Owen Brown. “John has exerted himself a good deal to help them during the winter. The corn that they raised was badly injured by worms. A kind of worm that works into the ear before it is ripe – they work around the cob – poison it somewhat a[nd] cause it to decay.“
The failure of the corn crop had a devastating effect on the Brown family.
Horses were the main mode of transportation. The Brown family’s mobility was adversely affected, as was their ability to do basic farm work if their horses were not healthy. Reverend Adair wrote “if horses eat much of this kind of corn, it gives them the blind staggers. Many good horses have been lost here this winter by being fed upon it.“
The Brown’s and the farmers who helped to found Osawatomie dealt with the problem by cutting out the damaged parts of the corn cobs in an effort to salvage their corn crop and feed their animals. Horses seemed to be the only animals that were adversely affected by the damaged corn. Reverend Adair wrote “Usually only part of the ear is much affected by it, but it is difficult to separate it even by cutting of the wormy part so to put none of the bad with the good. Cattle a[nd] hogs seem not to be injured by it , though they will not eat it as long as they can get sound corn.”
Reverend Adair came to the aid of John Brown and his family when their corn crop failed and food was in short supply, and Reverend Adair wrote
“John sold his horse a[nd] buggy. His horse he traded for cattle a[nd] hogs. I bought one cow and a sow – two fat hogs a[nd] a cwt of beef of him.” Reverend Adair also helped the Brown family out by loaning John Brown’s son, Jason Brown, money. Reverend Adair wrote “I loaned Jason some money in the fall before his father came on. It has been paid me again.”
Osawatomie’s pioneers battled nature as much as they battled proslavery forces when they founded the town, and merely feeding their families was a struggle. Families and community members came to each others aid and worked together to build Osawatomie in the 1850’s despite the challenges that nature and proslavery forces presented the pioneers. Their cooperative efforts built the spiritual, cultural, and economic foundation for the community that we enjoy today, and we owe them a debt of gratitude and respect.
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Posted by admin
on May 4 2011. Filed under News and Updates.
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