Category:Agriculture

From Lane Co Oregon

Agriculture remained an important element of the Springfield economy. Continuing subdivision of the original land claims increased the number of overall farms, but decreased their size; the average farm by 1890 totaled 212.4 acres (Highsmith 1950:55-58). At that time, wheat was the principal crop, followed by oats, hay, forage crops, and potatoes. Dairy cows had replaced beef cattle as the most important stock animal and grazing was now limited to the foothills (Highsmith 1950:55-58). The West Shore of 1890 (Vol.16:156) noted that Lane County produced 700,000 pounds of hops that year. Between the 1880s and 1890s, the agricultural locality known today as the Gateway area turned from wheat production and stock raising to cultivating hops, peppermint and flax (Neill 1990:2)

In 1912 the southern Willamette valley was recognized as a rich agricultural region which included dairying, fruit growing and stock raising (Oregon State Immigration Commission 1912:93-95). Many local newspaper articles from the period reported on the Angora goats raised for the mohair industry. By 1915, farm activities in Springfield had grown to include poultry raising and the cultivation of wheat, oats, hay and vegetables, in addition to dairying, fruit growing, and stock raising. Hops were also grown on the rich alluvial soils (Special Collections n.d.:Box 66/20, Folder 7A/B).