In 1925, 4,400 horses and 313 mules existed on county farms, and the number depleted to 1,100 by 1950. Once a mainstay for transportation and farming, horses were reduced to recreational use.
Subsequently, in 1925 there were 214 tractors in the county, mostly Fordsons. Some of the early tractor owners were Joseph W. Hurd (1924), LaJose; A.L. Orner, Home Camp; Witherow’s, Jordan Township.; Ralph Fulton, Burnside; Richard Powers, Decatur Township.; Austin Dunlap and Wes Cathcart, Knox Township.; Ward McDonald, Millard Wall and Rafferty’s, Penn Township.; Guy Bloom and Wilbur Antis, Lawrence Township.; Jury’s, Frenchville; McGarvey’s, Graham’s and Murray’s, Girard Township.; Thorp’s, Grampian and Smith’s (1928, Farmall), Goshen; and Bell’s, New Millport (the first 1914).
With regards to vehicles, 218 trucks were on county farms in 1925 versus 800 trucks in 1950. In 1925, 1,600 cars were on county farms. In 1950, 750 farms had a telephone. By the 1970’s, no one in the county was using horses to farm except for the Amish families in Brady Township who moved into the county in 1971.
