The last exhibition of the society, which was the twenty-sixth, was held at the grounds at Knoxville, August 24, 25, 26 and 27.

The officers for the year 1880 are as follows:

J. H. Cloe, president; J. Ramey, vice-president; T. R. Brown, chief marshal; P. K. Bonebrake, treasurer; A. M. Brobst, secretary.

The following were superintendents of departments at the last fair: Grounds, John Robinson; gates and tickets, A. J. Briggs; forage, H. T. Cunningham; class A, horses and mules, H. T. Cunningham; class B, cattle, Geo. Harsin; class C, hogs and sheep, J. Hanna; class D, poultry, H. J. Scoles; class E, vehicles, tools and hardware, M. D. Woodruff; class F, implements and machinery, S. K. Bellamy; class G, grain and vegetables, Daniel Smith; class H, fine arts, fruits, flowers and pantry stores, A. W. Collins and F. J. Brobst.

There are probably other agricultural societies in the State which, at the present time have larger and better improved grounds, and which pay larger premiums, but there is doubtless no other county agricultural society in the State which has enjoyed so long a career of uninterrupted prosperity.

The following is the constitution of the society:

"ARTICLE I. The style of this society shall be the Marion County Agricultural Association.

"ART. II. Its object shall be the fostering of agricultural, horticultural, mechanical and household products.

"ART. III. The officers of this society consist of a president, vice-president, secretary, treasurer, chief marshal, and board of eleven directors, who together, or a majority of those present when regularly convened, shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business connected with the society.

ART. IV. It shall be the duty of the president and vice-president to discharge the duties usually devolving on such officers of such societies. The secretary will keep the minutes, books and papers of the society, and

report annually, as required by law, and perform such other duties as from time to time may be required of him by the by-laws of the society.

"ART. V. The treasurer shall keep the funds of the society, and disburse the same on the order of the secretary, countersigned by the presi dent, and report annually to the directors the financial condition of the society.

"ART. VI. The board shall hold annual fairs, determine the premium list and rules of exhibition, and publish the same by the first day of May annually.

"ART. VII. The officers shall be elected annually on the evening of the second day of the fair, by ballot. Each member of the society shall be entitled to a vote at said election.

"ART. VIII. The board, when regularly convened, shall have power to make by-laws and regulations, and alter the same by vote of a majority of the members present, and shall have power to fill any vacancy that may occur in their own body, which appointment shall extend to the next annual meeting of the board.

"ART. IX. The officers of this society shall be entitled to a vote with the directors in all business transactions or meetings of the society.

"ART. X. This constitution may be altered or amended at any annual meeting of the officers and directors by a majority vote of the members present."

OLD SETTLERS' ASSOCIATION.

It has already been stated that the hardships and trials of the pioneers were calculated to make the first settlers of this county unusually friendly and sociable with one another. In those early times it was frequently the case that Mr. A. was out of provisions, and, having undergone the bitter experience of want, his heart melted toward Mr. X., whose ox-team had just arrived from the far East, and immediately lights his cob-pipe and saunters over to the place where the latter is encamped and inquires if there is anything he can do for him. X., in the course of a few years, gets comfortably fixed, and when Mr. W. arrives from Indiana he remembers the kindness of Mr. A., and, prompted by that philanthropy which is common to humanity, when humanty is called upon to assert itself, Mr. X calls upon Mr. W. and renders all the encouragement and help he can. And thus was laid the foundation of a friendship which, by the force of circumstances, was strengthened from year to year. A., X. and W. are practically communists, for what one has that has the other also. They grind their coffee in the same mill, hull their corn on the same hominy-block, and when the new man with money attempts to jump A.'s claim, X. and W. are on hand with the tar and feathers. In future years, when by rigid economy, industry and patience, each is comfortably fixed and surrounded with all the luxuries of life, we would naturally expect to find a close bond of union between them, and while there is no vain show of friendship, no hypocritical display of attachment, yet the tie remains unbroken and is strengthened by age. When A. dies and is buried in the old graveyard the bond of friendship becomes still more binding on the two remaining members of this confederacy. And thus, as time goes on, the early settlers of the county become more closely united, and thus it is that during recent years in many counties have been formed old settlers' societies.

The first old settlers' society of Marion county was formed in 1868. The record is as follows:

"At a meeting held at the Lutheran church, in the city of Knoxville, Marion county, Iowa, on the first day of January, 1868, pursuant to a previous notice given, the following persons; viz., B. F. Williams, F. A. Barker, D. T. Durham, C. Walters, G. W. Harsin, R. R. Watts and C. H. Durham, assembled together. After consultation it was deemed expedient to form an organization to be known as the Old Settlers' Association of Marion County, the object of which is to cultivate social intercourse, and to collect and preserve the early history of the early settlers of the county. "The meeting was organized by calling D. T. Durham to the chair, and appointing F. A. Barker secretary.

The chairman then stated the object of the meeting, when the persons present proceeded to adopt the following brief constitution:

66 CONSTITUTION.

"ARTICLE I, SECTION 1. This association shall be known as the Old Settlers' Association of Marion County; its objects shall be the cultivation of social intercourse with one another, and to collect and perpetuate the early history of the county.

"ARTICLE II, SECTION 1. The officers of the association shall consist of a president, vice-president, secretary, treasurer, and executive committee consisting of three members. The duties of these officers shall be such as are usually assigned to officers of this kind."

It was then resolved to hold a festival at Knoxville, on the first day of January, 1869, and the families of the members were cordially invited to attend.

The membership fee was fixed at twenty-five cents.

After' transacting the foregoing business, the association adjourned and there is no other record of any proceedings till January, 1869, when there was a meeting of the association and the festival which had been appointed for that day was postponed till the following May.

The association met again in January, 1870, when the following officers were elected: President, D. T. Durham; vice-president, G. T. Clark; treasurer, B. F. Williams; secretary, A. B. Miller.

It was resolved that the next meeting be held at the court-house, on the 3d day of May, that being the twenty-sixth anniversary of the settlement of the county, at which time the families of all the members were invited to be present and partake of the festivities of the day.

The next regular annual business meeting of the association was held at the court-house, on January 2, 1871. The following are the minutes of that meeting:

"President D. T. Durham in the chair.

"On motion, H. L. Bousquet was elected secretary pro tem.

"On motion to appoint a committee of three, to draft a new constitution, the chair appointed R. R. Watts, A. B. Miller and Jos. Brobst for that

purpose.

"An invitation was extended to all persons qualified by the terms of the constitution, to become members of the association. H. F. Durham, W. F. Amsberry, F. M. Nutter, J. M. Brous and J. D. Bedell were received as members, upon payment, by each, of twenty-five cents as admission fee. "The chair appointed R. R. Watts as treasurer pro tem.

"On motion, Wm. Donnel was elected an honorary member of the association.

"On motion D. T. Durham was re-elected president; G. T. Clark was elected vice-president; F. C. Barker, secretary; A. B. Miller, treasurer; F. C. Barker, Wm. Donnel and J. D. Bedell, procurators for the ensuing

year.

"On motion of F. C. Barker, it was resolved that an old settlers' celebration and festival be held at Knoxville, by the association, on the first day of May next-the twenty-eighth anniversary of the settlement of Marion county; that a hearty invitation be extended to all persons, together with their families who have for twenty years been residents of the county; and that a committee, consisting of one meinber from each township, and one additional from each of the townships of Knoxville and Lake Prairie, be appointed as a general committee of arrangements.

"The following named gentlemen were appointed by the chair:

"H. F. Durham, Clay; Thomas Curtin, Jr., Dallas; W. B. Ritchie, Franklin; D. F. Sherwood, Indiana; A. G. Young and John Conrey, Knoxville; W. Nossaman and P. H. Bousquet, Lake Prairie; Wm. Brobst, Liberty; J. M. Brous, Perry; Dr. Williams, Pleasant Grove; M. S. Reynolds, Polk; J. D. Bedell, Red Rock; Wm. M. Donnel, Summit; Daniel Hunt, Swan; Samuel Teter, Union; Daniel Sampson, Washington.

"On motion the chair appointed, as a special committee of arrangements, Messrs. Jos. Brobst, A. C. Cunningham and H. L. Bousquet.

"On motion of G. T. Clark, the press of the county were requested to publish the proceedings of this meeting; and again, a short time previous to the first of May, call the attention of the public to the celebration, and again announce the names of the members of the general committee of arrangments, that they may be aroused to action, and see that their several localities are fully represented.

"Mr. Donnel was called upon, and spoke in reference to his forthcoming book, The Pioneers of Marion County,' stating that the manuscript was now mostly in the hands of the printers, and their work would commence next week. It would be a book of over 300 pages, and would be ready for delivery to subscribers in April or May next. The price would be two dollars per copy.

"The president and others made brief remarks, urging the claims of the book upon the members of the association and all other citizens. Subscriptions for twenty copies were handed to the secretary.

"On motion, adjourned.

"H. L. BOUSQUET, Secretary."

"D. T. DURHAM, President.

Annual meetings were held from time to time for a few years longer and finally the meetings were discontinued and the society went down.

During the present year the society has been revived, or rather a new one has been formed. The first meeting of the new organization was held at the office of Mr. Gamble, in Knoxville. The following are the minutes of the meeting:

"At a called meeting of a few old settlers held Saturday, July 24, at the office of J. D. Gamble, Dr. H. J. Scoles was elected chairman. It was decided to have an old settlers' picnic and basket dinner, on the fair grounds, near Knoxville, on Wednesday, August 11, 1880, commencing at ten

o'clock, A. M. It was decided that all old settlers that have been residents of the State twenty-five years, and of this county twenty years, be cordially invited with their families to attend and participate in this celebration, not forgetting to bring well-filled baskets. Larken Wright was chosen marshal of the day. Committees were appointed to procure speakers and music for the occasion. Dr. H. J. Scoles, Dr. Hugh Thompson and James Welch were appointed executive committee.

"The call is signed by Dr. H. J. Scoles, Dr. J. T. French, Dr. Hugh Thompson, Dr. W. B. Young, James Welch, S. L. Collins, W. W. Craddick, J. S. Cunningham, Larken Wright, D. C. Ely, J. D. Gamble, C. G. Brobst, Wm. Black, J. H. Cloe, A. B. Miller, F. M. Frush, A. M. Clark, Joseph Johnson and A. M. Brobst.

"W. W. CRADDICK, Secretary."

The picnic came off on the eleventh of August, according to the arrangements made at the previous meeting.

Mr. James Welch called the meeting to order at 10:30. Hon. James D. Gamble was chosen president and Hon. G. T. Clark, Jacob Metz and I. M. Walters, vice-presidents, W. W. Craddick, Secretary.

The Butcher Creek martial band and Knoxville Musical Association supplied excellent music.

D. O. Collins delivered the address of welcome in manner and matter creditable to himself and edifying to all present.

The picnic dinner we need only mention. We all know how well it was enjoyed.

Brief addresses were made by Hon. D. T. Durham, Dr. J. T. French, J. P. Vincent, Jas. Taggart, Riley Wright, Hon. S. F. Prouty, Larken Wright, John Banks and others.

A permanent organization was effected by the adopting of the following constitution and election of officers below named:

"ARTICLE 1. This organization shall be known as the Old Settlers' Association of Marion County.

"ART. 2. The officers of this association shall consist of a president, secretary and treasurer, and one vice-president and one assistant secretary in each township in the county.

"ART. 3. The officers shall perform the duties usually required of such officers, and in case of vacancy in the office of president, the secretary shall designate one of the vice-presidents to act.

"ART. 4. Any person who has been a resident of the county since the first of August, 1860, or a resident of the State August 1, 1855, shall be eligible to membership.

"ART. 5. The president, secretary and vice-presidents shall constitute an executive committee fixing the time and programme for annual meetings. "ART. 6. This constitution may be amended at any annual meeting of the association."

Report of committee on permanent organization:

For president, James Welch, Knoxville township. Vice-presidents, Larken Wright, Knoxville township; D. T. Durham, Clay township; Daniel Wagoner, Franklin township; Jacob Metz, Liberty; M. M. Marks, Indiana; Hugh Smith, Washington; Henry Hortsman, Dallas; G. T. Clark, Lake Prairie; John A. Scott, Summit; J. D. Bedell, Red Rock; E. B. Ruckman, Union; Wesley Jordan, Pleasant Grove; James Brous, Perry; John Everett, Polk; Daniel Hunt, Swan.