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The Truman Area Community Network
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Benton is an inland-border county. Inland, in that it is three counties east of Kansas and three south of the Missouri River, border, in that it lies at the point where prairie lands adjoin the foothills of the Ozark mountains., Osage River divides it in twain. North of the river lies land in prairie stretches or long sloping hills; south of the river in precipitous bluffs, timber covered hills and mountain flatwoods. There are 744 miles of surface, 476,160 acres, of which 190,928 are in cultivation. Farms number 2,575 of 142.8 acres average size, containing arable, pasture, and firewood lands. Estimated real value of farm lands, $5,096,940. Corn, cattle, and horses and mules are leading exports.
Timber -- More than two-thirds the county area was formerly timbered with white oak, black oak, post oak, hickory, elm, cedar, walnut, black-jack, and scrub oak. Saw mills of less than twenty thousand feet daily capacity are located at Warsaw and Hastain; there are many portable mills. Rough hardwood lumber is plentiful at $16 a thousand. Cordwood, $2.50 a cord.
Minerals -- Zinc and lead mines center at Raymond, where one mine employs thirty-five men. Output has continued two years; mine operated on eastern capital. Results have been small. Limestone and sandstone deposits along the river reveal excellent quality of mineral; undeveloped. Barite, for white paint adulteration, is plentiful and untouched. Iron ore is picked up on surface; has never been shipped.
Land -- Between one-third and one-fourth is prairie, in lay from undulating to rolling. It lays mainly in the northwest corner, bounded by the railroad on the east and the breaks of the Osage River on the south. Farms are well improved; roads follow section lines. Soil is black and mulatto prairie loam, one to three feet deep. Prices range from $30 to $40 with an occasional $25, and a few $50 farms. Cereals and hays of all kinds thriver herein. Little over one-half of the county is hill land, timbered, unimproved, worth $5 an acre. Surface is generally flint rock bearing. Subsoil clay; topsoil is sometimes thick black vegetable mould, more often gravelly clay. Hill and valley farms embrace one-fifth. They are less well improved than the prairie farms. Best half brings $25 to $35; one-fourth are available at $15 to $20; and remaining one-fourth at $10 to $15. Ordinarily the hill farm has one-third in cultivation.
Manufactured Products -- Flour, and zinc monuments are manufactured. At Warsaw a company manufactures thirteen different styles of zinc grave monuments, shipped to nearly every western State.
Transportation -- Missouri Pacific branch to Sedalia, 29 miles, taxed roadbed. Rock Island, St. Louis to Kansas City, intersects Missouri Pacific at Cole Camp. Osage River, second in size to the Missouri River, furnishes timber, transportation and excursion boating.
Water -- Main streams are Osage and Grand rivers. Deer Creek, Tebo, Pomme de Terre, Turkey, Cole Camp, and Williams Creeks. Well water is hard and soft, containing sulphur at one place, Clark's. On the prairie clear limestone filtered water is to be had at twenty to thirty feet. In the mountains springs abound and there are few wells.
Fishing -- Cat, buffalo, carp, jack salmon, bass, sun perch, suckers, and sturgeon are caught with the hook. Many parties from Central Missouri spend summer days upon the Osage River.
Towns -- Warsaw, county seat; Cole Camp, railroad junction town; Lincoln, Fairfield, Edwards and Hastain, all deriving most support from agriculture and stock raising
Population -- White 16,366, colored 190; American born 15,909, foreign born 647; total 16,556. Farm homes owned 1,994, rented 604, other homes owned 462, rented 319; total 3,382.
Finance -- County tax 40 cents, school tax from -- cents to $1.15, average 50 cents, total assessed valuation $3,689,207. Forty per cent of real valuation; county debt $260,000. No township debt.
Population of German descent inhabits northeastern portion of county, but not in majority.
COUNTY'S 1902 CROP
Acres Product Value
Corn 73,172 2,707,364 bu. $ 798,675
Wheat 10,705 214,100 bu. 117,775
Oats 7,515 263,025 bu. 69,700
Hay 21,248 33,995 tons 169,975
Forage 5,855 7,320 tons 36,600
Flax 1,792 10,752 bu. 10,965
Broom Corn 418 209,000 lbs. 5,750
Clover seed 240 lbs. 1,345
Grass seed 790 lbs. 1,120
Tobacco 40 28,000 lbs. 2,660
Potatoes 668 93,520 bu. 29,925
Vegetables 848 31,225
Total $1,276,015
LIVESTOCK AND PRODUCTS
Kind Number Value
Cattle 28,338 $ 779,295
Horses 8,752 525,120
Mules 2,442 170,940
Asses and Jennies 97 8,730
Sheep 11,338 34,015
Swine 28,487 284,870
Chickens 140,963 )
Turkeys 4,152 ) 81,510
Geese 4,506 )
Ducks 1,431 )
Swarms of bees 1,001 1,895
Honey 33,367 lbs. 4,170
Wool 38,032 lbs. 6,335
Milk 1,878,465 gals.)
Butter 359,772 lbs. ) 250,070
Eggs 909,380 doz. 113,670
Total $2,237,115
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