Historical Shorthorns 1910 to 1920

The decade of 1910-1920 (‘the teens”) opened with continuing agricultural progress. Farmers comprised 31% of the US population and average farm size was 138 acres, so Shorthorns’ reputation as the “Farmer’s Cow” saw registration numbers with the American Shorthorn Association rise to the highest numbers in history. Over 118,000 Shorthorns were registered in 1918 and numbers topped 100,000 four times during the decade. The Smith-Lever Act was passed establishing the Cooperative Extension Service as a major step in directing education to farmers. There was extensive experimental work carried out to breed disease resistant varieties of plants, increase yields using commercial fertilizers and improve crop quality. There were also studies to improve productivity of all livestock species. No International Livestock Exposition was held in 1914 or 1915 due to the outbreak of hoof and mouth disease.

Ford Motor Company introduced the continuous moving assembly line which greatly cheapened the cost of manufacturing automobiles. The increased use of automobiles led to the passage of the Rural Post Roads Act expanding Federal subsidies to road building. Additional significant legislation saw the passage of the 18th Amendment/Prohibition and the suffrage movement led to passage of the 19th Amendment guaranteeing women the right to vote. World War I interrupted the decade but with it came a “boom” and prices and sale averages for Shorthorns achieved very high levels. The largest influenza outbreak in history killed ½ million Americans.

This section includes: Fair Acres Sultan & Snowbird’s Sultan, Lavendar Sultan, Pride of Albion, Belle’s Searchlight, Cumberland’s Type, Revolution, Lord Avondale, Maxwalton Commander, Village Supreme, Rodney, Maxwalton Monarch, Cudham Dreadnaught, Marshal Joffre, and Browndale Count.

FAIR ACRES SULTAN 354154

SNOWBIRD'S SULTAN 354160

Born: July 19, 1910 (Twins)

Bred by Frank Harding, Anoka Farm, Waukesha, WI

Sire: WHITEHALL SULTAN 163573

Dam: SNOWBIRD 11648

Fair Acres Sultan worked in four different herds, the Fair Acres herd of J. A. Kilgour, Sterling, IL, E. Ogden & Son, Maryville, MO, Bellows Bros. Parkdale herd, Maryville, MO and H. C. Lookabaugh, Watonga, OK. Although not shown extensively, he proved to be an excellent sire with many prize-winning progeny. The Lookabaugh herd did much to popularize Shorthorns in the Southwest (Oklahoma). After his death his twin brother, Snowbird’s Sultan was acquired however he proved to be a less successful sire than his twin.

LAVENDER SULTAN 354171

Born: July 26, 1910

Bred by Jas. E. Silverthorn, Rossville, IN. Owned by Purdue University

Sire: VICTOR SULTAN 318367

Dam: LAVENDER L 87642

This Purdue University herd sire had the distinction of siring the Grand Champion steer as well as the first prize winners in every Shorthorn steer class (two-year old, senior yearling, junior yearling, senior calf and junior calf) at the 1917 International. For several decades numerous Agricultural Universities maintained excellent purebred beef herds and were always strong contenders in the steer classes at the International and other major steer shows.

PRIDE OF ALBION 352820

Born: December 10, 1910

Bred by Carpenter & Ross, Maxwalton Farm, owned by F.R. Edwards, Tiffin, OH

Sire: SHENSTONE ALBINO 317105 (93405)

Dam: ROSEWOOD PRIDE v60 p655

Grand Champion at the American Royal in 1915 and a leading show winner during the time when the International Livestock Show was cancelled in 1914 and 1915 because of the hoof and mouth outbreak. He was bred differently than many of the Maxwalton bred cattle and was one of the very few outstanding individuals by his sire.

BELLE'S SEARCHLIGHT 375019

Born: April 13, 1912

Bred by H.C. Lookabaugh, Pleasant Valley Stock Farm, Watonga, OK

Sire: VIOLET'S SEARCH LIGHT 375023 (91200)

Dam: BELLE BEARER 16375

Belle’s Searchlight was selected by the American Shorthorn Association to head the Shorthorn “View Herd” on display at the 1915 San Francisco World’s Fair. The Pleasant Valley herd of H. C. Lookabaugh became one of the leading herds of the time in the “Southwest” (Oklahoma).

CUMBERLAND’S TYPE 388132

Born: September 12, 1912

Bred by C. A. Saunders, Cumberland Stock Farm, Manilla, IA

Sire: CUMBERLAND'S BEST 334805

Dam: GIPSY COUNTESS 65193

Although Junior Champion in 1913, he did not have the chance to compete at the International in 1914 or 1915 because of the cancellation due to an outbreak of hoof and mouth disease. A “line-bred Cumberland,” he won 36 championships in as many outings during his show career and greatly enhanced the reputation of Cumberland bred cattle. His progeny also won many championships and sold at high prices.

REVOLUTION 388359 v83

Born: February 2, 1913

Bred by Carpenter & Ross

Sire: AVONDALE 245144

Dam: ROAN ROSEBUD 12TH 59553 (v54 p473E)

His show record, although very competitive, was not as dominating in winning championships as some other of his competitors. His most notable show ring achievement was as Senior Champion at the American Royal in 1918. He, however, became Avondale’s most illustrious breeding son as a highly successful sire in the Maxwalton herd. His progeny won the get of sire class at the International four consecutive years in a row, 1919, ’20, ’21 and ’22, and included the twice international Champion of 1922 and 1923, Maxwalton Monarch.

LORD AVONDALE 391326 v83

Born: April 28, 1913

Bred by Carpenter & Ross, Mansfield, OH, Owned by Jess C. Andrews, Westpoint, IN

Sire: AVONDALE 245144

Dam: LADY MISSIE 2D v66 p530

Although he was not shown extensively, he still sold as a calf to Jess C. Andrews for $5000. An offer of $25,000 was apparently refused for him in 1918.

MAXWALTON COMMANDER 406947

Born: September 28, 1913

Bred by Carpenter & Ross, shown by F.A. Gillespie & Son, Sterling, IL, later sold to H. C. Lookabaugh, Watonga, OK

Sire: AVONDALE 245144

Dam: ROAN LADY 36TH 70925 (v55 p555E)

Bred at Maxwalton but sold to F. A. Gillespie for $7000 who showed him to the International Grand Championship in 1917. He later was sold to H. C. Lookabaugh for $10,000 (in current dollars, equal to almost $150,000) with the purchase of the entire Gillespie herd and contributed to a production sale average of $2985 on 37 head in 1919.

VILLAGE SUPREME 423865

Born: November 9, 1914

Bred by Bellows Bros., Maryville, MO, later used by E. Ogden & Son, Maryville, MO

Sire: SULTAN SUPREME 367161

Dam: VILLAGE CLARA 108337

The Bellows herd was founded in 1880 and they were significant contributors to improved Shorthorns for many decades. Village Supreme was International Grand Champion in 1916 and a fine example of the Whitehall Sultan, Avondale X Villager cross in his pedigree. He sold for $16,500 in 1918 (approx. $246,000 in current dollars) to Jackson & White, Hurley, SD.

RODNEY 753273 (132925)

Born: February 8, 1917

Bred by C.H. Jolliffe, Darlington, England, Imported by Carpenter & Ross, owned by H. S. Black, Mansfield, OH

Sire: SANQUHAR DREADNAUGHT 680399 (113244)

Dam: ROSETTA 7TH 753278 (v60 p869E)

Rodney sold for $20,000 (almost $360,000 in today’s dollars) in June 1918 to Harry S. Black, Mansfield, OH who was just starting a Shorthorn herd. This was a record price for a Shorthorn bull in the US at that time. In that record-breaking Maxwalton sale 122 head of Shorthorns, many of them imported, averaged $1565.25.

MAXWALTON MONARCH 699471

Born: March 20, 1918

Bred by Carpenter & Ross, sold to John Alexander & Sons

Sire: REVOLUTION 388359

Dam: SITTYTON PRINCESS 201022

In four years of competing at the leading shows in America he won his class over sixty times with numerous of those wins completed as Grand Champion. It was said at the time that he “won more than any bull living or dead.” Included in those wins were two International Grand Championships in 1922 and 1923. In the Maxwalton dispersion he sold for $4300 to John Alexander & Sons, Melbourne Farms.

CUDHAM DREADNAUGHT 860431 v104 (148262) (v65)

Born: March 22, 1918

Bred by A.W. Maconhocie, Cudham, Kent, England, Imported by Carpenter & Ross, Owned by Haylands Farm, Sharpsburg, IL

Sire: SANQUHAR DREADNAUGHT 680399 (113244)

Dam: ROSETTA 6TH 860433 (p69 p792E)

Cudham Dreadnaught became a very successful sire after he was purchased for $19,500 by Milton Hay Brown’s Haylands Farm, Sharpsburg, IL in 1919. The farm had the good fortune of an outstanding cow herd to work with that included top individuals bred in the herd as well as from purchases. Cattle from the “Dreadnaught line” were widely exhibited with much success by both the Haylands herd and by Mathers Bros., and included a first prize get of sire at the 1923 International. (Dreadnaught means “fear nothing”, and historically it was an impressive battleship.)

MARSHAL JOFFRE 807343

Born: September 19, 1918

Bred by J.W. McDermott, Kahoka, MO

Sire: CUMBERLAND GIFT 575019

Dam: VILLAGE ROSALIE 203805

His most distinguished show ring win was when he was Junior and Grand Champion at the 1919 American Royal. Many of his descendants carried the “Joffre” name and were known for accelerating the movement to the smaller “compact” type of Shorthorn cattle.

BROWNDALE COUNT 1156438 =142627=

Born: October 1, 1919

Bred by James Douglas, Caledonia, Ontario, CANADA, owned and used by Thos. E. Wilson, Edellyn Farms, Wilson, IL

Sire: BROWNDALE 334947

Dam: MORNING BLOSSOM 2D 1023473

Many volumes could be written about the impact that this landmark sire had on the Shorthorn breed with that influence lasting for decades. He was bred in Canada, born a twin with a heifer, and he was a grandson of Avondale. He was used with phenomenal success in the Edellyn herd of Thos. E. Wilson of Wilson Packing Company. He sired get of sire winners at the International in 1926, ’27, and ’28 and International Grand Champion bulls in 1927, ’28 and ’29. Thirteen times during the sixteen-year span from 1925 through 1940 the first prize get of sire groups at the International were sired by Browndale Count or his sons or grandsons.