Sigler discusses county 4-H history

As the Wyandot County Fair approaches, the presentation Thursday at the Wyandot County Museum was “4-H History in Wyandot County.”

The guest for the Thursday Evenings at the Museum event was Wyandot County Historical Society board member Robbi Sigler, a former 4-H member herself.

“There aren’t many residents of Wyandot County who haven’t been impacted by 4-H in some way,” Sigler said.

Sigler said 4-H began in Ohio in 1902 and the first club in Wyandot County was founded in 1913. By 1935, there were 23 clubs with 523 members in the county.

A program was shown to attendees from Ohio’s golden anniversary celebration for 4-H in 1902.

A quote from the program read: “Show me a boy or girl who has a calf, a sheep or a pig to exhibit at the county fair, and I will show you one too busy to attend juvenile court.”

Sigler also showed a 4-H stamp from 1952 to commemorate the 50-year anniversary.

Sigler shared many important documents and photos including the minutes of the first Junior Fair Board meeting for the Wyandot County Fair. She said Don Schilling was the first junior fair board president in Wyandot County.

Originally, Sigler said the junior fair board handled 4-H exhibits, but she said by 2019 it has grown to encompass 4-H, FFA, FCCLA, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, school art and school industrial art projects.

Sigler said at the 2019 Wyandot County Fair, there are 1,974 junior fair entries from 620 junior fair exhibitors.

Before the arena was built at the Wyandot County Fair, Sigler said livestock was shown in the grove. She said the parade at the fair used to be two hours long because every 4-H club had its own float and they were all competitive against each other. Many collages of photos from early years at the Wyandot County Fair were shared during the presentation.

Sigler said her 4-H club was the Wyandot Squaws, a name that she said isn’t politically correct today. She added that she wasn’t allowed to be a member of FFA in high school and a friend of hers who went on to become a veterinarian, wasn’t allowed to learn about animal husbandry, because females were not allowed to participate at that time.

To prove that 4-H clubs used to include singing, attendees sang an older 4-H song to the tune of the “Buckeye Battle Cry.”

Photos also were shared of junior fair royalty, including the first Wyandot County Junior Fair Queen from 1947, Peg Hankins.

Sigler also discussed how the livestock auction has changed over the years. She said in 1971, the champion hog at the Wyandot County Fair sold for $1 per pound, or approximately $220. In 2018, the champion hog at the fair sold for $2,500.

The trend with the livestock auction has grown from single buyers to a consortium of buyers, Sigler said, which allows more businesses to participate in the auctions.

Sigler said in 2017, there were over 500,000 4-H members in Ohio and over 6.5 million 4-H members nationally.

A threat to 4-H today, she said, is the growth of organized sports.

“4-H is in a great competition of time from kids and parents in the modern age,” Sigler said.

The 4-H motto was shared, which is “To make the best better.” The 4-H pledge also was read, which states:

“I pledge my head to clearer thinking,

my heart to greater loyalty,

my hands to larger service,

and my health to better living,

for my club, my community, my country and my world.”

Sigler said 4-H encourages exploration of different subjects with children and upholds the values of educators.

“There is nothing more profound than making a positive impact on the life of a child,” Sigler said. “For me, that is the value of 4-H, not only in Wyandot County, but in Ohio and the world. The impetus is to remain relevant, to hold fast to what is good, to keep the tradition, but to stay and be aware enough of what is happening in the larger world.”

As an example of 4-H remaining relevant in the modern world, Sigler ended her discussion by highlighting Thursday’s edition of the Daily Chief-Union, which had a front page story about 4-H members hosting two sessions at the Wyandot County Fair to answer questions and teach modern technology to older generations.

“4-H is about learning by doing,” Sigler said.

The next Thursday Evening at the Museum will be a presentation of “Ghost Towns of Wyandot County” at 7 p.m. Sept. 26 by museum curator Ronald Marvin Jr.

 

By BRIAN HEMMINGER
Staff writer