The following quoted texts and photo are from “History of Gibson County: Her People, Industries, and Institutions” by Gilbert R. Stormont, 1914, pp. 117-119:
“From early times Gibson county has had the reputation as one of the best corn growing counties in the state, and it has kept pace with other counties in modern and progressive methods of cultivating that cereal. There was a time when little attention was given to methods of corn cultivation, the selection of seed for planting, etc., these things being considered of minor importance in the primitive farming days…”
“But all this has been changed, by the application of scientific study and the exercise of common sense. The farmer of today not only gives attention to the study of the character and preparation of the soil, but also to the quality of the seed…”
“These progressive ideas in farming are due largely to the teaching and influence of Purdue University, and the introduction of this study in the common schools. The result is that the boys have become interested. It has been demonstrated that education and science applied to farming, as well as to other occupations, are necessary to obtain the best results. As a consequence of this awakened interest in scientific farming, the boys are turning their attention more to that vocation, and not so much to becoming lawyers, doctors or preachers.
“The man who has done more than any other one person in Gibson county to interest the boys in this industry is W. A. Barnett, of Hazelton. A few years ago he gave a notice through the papers that he would furnish one hundred boys each one quart of high class seed free, if the fathers of the boys would furnish the ground in which to plant the corn and agree to give the boys all the proceeds from the crop produced. A corn show at the end of the season was also promised the boys, ever boy to get a prize. Books were to be furnished by Purdue University, by which they were to keep a record of planting, cultivating and harvesting, with bulletins from the same institution for instruction. Eighty boys responded to this offer, and when the records were submitted the production shown was from sixteen to twenty-five bushels from the seed furnished.
“The promised corn show was held in Princeton, January 18, 1911, which was largely attended, not only by the boys interested in the contest, but by farmers from this and adjoining counties…”
“As promised by Mr. Barnett, all the boys who accepted his offer and entered the contest were given a prize. The boys were also treated to a fine dinner, after which they repaired to the court house steps and had a group photograph taken [below].”
“PRIZE WINNERS IN THE GIBSON COUNTY CORN SHOW: Walter Adams, Chester Armstrong, Darwin O. Spore, Orin Giesselman, Homer Alcorn, John Mobley, Frank Kimbrough, Oscar Sturges, Cato Powell, Wylie Woods, Oscar Kenner, Warner Johnson, Frank Gambrel, Darwin Woods, Wash Johnson, Thomas Taylor, Moody Blythe, Aaron Goodrich, Guy Loftin, Johnson Emmerson, Louis Marvel, Alfred Wirth, Arnold McCarty, Darwin Simpson, Wayne Gale, Hobert Reed, Carl Woods, Charles Sides, John Onyet, Ernest Warren, Walter Ackman, Oscar Montgomery, Owen Wallace, Mike Hisker, Alois Knapp, Virgil Emerson, Virgil Jones, D. H. Kirk, Claude Robb, John Rutter, Virgil Seaman, Alfred Lamar, Hobert Lamar, Paul Braselton, Alex Milburn, Earl White, Cloyd Hardiman, Ray Harris, Thomas Lynch, Wilbur Barnett, Ernest McFetridge, John Johnson, Vesper Morrow, Walter Yeager, Percy Droll—fifty-five.”