The Fashion Herd

The purebred Poland China Hog operation of Fred Hassler, which characterized the farming operation of the Leet/Hassler farmstead during its period of significance (i.e., 1916-1936), was known by the 1920s as the "Fashion Herd," a name which appears in faded painted lettering on the loft of the barn on this farmstead. Hassler was among "four widely known Poland China hog breeders" in the Manning area in the early twentieth century (History Book Committee 1981:214). The other well-known breeders were Bob Halford, Charley Lyden and Bill Timmerman. Hassler was also reportedly "the largest hog breeder in this area of that time" (ibid.). His Fashion Herd hogs "were sold throughout the country and were the basis of many famous herds" (ibid.). His farmstead also appears to have been the only one in the Manning area to have been built specifically for a purebred hog operation in the early twentieth century (Dan Peters, personal communication 1999). In fact, the farmsteads of the other breeders noted above no longer exist (Freda Dammann, personal communication 1999).

The first sale barn in Manning opened in 1906 and was operated by George Wilson. Sellers of both purebred Duroc Jersey and Poland China hogs were frequent customers (History Book Committee 1981:219). In 1921 and 1923, Fred Hassler sold spring boars from his then-champion boar, "Bombo," at the sale barn (ibid.). Another of his champion boars was "Grand Master. According to a history of Poland China hog breeding in the United States, Hassler acquired Grand Master on August 8, 1913, selling it to W. A. Leet, then of Omaha, Nebraska, on December 1, 1915 (Davis and Duncan 1921:43). Thus is interesting timing given that Leet had just acquired title to the future farmstead property in Manning in November 1915. Grand Master was subsequently acquired by Osbert Allender and Sons of Mount Pleasant, Iowa, although the date of sale is not recorded in Davis and Duncan (1921:43).

Grand Master first came into the limelight in 1914 (when Hassler was his owner), when he won the special prize offered by another breed exponent, for the largest boar of any breed on the Iowa State Fair Grounds. Grand Master weighed 1,070 pounds the day of the weighing and exceeded by over 100 pounds his nearest rival. He later weighed 1,120 pounds. As a breeding boar, he ranked first class, especially as a sire of brood sows. Probably his greatest son was Masterpiece, the sire of the renowned Fashion Girl. His gilts have always been in demand (ibid, :44).

Other hogs of note in Hassler's Fashion Herd included "Designer" farrowed an January 1, 1918, bred from Fashion Girl and sold to William Ferguson of Nebraska for $5000; "Liberator" also farrowed on January 1, 1918, from Fashion Girl and sold to L.H. Glover of Missouri for $3000; "Archdale" farrowed in 1919 by Chieftan; and "Checkers" purchased after March 1919 and sold by Hassler to Joe Bloemendaal of Alton, Iowa, in March 1920 (Davis and Duncan 1921:67-68, 73, 77). It was said of Liberator that:

Perhaps no other boar of late years, so completely captivated the entire Poland China world as did Liberator. As soon as he was sold at the remarkable price of $3,000, as a six months old pig, he had begun to make history and for the past two years many pages have been inscribed. After a most brilliant advertising campaign, a sale held on November 16, 1918, with ten sows sold with breeding privilege to the pig, made a record sale of about $600 per head (ibid.:67).

As for Checkers, it was noted that:

Seldom does a young boar leap into such wide renown as did Checkers. Being an unusual pig individually, he attracted the attention of F.H. Hassler, who developed the pig for several months and sold him to Bloemendaal for $20,000 (ibid.:73).

Fashion Girl was farrowed on February 1, 1917, bred by Hassler from Masterpiece and Fashion Princess, and who sold her to Silver Brook Farm in Muncie, Indiana (ibid.:54). It was likely in honor of Fashion Girl that Hassler named his "Fashion Herd," which would have included her famous offspring.

Fashion Girl became famous through her sons, Liberator and Designer. She possessed breed character and broodiness that made her a great mother. Her litters were uniform and were raised without runts. After Liberator had sold for a record price, the sow was re-mated to The Clansman, and sold as an attraction in the Silver Brook sale, being purchased by Glover & Moore, Mr. Glover being the owner of Liberator. Other litters out of her being in so great demand, enhanced her value many times, and she was sold January 19, 1920, in the record sale of L.H. Glover for $17,200 to F.R McDermand, Kansas City, Mo., being the record price for a sow of any breed. There is no question but that her sons, Liberator, Designer, and The Pioneer, have added very materially to the improvement of the breed, their influence radiating to every section of the United States (ibid.:117-118).

Masterpiece was farrowed in February 1915 by C.E. Lyden of Manning and was sold to Hassler on June 1, 1915. Masterpiece stayed with Hassler until July 1, 1918, when he was sold to L.1-1. Glover. Masterpiece's fame came from his siring of Fashion Girl, who was the dam of Liberator, Designer, "and a host of other noted sons and daughters" (Davis and Duncan 1921:64).

The Clansman was farrowed in 1916 but not by Hassler, who purchased the boar on August 18, 1917, and then sold it to Silver Brook Farm in Indiana on September 14, 1917 (Davis and Duncan 1921:60).

Perhaps no boar became so popular in so short a time as did thus great boar, The Clansman. When sold by Hassler to the Silver Brook Farm, no special significance was attached to the sale, other than the price, which was $1500. He had not at that time produced anything to make hum great, but, when L.H. Glover purchased Liberator, a 6-months-old pig by The Clansman, for $3,000 cash, a great move was made toward the popularity of The Clansman. Boars by The Clansman could not be raised fast enough, and many of the sons sold at long prices (ibid.).

Finally, Mabel's Jumbo was a boar farrowed in 1915 by E.S. Babcock of Manning, Iowa, and sold to Hassler and R.W. Halford on November 25, 1918. Mabel's Jumbo "was one of the largest boars ever produced" and was used by Hassler and Halford for a short time before being sold for $18,000 "in their combination sale" held in August 1919 (Davis and Duncan 1921:58). Hassler's granddaughter still has in her possession auction notices from Hassler's sales dating from 1917 into the 1920s (Marsha Blanford, personal communication 1998).

Fred Hassler was still in the Poland China hog business through the end of his tenure on the Manning farmstead property in 1936. While he did not lose the farm to foreclosure and was still able to meet his mortgage payments during the height of the Great Depression, he was unable to obtain the refinancing he needed to keep the operation going (Erwin Hansen, personal communication 1997). However, it appears that he continued to keep a hand in the business into the late 1930s holding a sale of Poland China hogs in October 1939 under the name "Hassler & Son." lie also worked for the ManCryCo Farms in Manning after moving into town after 1936, although this was a purebred and grade cattle and dairy operation (Erwin Hansen, personal communication 1997; History Book Committee 1981:241).

It is not known for sure which of his fatuous boars was housed in the small tile block house located north of the barn. It is suspected that it was built for Bombo, his champion boar in the early 1920s, although it could have been built simply for tire prize boar of the day given the short time that Hassler retained many of his prize boars (History Book Committee 1981:219).

The town of Manning enjoyed a special place in Iowa's purebred livestock industry, with this community having "a world wide reputation for the best in livestock" (History Book Committee 1981:214).

Those wanting to start a heard, or to improve their lines, have come to Manning to buy the best in bulls or boars. It has been claimed that no community has had as complete a group of famous herds: beef and dairy cattle, hogs, poultry, and sheep have shared the spotlight during the past 100 years. In addition to being known for their quality stock, tote breeders themselves have gained international recognition for their work in research, legislation, and national livestock organizations (ibid.).

Poland China hogs were part of these famous herds, with the Fashion Herd of Fred H. Hassler among the renowned groups in the Manning area.

The history of the Poland China breed began in 1816 in Warren County, Ohio, when the Shaker Society crossed Big China hogs with Russia and Byfield breed hogs to produce larger and superior feeder hogs that became known as the Warren County Hog breed (Davis and Duncan 192 1 :1). Between 1816 and 1846 crossings of Big Chinas with other breeds, such as Berkshires, produced promising results. By 1846, there were no further outside crossings, with improvement made thereafter by selection (ibid.:2). The Poland China name was not affixed officially to this new breed until 1872, with the earliest version being a hyphenated "Poland-China" (ibid.: 11). The use of "Poland" caused much controversy through the years leading to the conclusion by some that a new hog had been imported from Poland and crossed with the Warren County Hog. However, Davis and Duncan (1921:11) allege that "in one neighborhood an individual used the word Poland to designate the progeny of a particular animal that had been obtained from a farmer, Asher Asher, who was a Polander by birth and resided in Butler County [Ohio]." Whatever the origin, "Poland China" became the official name of the breed at the November 1872 convention of the National Swine Breeders (ibid.).

In the 1870s, it became the practice to record farm and livestock histories in Ohio. Carl Freigau became inspired by this practice and began publishing a history of the Poland China breed beginning with his first publication of pedigrees in 1876. The popularity of the breed spread into the Midwest, including the State of Iowa, where in 1878 breeders from six to seven Midwest states met in Cedar Rapids to organize the American Poland China Record Association. This was followed in the 1880s by the organization of the Central Poland China Record based in Indianapolis and the Standard Poland China Record based in Maryville, Missouri, to better aid in regional tracing of pedigrees (Davis and Duncan 1921:12-15).

By the mid-1880s in Iowa, Poland Chinas were the most numerous of the "fancy" hog breeds in the state, with West Liberty claiming "to be one of the greatest centers of this breed in the world" (Ross 1951:76). In descending order the other most popular breeds in Iowa were the Berkshire, Chester White, Duroc Jersey, and Essex (ibid.).

Poland Chinas were classified as a lard type hog as were Duroc Jersey. Chester White, Hampshire and Berkshire hogs as opposed to bacon type hogs including the Tamworth and Yorkshire. Lard type hogs were very popular in the Midwest because these hogs were corn fed. "Since corn is the great fat- or lard-producer, we have the lard-belt almost co-extensive with the corn-belt" (Bailey 1908:648).

The Poland-China has been developed especially to meet the market demand for a fat or lard hog. Its heavy shoulder, wide back, and heavily developed hams, render it an exceptionally good yielder from the packer's standpoint (ibid :673 ).

As the breed progressed in the late nineteenth century, "the great number of outstanding boars became less, due to the clamoring for sons of the few outstanding boars" (Davis and Duncan 1921:24). By the end of the nineteenth century, the breed had undergone a great change in scale and type resulting in a "decline" of the. breed.

At this period, the Duroc Jersey, though in many respects not comparable to the Poland China, offered relief to the general pork growers who complained, and rightfully so, of the small litters, weakling and under-sized Poland Chinas. and that breed was given an impetus that made of it a formidable rival of the Poland China (ibid.: 174).

A number of breeders of the Poland China had begun seeking after the smaller, so-called "hot blood" type, a movement that reached its apex in 1905-06. Breeders in Nebraska, however, had focused on the "large mellow Poland Chinas" instead and stood at the forefront of industry once the "hot blood" bubble burst in 1907 and 1908. As the industry moved into the 1910s, the "Big Type" Poland Chinas became all the rage. At the forefront of the "Big Type" movement were Peter Mouw of Orange City, Iowa; Dawson & Sons of Endicott, Nebraska; and Fred L. Rood of Clearfield, Iowa.

Between 1910-1915, the Big Type Poland China operations expanded gaining in popularity against the Duroc Jersey breed. In the midst of this growing effort, the Duroc Jersey Record Association offered a cash prize for the largest boar of any breed at the 1914 Iowa State Fair. "Thus, a laurel wreath fell to the Poland China breed when the great boar Grand Master, owned by F.H. Hassler, of Manning, Iowa, tipped the beam officially at 1070 pounds" (Davis and Duncan 1921:180-181). It was further noted that "no exhibition of its time did more to establish the correctness of the claim of the superior size of the Poland China than did this" (ibid.: 181).

This feat by Hassler was followed in 1915 with another announcement that shook the "Poland China fraternity'' and involving Hassler (Davis and Duncan 1921:182). In December of that year, Hassler sold Grand Master to William Leet, then living in Omaha, Nebraska, for the sum of $2500. The high price was much above the average sales for that year, or even years prior, and signaled a general rise in prices for prize boars in the years to come. It was also noted that:

There was embodied in this same transaction the sale of Mr. Hassler's entire herd to Mr. Leet, and the retention of Mr.

Hassler as manager of the Leet herd and farms at Manning, Iowa" (ibid.:182-183) (emphasis added].

This would place Hassler's association with Leet at the Manning property and as Leet's farm manager beginning late in 1915.

Hassler would again be linked to a momentous event in the Poland China industry when he sold Liberator to L.H. Glover in 1918 for $3000, although it would be Glover who would go on to achieve greater fame with the breeding of Liberator in the ensuing years (Davis and Duncan 1921:184-185). Hassler once again made news briefly when in 1919 in partnership with R.W. Halford of Manning, Mabel's Jumbo was sold for $18,000, and Hassler's boar Designer sold for $5000. Designer would subsequently bring a record $30,000 for William Ferguson. Fashion Girl would also command a great price when she was sold by Glover (ibid.:182-190). Thus, while Hassler bred a number of famous boars and sows and certainly profited nicely from their initial sale, he often lost out on the largest returns of these hogs in their subsequent resales and breeding. The reputation of his animals certainly eclipsed his own. He finally achieved some of the greater financial rewards when in 1920 Hassler sold the boar "Checkers" for $20,000, and a boar from Designer for $15,000, although the highest prices for that year were in the $40,000-$60,000 range (ibid.:l91). Unfortunately, by year's end, the farm depression that presaged the Great Depression began to be felt in Iowa and the Midwest.

Looking back on the history of the breed in 1921, Davis and Duncan (1921:56) noted that:

the years 1915 to 1920 were the greatest years of prosperity ever enjoyed in a similar period. While prices in some instances were beyond the value of the animals, yet we are prone to say that the failure to own a really good herd boar has put more men out of business than ever did the purchase of boars at prices that were too high. Many men purchased and paid for good farms, improved and bettered their farming and breeding operations; built good roads, churches and schools and in general raised the standards of living. The Poland China as a breed was looked up to as the banner hog of the world, possessing more size, an abundance of quality. and a superior feeder

The dawning of the Great Depression, however, would put an end, for a while at least, on the high prices awarded for prize boars and sows. In the recovery years after World War 11, the livestock industry in general moved toward progeny testing, which provided "an established base of performance" and "largely subordinated the older emphasis upon individual judging as a basis of selection" (Ross 1951:181). However, the cattle and poultry industries were quicker to embrace this new process, with the improvement of swine by progeny testing moving at a much slower pace. By the early 1950s, progeny testing was still in the experimental stages with swine but had "good possibilities for future development" (ibid.: 182).

Another reason for the decline of the Poland China operations was that by the 1940s, the lard market had begun to give way to vegetable fats as the shortening of choice by consumers. "As a result, swine breeders have focused their attention on the production of meat-type hogs" as lard-type hogs became less profitable (Bundy et al. 1975:47). Poland China hogs were still popular into the 1950s; however, today they are not a common livestock breed (History Book Committee 1981:241).

It is hoped that the restoration of the Leet/Hassler Farmstead District as an educational exhibit and farming museum will focus on the history of this farmstead as a purebred hog operation. It has been recommended that the exhibit include Poland China hogs, if stock can be obtained and maintained (Rogers 1998). While the overall emphasis of the planned Manning Heritage Park, which will encompass the farmstead district, will be on the German immigrant heritage of the early settlement of Manning and the vicinity, neither Leet nor Hassler were German immigrants. Therefore, the recommended emphasis of the Leet/Hassler Farmstead District interpretation should be on the significance of the purebred Poland China hog operation of this farmstead as it reflects an important chapter in Manning and Carroll County's agricultural history.