Byron Gamble and the Seneca Water Conservation District
Almost nothing gives a person approaching his or her seventieth year more pleasure than to become acquainted with a man in his eighties who is as physically healthy, vigorous, and full of memories of a life well spent helping others as Byron Gamble.
He was born in Van Wert County and grew up on a farm. They raised hogs, poultry, milk cows, and horses. They grew mostly hay and oats. Fields were much smaller then with many birds nesting in the trees in fence rows.
In the late 20’s his father bought his first tractor, a Fordson. Byron remembers that as a boy there were days when the only vehicle that passed his home all day was the mailman’s. He would wait eagerly for him to come. Sometimes a huckster would come and buy eggs and poultry. He sold trinkets, sewing supplies and other small items.
Byron earned money his last two years in high school by driving a black wooden school bus with ising glass windows. He would pick up 20 to 25 students After that he went to Ohio State where he graduated with a degree in Agriculture. His first job was with the Farm Security Administration, procuring land for the Forest Service. After a stint teaching school in Hancock County, he joined the Agricultural Extension Service as a 4H agent and became the Agricultural Extension Agent when he moved to Seneca County in June, 1946.
Byron is proud to relate that the Extension Service has existed since the time of Abraham Lincoln, advising farmers on the newest research and farm practices. This August we are celebrating 50 years of the Seneca Water Conservation District, and it is fitting that we should honor Byron, the Agricultural Extension Agent who got the ball rolling so that Seneca County could have their own Seneca Water Conservation District.
On Wednesday, March 25, l948, The County Extension Advisory Council met and began the first discussions about joining the newly created soil conservation districts. The motion was made by H. J. Willman to form a committee of County Farm Bureau and County Pomona Grange members to investigate the possibility of organizing such a district. Carmi Jordan seconded the motion.
L. L. Rhoad, Walter Knepper, and Charles Ziegler were appointed as members of the first County Soil Conservation Committee by the Farm Bureau, and Ralph Stacy, Paul Shedenhelm and C. J. Fry were appointed from the Grange.
The first action of the committee was to appoint committeemen from each township, 65 in all, to sound out their township land owners to see if they wanted to join a Soil Conservation District. Meetings were held at Republic, Clinton, and Hopewell-Loudon Schools to learn about the advantages of soil conservation districts from speakers, John Slipher, of the Extension Service, and T. B. Smith of the Soil Conservation Service. A majority of those attending favored the establishment of a district.
Byron Gamble met with the committeemen from the townships and they agreed to distribute information booklets and circulate petitions in their communities for signing. By December 12 of l948, the signed petitions of more than 300 land owners were sent to the Ohio Soil Conservation Committee. After 23 Seneca County leaders went to Columbus to state the case for a district in Seneca County, they received approval to have a referendum in the townships on February 12, l949.
Only owners of land in Seneca County could vote. The voting was done by secret ballot in each of the townships. On March 15, the Advertiser-Tribune published the favorable results. Candidates then circulated petitions and five men were elected to the first Board of Supervisors. They were Merlin Good, L. L. Rhoad, Charles Ziegler, R. R. Haugh, and C. J. Fry.
In July, 1949 the Board met with Byron Gamble and J. E. Bradfute, Area Conservationist, to plan the work of the Soil Conservation District and to sign an agreement with the Secretary of Agriculture in Washington, D. C.. Many farmers of the county were interested in beginning farm plans of their farms.
Mr. Bradfute informed the board that a farm planner would arrive November 21. An office was found in the Tiffin University Building, and John W. Miller began his work. His first efforts went to the more than 35 farmers who had already made application to have farm plans drawn up for their farms.
Much of the early plans concerned soil erosion and The Seneca Soil Conservation provided cost-share funds and planning to farmers who wished to tile their land. Later the tile work was connected to drainage ditches. Today the ditch work takes the major portion of the time of two staff members at the district office.
About 25 years ago the emphasis switched from soil conservation to water quality. The SWCD works closely with the Heidelberg College Water Quality Laboratory. The SWCD also works on wildlife conservation , cooperating with groups like Pheasants Forever. Staff members can also assist home owners who are not farmers with advice on home sites before they build, and they can help home owners plan a pond.
Since the SWCD acquired the Miller Conservation Farm, much effort has gone into creating a laboratory for conservation practices and wildlife habitat restoration. Interested citizens are encouraged to help with this project.
– Mary