A Castle on the prairie, smell that money

1878 hog ad

By Sandy Vasko

When I was growing up a wooded area of Homer Township, a local farmer would let his hogs run loose. In the fall, they gorged themselves on acorns and occasionally wandered into our yard.
When I was about 4 years old, I was in the yard playing when a bunch of them came running at me. (truly don’t know how many, I was too scared to count.) I climbed the nearest sapling and screamed. My mother came running with a broom yelling at the top of her lungs. Taken by surprise, the hogs ran for the woods.
Since that day, I have never been too fond of hogs, except at the butcher counter.
There was one man in Rockville Township who definitely did not feel that way — Homer Castle. Let’s find out a little bit more about him:
Homer Castle was born in Ontario County, N. Y., on May 22, 1834. In 1854, he moved to Wesley Township, also to Homer and Wilton townships, finally in 1867, he moved to Rockville Township in Kankakee County. In 1856, he married Miss Adaline Gooding, and had 13 children. His biography in the History of Will County 1878, merely adds that he was a breeder and shipper of Poland-China hogs. But there is way more to that statement.
He was obviously in business with his wife’s family as we read in January, 1873: “Homer A. Castle, Esq., of Rockville, brought to this market on Thursday, of last week, one of the finest lot of hogs of which we have heard. April pigs, 15 in number, and averaged 383 ½ lbs. Three other and older hogs, weighed 2,000 lbs. including one weighing 810. These, with a lot belonging to Alanson Gooding Esq., made a car load of the best pork ever shipped from Wilmington.”
And a year later, “On Tuesday last Homer C. Castle, Esq., sold a drove of 18 May and June hogs, each averaging 307 pounds. Alanson Gooding, Esq., was the purchaser.”
In the Centennial year of 1876, Homer hit the road with his hogs: “About this time Homer Castle and Longshore are pointing out their fancy pigs at the Centennial. Bring back the blue ribbons, gentlemen.”
In a description of the Will County Fair in 1877 we read, “Gracious, what hogs! What whoppers from the pens of Francis, Stoll, Snoad, and last, but by no means least, our friend Castle, of Rockville. The latter named gentleman, with all the grace and air of ringmaster, reached for his carriage whip and “stirred up the animals” for our inspection. There among the Poland Chinas and Chester Whites sat old “Jim Crow,” a $500 ($14,100 today) boar; nearby grunted “Queen Elizabeth” in all her glory, though without the traditional ruffle. Dozens of little piglets, lively as crickets, sported around in other pens admired by all. Mr. Castle will take his stock and pocketful of blue ribbons (first premiums) to the State fair next week.”
An unfortunate incident happened at that Fair. We read in the Joliet Signal: “A brutal attack was made last Thursday upon a man employed by H. C. Castle, the extensive hog breeder of Rockville, to take care of his swine while on the Joliet fair ground. Ingalls, one of the special security about the grounds, saw this man, who was fatigued with work and watching, sleeping by the pen which contained his employer’s hogs.
“Whether he supposed the man was an incendiary or whether he himself was under the influence of liquor does not appear, but he laid hold of the sleeping man, dragged him to his feet and ordered him from the ground. The man endeavored in vain to explain that he was at his post of duty. Ingalls followed this by striking him a terrible blow with a billy, which laid his face open in a bloody manner and felled him to the ground. His followed up the attack by other blows upon the prostrate man which left his foe beyond recognition. Help came and Ingalls was forced to refrain from his bloody work. Neither has he been taken.”
In 1878 we read, “At the exposition of fat stock in Chicago, this week, we are glad to note that Homer Castle’s hogs were awarded the following named premiums: First premium for boar two years and over; second premium for boar one year and less than two years; first premium for pig less than six months; second premium for pig over six months and less than one year. Also, sweepstakes for hogs two years and over, and for pigs over six months and under one year. Castle only had six pigs on exhibition, and surely, he received his share of the laurels.”
In 1879, a heart-breaking accident occurred: “A child of Joseph Coash, of this city, one year and eight months old, was run over by a farmer’s wagon on Water Street, Thursday week, and fatally injured. It appears that the wagon was loaded with lumber, and the driver, Mr. Homer C. Castle, who is a temperate and careful man, had his attention drawn toward two other children at the time. The little victim was playing in the middle of the road, and was unnoticed until too late. Death ensued immediately. The driver is exonerated from all blame.”
This must have been all the more painful for Homer, as only 7 months earlier, his own daughter died of membranous croup at the age of 2.
Castle also knew that a picture is worth a thousand words: “Mitchell, the photographer, has just finished some extra fine cabinet size pictures of some of H. C. Castle’s blooded swine. ‘Queen of the West II’ and ‘Princess’ are among them and are admired by all stock fanciers who have seen them. Mr. Castle spares neither money or pains to place his Poland Chinas in the very front rank.”
Mr. Castle lived his life dealing with hogs. In 1905 we read:
“Homer Castle, well known in this city, died at the home of his daughter, Mrs. George Smith, in Waldron on Sunday last of heart disease. For the past year he has had charge of the hog department at the insane hospital. His wife died 19 years ago. Thirteen children were born to them, eleven of whom are living. His remains were brought to this city (Wilmington) Tuesday and laid to rest in Oakwood cemetery.”

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