Read it Again: Week of June 28, 2001.

80 years ago this week.

Louis J. Taber, 43, of Belmont County has been named Ohio’s new director of agriculture under the reorganized state government. “He is not the swivel chair type of farmer, but is making good dairy history with his herd of gold medal Jersey cattle.” Taber was Ohio State Grange master at the time of his appointment, but he immediately tendered his resignation to that post.

Ohio farm values increased from 1910 to 1920. The average value in 1910 of Ohio farms (including land and farm buildings) was $6,080, and in 1920, $10,368. There were 256,695 farms in Ohio in 1920, down from 272,045 in 1910. In 1910, the average value per acre was $68.62; in 1920, $113.18 per acre.

50 years ago this week.

The well-known White Oak Farm Jersey herd was dispersion at a very peppy sale on Decoration Day, May 30, at Clearfield, Pennsylvania. A total of 55 head was sold for an average of $393 per head.

The top animal of the sale, sold for $3,200 and purchased by the Northeastern Pennsylvania Artificial Breeding Association, was a 3-year-old son of the nationally known Brampton Beacon bred by B.H. Bull and Son of Brampton, Ontario, Canada. Max Forcey, a neighboring Jersey breeder, purchased the top cow of the sale for $850. She was a 4-year-old cow that had milked 50 pounds a day and was bred by Maxwelton Farm in Canada. The sale was cried by Col. Tom McCord of Montgomery, Ala.

25 years ago this week.

The average new single-family home now costs about $100,000. Shocking as that price might be, it is a fact, if you include the cost of financing which over the past 10 years has added much more to the price of housing than have building costs. In 1966 a new single-family house cost about $25,000. If a $5,000 down were made it would leave $20,000 to be financed at 6 percent for 25 years. Total cost: $43,661. A comparable house in 1976 costs $45,000. After a $9,000, 20 percent down payment. $36,000 would remain to be financed at 9 percent for 25 years. Total cost: $99,636.