Agricultural pioneer Henry Van Dyke Hannah was born June 15, 1842 in Ohio County, Indiana, about 25 miles southwest of Cincinnati, Ohio. After completing a common school education, he spent several sessions at a prep school and then at an early agricultural institute or college.
After that, he worked on his father’s farm until 1862, when he enlisted in the Second Indiana Light Artillery. Wounded at least once, Hannah carried a Minie ball in his abdomen for the rest of his life. At the end of the war, he returned to farming with his father. However, with the war over, the farm economy entered a severe depression and, for various reasons, southern Indiana was hit particularly hard. So young Hannah headed west.
In late 1872, he was in Idaho looking for acreage, after about three years in Oregon. He started in a valley area northeast of Weiser and would be associated with that town for many years. Even that early, “V. D.” – as he was now commonly known – sought the top of the line in his business. In May, 1873, the Idaho Statesman carried his advertisement to sell fertilized eggs from top-breed chickens he had just imported from the East. A couple months later, he gave the Statesman editor a basket containing the “fattest gooseberries we ever saw.”
That fall, Hannah set up a sales stand in downtown Boise with a wide variety of fruit from his farm: two kinds of apples, peaches, pears, plums, grapes … and even some tomatoes. All were judged to be outstanding examples of their kind. Nor did he neglect the animal husbandry side. Besides his purebred chickens, he also advertised top-grade hogs “and a good Boar, for service.”
Over the following years, V. D. added high-grade turkeys and geese to his poultry line, as well as herds of purebred sheep and shorthorn cattle. He also continued to improve his fruit lines. In 1884, the Statesman reported that he had seven varieties of grapes under cultivation on two-year-old vines. When agricultural fairs appeared, Hannah was always among the prize winners, in many different categories.
When a commission was assembled to organize Idaho’s exhibits for the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair, V. D. handled the agriculture portion. Besides the expected products, he included two new items from his ranch: figs and cotton. The exhibit was a huge success and he was similarly asked for advice five years later for the World’s Fair held in Omaha.
When growers organized the Idaho State Horticultural Society in 1895, V. D. was named a trustee and served on the Legislative Committee. Two years later, the State Board of Agricultural Inspection was created. Although Hannah was not a member of the first Board, he later served as a member.
In 1905, V. D. took on a task similar to his World’s Fair duty – the Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition in Portland, Oregon. By this time, the Hannahs was living near Caldwell.
Nothing out of the ordinary came Hannah’s way until 1917, when he was 75 years old. He was appointed to appraise land being offered as collateral for loans from the state. He gave up that position in November, 1918. But even at his advanced age, he still grew crops and animals. His History of Idaho biography said, “It is like attending a fine stock fair to visit his farm and see the splendid animals and poultry that he has produced.”
He passed away in July 1923, shortly before the Annual Meeting of a regional cattle growers association. They observed a long moment of silence in his honor.
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| Henry V. D. Hannah. [Hawley] |
After that, he worked on his father’s farm until 1862, when he enlisted in the Second Indiana Light Artillery. Wounded at least once, Hannah carried a Minie ball in his abdomen for the rest of his life. At the end of the war, he returned to farming with his father. However, with the war over, the farm economy entered a severe depression and, for various reasons, southern Indiana was hit particularly hard. So young Hannah headed west.
In late 1872, he was in Idaho looking for acreage, after about three years in Oregon. He started in a valley area northeast of Weiser and would be associated with that town for many years. Even that early, “V. D.” – as he was now commonly known – sought the top of the line in his business. In May, 1873, the Idaho Statesman carried his advertisement to sell fertilized eggs from top-breed chickens he had just imported from the East. A couple months later, he gave the Statesman editor a basket containing the “fattest gooseberries we ever saw.”
That fall, Hannah set up a sales stand in downtown Boise with a wide variety of fruit from his farm: two kinds of apples, peaches, pears, plums, grapes … and even some tomatoes. All were judged to be outstanding examples of their kind. Nor did he neglect the animal husbandry side. Besides his purebred chickens, he also advertised top-grade hogs “and a good Boar, for service.”
Over the following years, V. D. added high-grade turkeys and geese to his poultry line, as well as herds of purebred sheep and shorthorn cattle. He also continued to improve his fruit lines. In 1884, the Statesman reported that he had seven varieties of grapes under cultivation on two-year-old vines. When agricultural fairs appeared, Hannah was always among the prize winners, in many different categories.
When a commission was assembled to organize Idaho’s exhibits for the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair, V. D. handled the agriculture portion. Besides the expected products, he included two new items from his ranch: figs and cotton. The exhibit was a huge success and he was similarly asked for advice five years later for the World’s Fair held in Omaha.
When growers organized the Idaho State Horticultural Society in 1895, V. D. was named a trustee and served on the Legislative Committee. Two years later, the State Board of Agricultural Inspection was created. Although Hannah was not a member of the first Board, he later served as a member.
In 1905, V. D. took on a task similar to his World’s Fair duty – the Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition in Portland, Oregon. By this time, the Hannahs was living near Caldwell.
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| Idaho Building, Lewis & Clark Exposition. Library of Congress. |
Nothing out of the ordinary came Hannah’s way until 1917, when he was 75 years old. He was appointed to appraise land being offered as collateral for loans from the state. He gave up that position in November, 1918. But even at his advanced age, he still grew crops and animals. His History of Idaho biography said, “It is like attending a fine stock fair to visit his farm and see the splendid animals and poultry that he has produced.”
He passed away in July 1923, shortly before the Annual Meeting of a regional cattle growers association. They observed a long moment of silence in his honor.
| References: [Hawley] |
| “[Idaho Hannah News],” Idaho Statesman, Boise (December 1872 – July 1923).. |
| “[Other Hannah News],” Reveille, Vevay, Indiana; The Standard, Greenburg, Indiana; The Oregonian, Portland (October 1870 – September 1919). |
| Paul Salstrom, From Pioneering to Persevering: Family Farming in Indiana to 1880, Purdue University Press, West Lafayette, Indiana (2007). |