St. Clair County Farm Bureau was organized on February 17, 1919 at a meeting held at the Liederkranz Hall in Belleville, IL. The initial membership was 431 members and was governed, like today, by a nine-member board. It was originally organized for the purpose of soil and crop improvement.
The first president of St. Clair County Farm Bureau was A.O. Eckert from 1919-1926. The Board of Directors also consisted of Frank Patterson – Vice President, L.B. Eidman – Secretary, Julius Engelman – Treasurer, Jacob Baer, William J. Miller, William Keck, Michael Sommers Jr., and J.T. Wilderman.
The original county Farm Bureau office was located at the Dr. Twitchell building on South High Street. In April 1931, the Farm Bureau moved its offices to the Hotel Belleville, but when the St. Clair Service Company was chartered the same month, the Farm Bureau moved again to 15 South High Street. In June 1958 the Farm Bureau offices moved to a new building located at 407 East Lincoln Street in Belleville. The Farm Bureau remained there until its move to the present location at 1478 East State Rt. 15.
The founders of the St. Clair County Farm Bureau saw a need. Those 431 men who signed their names to the membership were looking to the future. They also saw all the needs around them in the county. Like our beginning members, the Farm Bureau of today listens to farmer on the grass roots level, and develops policies from the needs expressed by the members. With continued enthusiasm by our committees, we are confident the needs and challenges of the future will be met.
1925 – President Eckert: “The Farm Bureau membership is and should be composed of the highest type of men who are not always asking “What do I get out of it?” – but “what can I do to help make it better?””
As always, if you have any questions or need more information, please contact St. Clair County Farm Bureau at (618) 233-6800 or email us at mail@stclairfb.org. Thank you.