SECOND PERIOD OF ACTIVITY. 277 



in this pioneer work with Short-horns in the 

 newer West must be mentioned the late Capt. 

 James N. Brown, whose magnificent estate of 

 Grove Park in Sangamon County still remains 

 in the family and is still devoted largely to 

 cattle-growing and feeding operations. Capt. 

 Brown removed from Kentucky in the year 

 1833 and brought with him some good Short- 

 horns, which constituted, we believe, the earliest 

 introduction of the breed into the Upper Missis- 

 sippi Valley. Soon after these early settlers 

 founded their herds, however, the great depres- 

 sion from 1840 to 1850 settled down upon the 

 country and slow progress was made in the im- 

 provement of the Illinois cattle, but with the 

 revival of interest that occurred in other States 

 in the fifties the enterprising breeders of Cen- 

 tral Illinois resolved to undertake in earnest 

 the work of bringing their herds up to the 

 standard of those that had existed for so many 

 years in Kentucky and Ohio. Accordingly in 

 the year 1857 a syndicate was formed for the 

 purpose of making a direct importation from 

 England. 



Capt. James N. Brown was the master-spirit 

 of this organization, and the whole project 

 would have failed had he not consented to act 

 as one of the agents for the purchase of the 

 cattle on the other side. Messrs. H. C. Johns 

 and H. Jacoby were selected to act as his assist- 



