Economic Factors Affecting the Commercial Mussel Fishery. Market 

 changes have had a dramatic effect on the mussel industry of the Illinois 

 River . 



As mentioned previously, the early mussel fishery on the Illinois 

 River was concerned primarily with pearl hunting. While it is not 

 known what percentage of the early market is attributable to pearl 

 products alone, Danglade (1914: 36) had estimated that average pearl 

 slug yield for the river was one-half ounce per ton of shells, with 

 the percentage of pearls per ton being much smaller. Occasionally, pearls 

 of great value were found in the lower Illinois River with one at 

 Pearl (river mile 41.8) worth $2,700 ($15,512 in 1977 dollars) and 

 one found at Hardin (river mile 21.4) worth $750 ($4,309 in 1977 dollars) 

 (Danglade, 1914: 36). The washboard (M. gigantea ) was the principal 

 pearl-bearing shell in the Illinois River and this mussel is still 

 present in Alton Pool (Table 6 ) . 



Although shipments of shells for button manufacture were sent from 

 Eeardstown as early as 1876 (Danglade, 1914: 7), the shell-button in- 

 dustry did not develop extensively on the river until the early 1900' s. 

 In 1970 a button or blank factory was established on the river at 

 Beardstown and the next year another plant was located at Meredosia 

 (Danglade, 1914: 8). The average price of shells from the lower Il- 

 linois River was $25 per ton ($140 in 1977 dolalrs) in 1909. By 1912 

 there were 9 button factories on the lower river: 2 at Meredosia, 1 

 at Naples, 5 at Pearl, and 1 at Grafton (Danglade, 1914: 8). In the 

 same year the average price paid for shells had dropped to $12-13 

 ($70-75 in 1977 dollars) per ton with high-quality shells such as 

 ebony shells (F. ebena ) and sand-shells (_L. recta , _L. fallaciosa , _L. 

 anodontoides ) commanding $50-60 ($287-345 in 1977 dollars) per ton 

 (Danglade, 1914: 12). 



The "boom" in shell collection did not last and by 1911 over- 

 harvesting, siltation, land reclamation, and pollution were affecting 

 mussel populations (Forbes and Richardson, 1913; Danglade, 1914: 47, 48). 

 From 1909 to 1912 the number of boats engaged in mussel fishing on 

 the entire river fell from approximately 2,600 to 400 (Danglade, 1914: 8). 



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