THE HESPERIA MOVEMENT 107 



posed of especially bright, energetic, and original 

 young men and women. They determined to 

 have an association of their own. It occurred 

 to someone that it would add strength to their 

 organization if the farmers were asked to meet 

 with them. The idea seemed to "take," and 

 the meetings became quite popular. This was 

 during the winter of 1885-86. Special credit 

 for this early venture belongs to Mr. E. L. 

 Brooks, still of Hesperia and an ex-president 

 of the present association, and to Dr. C. N. 

 Sowers, of Benton Harbor, Mich., who was one 

 of the teachers during the winter named, and 

 who was elected secretary of the Board of School 

 Examiners in 1887. Mr. Brooks writes: 



The programmes were so arranged that the partici- 

 pants in discussions and in the reading of papers were 

 about equally divided between teachers and patrons. 

 An active interest was awakened from the start. For 

 one thing, -it furnished a needed social gathering during 

 the winter for the farmers. The meetings were held on 

 Saturdays, and the schoolhouse favored was usually 

 well filled. The meetings were not held at ony one 

 schoolhouse, but were made to circulate among the dif- 

 ferent schools. These gatherings were so successful 

 that similar societies were organized in other portions 

 of the country. 



In 1892, Mr. D. E. McClure, who has since 



