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Plistorioeil Revie^Kr The State Historical Society of Missouri COLUMBIA, MISSOURI BOARD OF EDITORS LAWRENCE 0. CHRISTENSEN SUSAN M. HARTMANN University of Missouri-Rolla Ohio State University, Columbus WILLIAM E. FOLEY ALAN R. HAVIG Central Missouri State University, Stephens College, Warrensburg Columbia JEAN TYREE HAMILTON DAVID D. MARCH Marshall Kirksville ARVARH E. STRICKLAND University of Missouri-Columbia COVER DESCRIPTION: This 1943 oil painting, Simi Valley, California (\5lA" x 23"), by Fred Shane is a recent gift to the State Historical Society from Harry and Ann Cohen of Columbia. Shane (1906- 1990), a noted artist and educator, taught art at the University of Missouri-Columbia for thirty- seven years. Most major museums in the nation have exhibited his work. The painting is a welcome addition to the Society's holdings of Shane paint ings and drawings and will be displayed periodical ly in the Art Gallery. Gallery hours are 8:30 A.M. to 4:00 P.M., Monday through Friday. MISSOURI HISTORICAL REVIEW Published Quarterly by THE STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF MISSOURI COLUMBIA, MISSOURI JAMES W. GOODRICH EDITOR LYNN WOLF GENTZLER ASSOCIATE EDITOR LEONA S. MORRIS RESEARCH ASSISTANT Copyright © 1992 by the State Historical Society of Missouri 1020 Lowry Street, Columbia, Missouri 65201 The Missouri Historical Review (ISSN 0026-6582) is owned by The State Historical Society of Missouri and is published quarterly at 10 South Hitt, Columbia, Missouri 65201. Send communications, business and editorial correspondence and change of address to the State Historical Society of Missouri, 1020 Lowry Street, Columbia, MO 65201. Second class postage is paid at Columbia, Missouri. SOCIETY HOURS: The Society is open to the public from 8:00 A.M. to 4:30 P.M., Monday through Friday, and Saturday from 9:00 A.M. to 4:30 P.M., except legal holidays. VOLUME LXXXVI Holiday Schedule: The Society will be closed Saturday during the Memorial Day weekend and on July 3 and 4. NUMBER 3 On the day of the annual meeting, October 17, 1992, the Society libraries will not be available for research. APRIL, 1992 THE STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF MISSOURI The State Historical Society of Missouri, heretofore organized under the laws of the State, shall be the trustee of this State—Laws of Missouri, 1899, R.S. of Mo., 1969, chapter 183, as revised 1978. OFFICERS 1989-1992 ROBERT C. SMITH, Columbia, President Avis TUCKER, Warrensburg, First Vice President SHERIDAN A. LOGAN, St. Joseph, Second Vice President VIRGINIA G. YOUNG, Columbia, Third Vice President NOBLE E. CUNNINGHAM, Columbia, Fourth Vice President R. KENNETH ELLIOTT, Kansas City, Fifth Vice President ROBERT G.J. HOESTER, Kirkwood, Sixth Vice President ALBERT M. PRICE, Columbia, Treasurer JAMES W. GOODRICH, Columbia, Executive Director, Secretary and Librarian TRUSTEES Permanent Trustees, Former Presidents of the Society WILLIAM AULL III, Lexington RUSH H. LIMBAUGH, Cape Girardeau FRANCIS M. BARNES III, Kirkwood LEO J. ROZIER, Perryville WILLIAM R. DENSLOW, Trenton JOSEPH WEBBER, St. Louis Term Expires at Annual Meeting, 1992 MRS. SAMUEL A. BURK, Kirksville DOYLE PATTERSON, Kansas City RICHARD DECOSTER, Canton STUART SYMINGTON, JR., St. Louis JEAN TYREE HAMILTON, Marshall ROBERT WOLPERS, Poplar Bluff W. ROGERS HEWITT, Shelbyville DALTON C. WRIGHT, Lebanon Term Expires at Annual Meeting, 1993 HENRIETTA AMBROSE, Webster Groves FREDERICK W. LEHMANN IV, H. RILEY BOCK, New Madrid Webster Groves LAWRENCE O. CHRISTENSEN, Rolla GEORGE MCCUE, St. Louis ROBERT S. DALE, Carthage WALLACE B. SMITH, Independence Term Expires at Annual Meeting, 1994 JAMES W. BROWN, Harrisonville BOB PRIDDY, Jefferson City ILUS W. DAVIS, Kansas City DALE REESMAN, Boonville JOHN K. HULSTON, Springfield ARVARH E. STRICKLAND, Columbia JAMES C. OLSON, Kansas City BLANCHE M. TOUHILL, St. Louis BOARD OF TRUSTEES The Board of Trustees consists of one Trustee from each Congressional District of the State and fourteen Trustees elected at large. In addition to the elected Trustees, the President of the Society, the Vice Presidents of the Society, all former Presidents of the Society, and the ex officio members of the Society constitute the Board of Trustees. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Eight Trustees elected by the Board of Trustees together with the President of the Society constitute the Executive Committee. The Executive Director of the Society serves as an ex officio member. WILLIAM AULL III, Lexington, Chairman ROBERT C. SMITH, Columbia FRANCIS M. BARNES III, Kirkwood BLANCHE M. TOUHILL, St. Louis H. RILEY BOCK, New Madrid Avis TUCKER, Warrensburg JAMES C. OLSON, Kansas City JOSEPH WEBBER, St. Louis VIRGINIA G. YOUNG, Columbia EDITORIAL POLICY The editors of the Missouri Historical Review welcome submission of articles and documents relating to the history of Missouri. Any aspect of Missouri history will be considered for publication in the Review. Genealogical studies, however, are not accepted because of limited appeal to general readers. Manuscripts pertaining to all fields of American history will be considered if the subject matter has significant relevance to the history of Missouri or the West. Authors should submit two double-spaced copies of their manuscripts. The footnotes, prepared according to The Chicago Manual of Style, also should be double-spaced and placed at the end of the text. Authors may submit manu scripts on PC/DOS, 360K floppy disk. The disk must be IBM compatible, preferably the WordPerfect 5.1 or Display- write 3 or 4 programs. Otherwise, it must be in ASCII format. Two hard copies still are required, and the print must be letter or near-letter quality. Dot matrix submissions will not be accepted. Originality of subject, general interest of the article, sources used, interpretation and style are criteria for acceptance and publication. Manuscripts should not exceed 7,500 words. Articles that are accepted for publication be come the property of The State Historical Society of Missouri and may not be published elsewhere without permission. The Society does not accept responsibility for statements of fact or opinion made by the authors. Articles published in the Review are abstracted and indexed in Historical Abstracts, America: History and Life, Recently Published Articles, Writings on American History, The Western Historical Quarterly and The Journal of Ameri can History. Manuscripts submitted for the Review should be ad dressed to: Dr. James W. Goodrich, Editor Missouri Historical Review The State Historical Society of Missouri 1020 Lowry Street Columbia, Missouri 65201 CONTENTS CHARLES VALENTINE RILEY AND THE ROOTS OF MODERN INSECT CONTROL. By Donna A. Brunette 229 THE ROTARY POWER MOWER AND ITS INVENTOR: LEONARD B. GOODALL. By Leonard E. Goodall 248 MILKWEED, MACHINE GUNS AND Cows: JEFFERSON COUNTY FARMERS IN WORLD WAR II. By Stephen F. Huss 265 THE WARDMAN PARK GROUP AND CAMPAIGN STRATEGY IN THE TRUMAN ADMINISTRATION, 1946-1948. By Gary A. Donaldson 282 LEST WE FORGET: THE MISSOURI LAW ENFORCEMENT MEMORIAL FOUNDATION. By Elizabeth Bailey 295 HISTORICAL NOTES AND COMMENTS News in Brief 302 Local Historical Societies 304 Gifts 311 Missouri History in Newspapers 316 Missouri History in Magazines 322 In Memoriam 328 Graduate Theses Relating to Missouri History 329 BOOK REVIEWS 330 BOOK NOTES 336 NATIONAL REGISTER SITES: LAURA INGALLS WILDER HOUSE Inside Back Cover State Historical Society of Missouri Charles Valentine Riley and the Roots of Modern Insect Control BY DONNA A. BRUNETTE* Charles Valentine Riley became the state entomologist of Missouri in 1868, when Missouri became the third state to create this position. Riley used his knowledge of the life histories of insects and the ways in which species interact to formulate practical methods that farmers could use to reduce insect populations. He was among a developing group of professional entomologists who laid the foundation for classical biological control, which consists of discovering the most efficient predator or parasite of a pest species and introducing it into an afflicted area to reduce the pest population to a tolerable level. Early entomologists dealt mostly with taxonomic questions, but changes in agriculture following the Civil War increased the need for control of agricultural insect pests. Advances in farm machinery, com- *Donna A. Brunette is a conservation aide II with the Missouri Department of Conservation, Wildlife Research, Columbia. She holds a B.A. degree from Nicholls State University, Thibodaux, Louisiana, and an M.A. degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia. 229 230 Missouri Historical Review bined with the opening of new markets by railroads, led toward the development of monoculture. Demands for farm products and a de creased labor force during the Civil War increased the mechanization and commercialization of agriculture in the northern states.1 With regional specialization in one crop, a diverse ecosystem became con verted to a simple one, and insect species adapted to living on a particular crop were provided with large areas of food and shelter. At the same time, better transportation helped spread pests into new regions. Economic losses from high railroad rates combined with falling crop prices to make insect depredations more difficult for farmers. Although farmers organized to increase their political influence over railroad rates and the economic system, ultimately they were most successful in gaining government support for insect control. In the nineteenth century both federal and state governments actively sup ported