Saginaw 4-H Club: History of 4-H

The Beginning
The first county Extension agent in Texas was appointed in 1906, 8 years before the organization of the Texas
Agricultural Extension Service. Two years later, T.M. (Tom) Marks, county agricultural agent, organized the first
boys' "corn club" in Jack County. Marks found that he was more successful teaching new production technology
to the youth than to the adults. Within a matter of years, "pig clubs," "beef calf clubs" (Coleman County, 1910)
and girls' "tomato clubs" (Milam County, 1912) were also initiated. The stage was set for the rapid expansion of
educational programs directed to rural youth. Within a span of 91 years, 4-H enrollment in Texas has grown
from the original 25 corn club members in Jack County in 1908 to more than three quarters of a million in the
late 1990s! The Texas 4-H Museum is located in Jacksboro (Jack County), the birthplace of 4-H in Texas.

Introduction
The 4-H Story: A History of 4-H Club Work, by Franklin M. Reck and 4-H:
An American Idea, 1900-1980, by Thomas Wessel and Marilyn Wessel
document the origin of the 4-H Youth Development Program throughout
the United States. In summary, the rapid changes taking place in rural
America at the turn of the century led educators to seek ways to link
learning to the needs of rural families. Youth were leaving farms to seek
jobs in towns and cities. Adult farmers were reluctant to try new
techniques of crop production. Agricultural leaders began seeking ways to
teach agricultural producers improved methods of crop production.