The emphasis on reaching rural areas that characterized 4-H until relatively late in the century can be explained by examining the impetus for 4-H development. Rural children in Black Hawk County, as in most rural areas, generally lived lonely lives in isolation on their farms. Their daily lives were marked by hard, repetitive work. Consequently, the cities were appealing to these farm children. As rural society became concerned with the growing "farm-to-town" movement of the early 20th century, they sought diversions for their children to keep them from succumbing to the lure of the city's energy and activity. 4-H offered opportunities for rural children to escape from the monotony of their daily routine by getting together for learning and social activities.
The character of Black Hawk County 4-H has evolved a great deal since its inception. The Waterloo Courier's interviews with the 1947 "Champions of 4-H Achievement" provide insight into the character of Black Hawk County 4-H at this time. The emphasis was still on rural children, though 4-H was now more often viewed as a way to improve agriculture and home economics practices and less as a means of maintaining rural society. For instance, John Sickles, Black Hawk County's boy champion, who had an interest in "going into diversified farming," remarked that "you get to learn by practical application, and you have a lotta fun and there's a revenue, too." It is interesting to note that it was through 4-H that Sickles learned about conservation practices, which he believed were going to become increasingly important to farmers. Black Hawk County's girl champion, Carol Dee Legg, was involved in a variety of home economic projects, including cooking, food preservation, oven products, home furnishing, and sewing. Legg commented that 4-H was "worth a great deal to any girl, but those on farms are the only ones lucky enough to be eligible."
The character and mission of Black Hawk County 4-H evolved from mid-century to the present, often reflecting larger societal transformations. By 1988, 400 Black Hawk County youth were involved at the club level. Remarkably, the membership was divided evenly between rural and urban children. This decline in rural membership can be explained by several societal factors. Firstly, the farm population has steadily declined as economic and technological forces have driven the consolidation of small, family-owned farms. Secondly, as Black Hawk County's 4-H Youth Development Specialist Mary TeWinkel pointed out that today's children are busier and more involved with a wide variety of opportunities for involvement from which to choose, such as sports, music, school programs, and other activities that were not available until relatively recently. This factor was compounded by the increase in automobile transportation. The increased availability of automobiles allowed farm children to take part in more and more of these new activities because distances from town no longer presented the barriers they once did.
A comparison of the Waterloo Courier's 1947 interviews with Sickles and Legg to an interview forty-one years later with fourteen-year-old Sarah Duke clearly shows the changes in the scope and purpose of the 4-H program in Black Hawk County. First of all, Duke was born and raised in Waterloo. An examination of Duke's project involvement reveals a marked contrast from Carol Legg's home economics projects. At the 1988 Black Hawk County Fair, Duke gave an educational program on tying scarves, performed a jazz dance, and competed in visual arts, in addition to home economics.
Nancy Schmidt, who has been involved in Black Hawk County 4-H since 1960, first as a member and now as a leader of the Mount Vernon girls club, has seen a great deal of change in certain aspects of the program but believes that the essence of 4-H has remained unchanged throughout the years. When asked how 4-H has changed since she first became involved, she pointed out that "back then, it was for farm kids. Now they've added a variety of projects and membership is aimed at everyone." Schmidt also cited highlights of her 4-H experience, including her Mount Vernon club's 75th anniversary celebration and her distinction as the outstanding leader in Black Hawk County in 1995.
