The History of the 'Big 4'

Big 4 4-H Club was started in 1944 by Carl & Audrey Buchwalter with 4 boys.  The Big 4 were

John Buchwalter, his cousin Myron Mumaw and their friends George Winkler and Franklin Shanklin.  The club began as a dairy club and expanded to other projects as the years went by.

In 1952 the Wayne County Fair was cancelled due to the polio epidemic, and the club held their own fair at the Pokeberry School.  Charles Monroe served as judge for that event.  This mini-fair started a tradition that became a street fair that ran for several decades.

In 1984, the club had 46 members and 18 advisors.  In 2024, the club had 73 members and 22 advisors.  Big 4 may have added Dalton and then Kidron to it’s name, but the spirit of excellence has continued.

The current organizational advisors are Ty and Abby Clark.  Dalton-Kidron Big 4 serves families living in the Dalton Local and adjoining School Districts. - Laurel Strasbaugh