Lee County, Illinois - Chapter 12: The Lee County Agricultural Societies and, 1914

With the fluctuations of human interest and the caprice of the people who raise up interesting features and then when surfeited, like an old plaything, throw^ them away, the county fair may be classed as a creature created and reared and supported in luxury, and then al^andoned. Twice since the first societ.y was started July 14, 1858, it has languished and has been revived, the last time by the citizens of Aml^oy, under whose fostering care it seems likely to live on forever, as it should, because the county fair is an institution of the greatest value to a community as an educator and as a playgroTuid. During the infancy of the county, William H. Van Epps was the tower of strength which supported the first fairs ever held in Lee county.

Mr. Van Epps was a man of great wealth, of Ijoundless enthusiasm when it came to matters of agriculture or the welfare of Dixon and Lee county. He was the first president of the first fair association and his energy made the old fairs the tremendous successes that they were.

Who is there who can remember back into the fifties, who will forget the old fair grounds located just eastward from the cemetery'? The eastern portion of the pi'esent cemeter}" was once the western extreme of that old fair ground. Even w^ell along into the sixties the old fair groinids were mighty familiar to the jieople of the county and to every school child as well.

In those days it was the custom to admit the children to the fair on the Ijig day, during each session and to the most of us those days w^ere the red letter days of our li\'es. The side shows then were part of the fair. The Ijarker flourished in all his luxuriousncss. The sword swallower delighted the kids; the snake charmer either frightened or awed tliein intu dreadful silence. The fat AVunian and the fortune teller lured tlie unwary or delighted the unsophisticated. Oh ! AVhat glorious old days those were to us kids !

And don't you remember the day the body of the jewelry peddler was found in the woods by boys in a sad state of decomposition? The poor fellow was murdered by his partner. They went into the woods to cut crotched supports for their tent stall and after the su^jpoi'ts had been cut, the axe was used to cleave his skull, and so the i:)Oor fellow? was buried wliere his decayed body was found and there his dust 2'ests today. Until vt'r}' recently, I knew the spot S(» well I could tiud it in the night time. The little mound remained there to indicate the spot, so late as the year 1875.

And in that old fair ground the Thirteenth Regiment of Illinois Volunteei'S camped and the Ijuildings were used for barracks until one Sunday morning the boys marched out to the fife and the drmn to take the Illinois Cientral trains provided fur their transportation to the theatre of war, as has been pictured so faithfully by Mrs. S. S. Dodge in another part of this book.

Largely through the efforts of ^Ir. Van Ej^ps, the first county agricultural society was formed and in the year 1858, the first fair was held in the old fair grounds near the cemetery. As I have stated, William H. Van Ei)])s was the first president of the society and in this connection it may l)e stated also that he was vice-president of the state society during the yeai's 1859 and ISfiO. At the next biennial election he was made president of the state society. Tlie other officers for the first vear were : James ( '. Mead, recording secretary; James A. Llawley, financial secretary; William Butler, treasurer; A. E. Whitney of Fiaiikliii (irove, .Iose])h T. Little of Dixon, F. W. Cot' of Palmyra, Abi'am Brown of South Dixon, William LThl of Dixon, Lorenzo Wood of Dixon, Seth 11. W'lutniore of Dixon, Hiram Tei'ry of Dixon and Joint .Moore of Dixon, comprised the executive conunittee.

The officers of the society for 1859 were : President, AVilliani H. Van E])])s; vice presidents, Horace Preston, Aml)oy; Tliomas S. Hulbert, Bradford; Jolui 1\. Robison, Bi-ooklyn; (Charles Brackett, China; Jose])h Pliodes. Dixon; A. .L ("oltriii, llaniiitoii; .1. McManus, Hai-mon; Lewis Ola])]), Lee (Center; dolm T. Phillips, Marion; R. B. Viele, May; A. I). Moon, Palmyra; 0. Reynolds, Reynolds; Wesson Flolton, Willow ('reek, and Hiram Teriy. AA'yomiug; treasurer, Henry T. Noble; recording secretary, Uharles V. Temiey ; concsponding secretary, Joseph T. Little; executive committee, A. \i. Wbitnev, V. AY. ( 'oe, Setli H. AYliituK.iv. John Abiore,

The second fair began its session on Monday, Oct. 10, 1859, and continued with increasing interest, the entire week. The weather was pleasant, with the exception of the second day when it was rainy, with a cold east wind. The crowds in attendance were very large.

There were 167 entries of (-attic; 2()9 of horses; 86 of swine; 75 of sheep; 141 of farm products; 44 of poultry; 53 of agricultui-al iinpk-ments ; 63 of fruits and flowers; 63 of preserves and jellies; 49 of domestic manufactures ; 29 of household fabrics ; 63 of paintings and drawings ; 112 of household implements ; 38 of mechanic arts; 36 plowing match; 9 ladies' equestrianship, and Ki miscellaneous.

So that it will be seen at once, after the first year's experiment, there was a tremendous interest manifested in the fair by the people of the county. Among the notal)le exhil)its shown was the collection of Doctor Everett's geological and natural history specimens, all the pi'oduct of the Rock river Aallcy. Hon. James Shaw of Mount Carroll also exhibited his very large collection of geological sjieeimens.

Tlie piowmaicers, Audrus and Boswortii of ( irand Detour, making the Grand Detour plows, and John Dement, making the John Dement plow, made very attractive exhibits at this fair. Tiiis shows that thus early in the history of the county and city. Col. John Dement was a manufacturer of plows. And it may as well be said in this connection, tiiat when he discontinued making them, John Deere, of Moline, personally came to Dixon and hired all of the (*olouel's ]ilow makers to go to Abilinc and work for tlic Deere com])nn\'.

( 'olonel iJement always exliihited at tlie state fairs, and I liave before me the report of one fair at Springfield in which Colonel Dement "s plows were paid a \'ei'v Ingh compliment. Tn the face of the strongest possible comi)etition, he was awarded the first premimns over everytlnng else. For over twenty yeai'S his plows stood at the head of the list.

During' the year several new buildings were built: an editor's hall, art hall, dining hall, farm products hall, ticket and treasurer's office, secretary's office, a public wash room and a grand stand to seat 1,0U0 persons. Over in the stock department, the number of buildings was doubled.

This year must have been one of severe drought, because Mr. Little speaks about the tine and very large line of exlubits in the face of the sevei-e drought of the summer and fall.

The tirst year's fair, notwithstanding its marking the beginning of the annual meetings, was a siiccess ; so much so that the officers felt warranted in going forwai-d with the extensive improvements wliich I have mentioned. These fairs grew in interest for several years when the vast di'ain of our resources by the demands of the Civil war killed the fairs pretty generally over this part of the state, this one included.

On June 2, 1870, another fair association, called the Dixon Park Association, liought extensive grounds just west of town where a fine set of splendid buildings Avere erected and where a line half mile track was built.

The fairs in the latter grounds were well attended foi' ten years. The races brought large ninnl^ers of horses to the track and the fair was a money maker. But with the proliil)iti(Mi of pool selling and the decline of interest in fairs, this one languished and died, and no further efforts at holding a coiuity fair were expended until three years ago when William L. Ijeecli, of Amboy, interested a number of friends and in the beautiful Green River park, which the city generously loaned for the purpose, the first fair was held. It was a great success from the start. The second year was a greater success and the present year was a record breaker. Its affairs are managed b,y a board of directoi's and they are elected by the stockholders of the association.