Livingston County, Illinois - Chapter 18: Agricultural Fairs, 1909

Chapter 18: Agricultural Fairs

FIRST COUNTY FAIR HELD AT PONTIAC IN 1856 - LATER FAIRS AND CHANGES - COUNTY FAIR SYSTEM ABANDONED IN 1878 - FAIRBURY UNION AGRICULTURAL BOARD ORGANIZED IN 1876 - FIRST OFFICERS - FAIRBURY FAIRS CONTINUED TO THE PRESENT TIME - BELLE PRAIRIE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY ORGANIZED IN 1883 - FIRST BOARD OF DIRECTORS - FAIRS DISCONTINUED IN 1903 BUT BESUMED IN 1907.

The first county fair in Livingston county was held in the month of October, 1856, in the courthouse square in Pontiac. Previous to this time, however, small exbibits were made annually in the court-house and square by the leading farmers adjoining the village of Pontiac, the streets adjoining the square being used for the display of live stock, while the square proper was used for the display of agricultural implements, products of the soil, etc. These fairs were managed by what few merchants then were in the village at the time and no premiums or diplomas were given, and at the close of the day the hat was passed around to collect money to pay expenses. The interest in these small events grew every year and finally, in 1856, a meeting of the leading citizens of the county was beld at the court-house for the purpose of organizing an agricultural society. The meeting was well attended and an organization to be known as the Livingston County Agricultural Society was perfected by electing William J. Murphy. president; M. D. Edgington, Dr. C. B. Ostrander, and Samuel 'McCormick, vice-presidents; Otis Richardson, secretary; and James M. Perry, treasurer.

The fair under this organization was also held in the court-house square, there being a large attendance and a great deal of interest manifested. Only diplomas were given this year, but the following year the society was more thoroughly organized, a constitution and by-laws adopted, together with a set of rules and regulations.

residence of Samuel Herbert now stands. The ground was fenced, and buildings suitable for the display of machinery, household articles, etc., were erected.

Samuel C. Ladd was secretary, and the fair was held on October 7 and 8, 1857. Both days were beautiful, both overhead and underfoot, as could be wished, giving life and activity to animal and vegetable nature. A large concourse of people was present, some few from abroad, but mostly citizens of Livingston County, and much interest was manifested.

The awarding committee on cattle consisted of Isaac Wilson, M. D. Edgington, Moses Allen, W. R. Tanner and William Manloye. Exhibits in this department were made by W. Hallick, G. W. Guthrie, A. L. Hinman, Walter Cornell, Joseph Morrison, Joel Anderson, F. Umphenour,

Exhibits of horses, mules and colts were made by Hiram Young, J. S. Gilbreath, D. Barrickman, M. Spence, R. Smith, J. Mills, John Morton, John Wolgamott, E. B. Titus, M. D. Edgington, D. M. Breckenridge, Thomas Wilson, James Bright, S. Vanster, John Foster, Thomas Baker, Darius Johnson, William A. Myer, J. Hoobler, John St. John, James Cox and Joel Anderson.

Farm products were shown by C. B. Ostrander, C. G. Udell, Decatur Veatch, Benjamin Walton, Daniel Rockwood, O. P. McDowell, Samuel Herbert, Otis Richardson, Isaac Wilson, We Guthrie, D. Chapin, Albert Moon, John Johnson, James Bright. J. W. Boyer, John Morton, E. B. Titus and R. Lawrence.

In the floral department were exhibits by Mrs. Mary Tracy, Mrs. William Manlove, Mrs. S. L. Manker, Miss Albina Russell, Mrs. Nettleton, Miss Margaret Ellis, Mrs. C. B. Bennett and Mrs. Dr. Thomas Croswell.

tober 6 and 7, 1858. William Manlove was president; Austin Hensless, vice-president; Samuel C. Ladd, secretary ; Robert Aerl, treasurer. The board of directors consisted of William T. Russell, James W. Remick, Jerome P. Garner, Edwin R. Maples and William Perry.

The next fair was held in Pontiac on September 28, 29 and 30, 1859, it having been lengthened out one day. S. L. Manker was elected president; William Perry, vice-president; B. P. Babcock, secretary; John Dehner, treasurer. The following directors were chosen: Dr. C. B. Ostrander, Hickory Point; G. M. Bedinger, Chenoa; T. W. Brydia, Five-Mile Grove; M. B. Patty, Pontiac; Thomas Mills, Long Point; William B. Lyon, Reading, and Benjamin Walton, Fairbury.

.During the session of this fair, the first exhibit in the speed ring was made and consisted of a race between Leander Utley's stallion, Pittsfield Black Hawk, and Dr. Jobn W. Youman's mare, Jenny Lind. They were first started off together, but after two or three rounds, the drivers commenced taking the "short cut" on one another. The judges, of course, could make no decision as to their relative swiftness, under such circumstances, so they decided to time the animals, The mare got the first premium, having out-trotted the stallion by two seconds. The sporting fraternity were all on tip-toe over this event, and in future years horse racing was introduced and continued with success until the fairs in Pontiac were abandoned.

The county fair of 1860 was held on the 18th. 19th and 20th of September. The directors had greatly improved the grounds by purchasing an additional two acres, and erecting buildings more suitable for the display of products from the farm. Judge Starr delivered an address, after which the society met and elected the following officers for the ensuing year:

President, S. L. Manker; vice-president, G. M. Bedinger; treasurer, John Dehner; secretary, John Wolgamott. Four additional fairs were held at these grounds, and during the summer and fall of 1862, the grounds were used as a camp for the One Hundred Twenty-ninth Illinois Volunteer Regiment, then organizing for the Civil War.

In 1865, the organization purchased a strip of land adjoining the city cemetery on the north, and the buildings and fences were moved to that location, a half-mile track was laid out, and other substantial improvements made. Annual meetings of the society were held every year thereafter until 1878, when the grounds were disposed of and a tract of fifty-five acres east of the city limits purchased. That year, the Livingston County Agricultural Society changed to the Livingston County Agricultural Board, ia compliance with a law passed by the Legislature in 1872, It was decided to form a stock company, and accordingly one thousand shares of stock were disposed of at $10 each, creating a fund -of $10,000,

Before the location was changed, however, interest in the annual fair of the society had commenced to wane, and this step was taken in order that the people would become more interested, and notwithstanding the fuct that the new board had secured one of the finest locations in the county and had paid out thousands of dollars for improvements, the next fair was a failure. the receipts not paying the expenses, and many of the exhibitors went home without securing their premiums. The grounds were disposed of and the corporation dissolved, and Pontiac, as a fair town, had passed out of existence.

Fairbury Fair

The Fairbury Union Agricultural Board was incorporated January 19, 1876, It was organized and officers duly elected on March 25, as follows: President, John Virgin; vice-president, John G. Steers ; secretary, Smith Olney; treasurer, C. C. Bartlett. The first board of directors consisted of Robert Elmore, John F. Myers, Henry King- Daniel R. Potter, Henry Skinner, D. L. Murdock, Owen Finnegan, Stephen Herr, R. E. Norman, George W. Myers, James F. Earnheart and Jacob Bailey. The first exhibition was held in September of that year, and continued four days. The grounds consist of twenty-one acres of land, located just across the south line of the city limits, and were purchased at an aggregate cost of $2,800. Although the fair has been conducted with the strictest economy during the past thirty-two years, the society has never been entirely free from debt. The original grand stand and stalls have been torn down and modern ones erected in their stead. The trees which were planted on the grounds in an early day have now grown to large dimensions, and afford ample shade. The fair is each year attended daily by thousands of people, special trains being run for the occasion..

Belle Prairie Fair

The Belle Prairle Agricultural Society was organized April 11, 1883. The first set of directors were William Brooks, S. W. Vawter, Malcolm McNabb, S. E. Kent, H. L. Terpening, Elhanan Fitzgerald and Samuel Weeks. Ira C. Pratt was president and Wright M. Crum, secretary, This fair was held for several years in the grove adjoining the residence of Ira C. Pratt, and was attended yearly by thousands of people from this and adjoining counties.

Although being called a fair, it was more in the nature of a family gathering of the residents of Belle Prairie township, who took dinners with them and had a spread, to which everybody was invited. Some prominent citizen of the county delivered an address. The fair lasted two days, the first day being devoted to making entries. No admission fee was charged, the expenses being defrayed by the residents of the township. The premiums awarded consisted of ribbons. The fair continued until 1903, when it was abandoned, but was revived in 1907.