Pettis County, Missouri - Chapter 40: The Missouri State Fair, 1919

By enactment by the Fortieth Missouri General Assembly in 1899 provision was made for the establishment, location and maintainence of the Missouri State Fair, which act also created a locating commission to view the prospective sites and determine upon the location of this insti¬ tution. From among the many competing points Sedalia and Pettis County were selected. Our central location, excellent transportation facili¬ ties and the manifest ability of Sedalia and Sedalians, to afford adequate facilities and conveniences for the entertainment of thousands of visitors who would annually attend the exhibition being the actuating causes of this selection.

The officers of the first Missouri State Fair were: President, Norman J. Colman ; vice-president, N. H. Gentry ; treasurer, C. W. McAninch ; secretary, Col. J. R. Rippey, and the latter continued to serve in that capacity until the close of 1907, when he was succeeded as secretary by John T. Stinson. Messrs. Colman, Gentry, Maitland, Potts and North com¬ posed the executive committee of the board the first year.

Hon. N. H. Gentry served as president of the State Fair during 1902 and 1903; J. A. Potts was president in 1904 and 1905; A. T. Nelson; of Lebanon, in 1906; E. E. Swink, of Farmington, in 1907; A. M. Thomp¬ son, of Nashua, in 1908 ; W. R. Wilkinson of St. Louis, in 1909 ; R. A. Young of Alton, in 1910; W. R. Dallmeyer, of Jefferson City, was president dur¬ ing the five successive years, 1911 to 1915, inclusive; George W. Arnold, of Sedalia, 1916, up to and at the present time (November 5, 1918).

John T. Stinson's connection with the State Fair as secretary termi¬ nated in 1914. Ed T. Major served as secretary in 1915 and 1916. The present secretary, Ernest G. Bylander, assumed his position in 1917, having previously been publicity director.

Early in the spring of 1904 a disastrous fire wiped out four of the large frame exhibit buildings, a loss which, though costly and discouraging at the time, proved a "blessing in disguise," for it convinced the board of the futility of temporary construction. At once permanent construc¬ tion was begun, buildings of a character as nearly fire-proof and perma¬ nent as material and skill can make them. This work has been continued from year to year, as available means would warrant, and now the structural equipment of the Missouri State Fair is comparable with the best of similar institutions in all America and far superior to most other State fairs.

The history of this institution is replete with the "ups and downs" that have characterized similar utilities in other States. Severe "wet spells" at exhibition time, repeated drouth years, conflicting attractions within nearby territory - all of these have hampered its growth and suc¬ cess. The exhibition dates have been varied from the first week in October to mid-August and the latter date appears to have proven the most auspicious, the 1918 exhibition, held August 10-17, being the most successful in the history of the State fair.