Photo courtesy of Robert R. Morefield. When He Established The Du Quoin State Fair. Fishing is good, the picnic spots are always full, and the drives are one of our community showplaces. Though the Hambletonian is no longer run at the fair, the tradition established at the fair's opening in 1923 continues.
Harness racing is an essential component of the fair.
Grand Circuit harness racing, a sports organization formed in 1871, joined the fair in 1942. Today the international championship, the World Trotting Derby, calls the fair home. In 1923, W.R. Hayes visualized a state fair on a 30-acres tract of land just south of Du Quoin. His eye for the future saw the adjoining strip-mined areas as a place to expand, once the fair was established. It probably never occurred to him that rural southern Illinois has no drawing card to ensure the fair's success.