The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1877-01-27
The La Sale Co. Ag. Society.


and poverty, and compllCalon vi o'nSI us
orders. "The La Sale County Agricultural
Horticultural and Industrial Society" cal
ter life's ftiul fever, &C." Requiescat IN
pieces. During its last illness, and even a
the death scene, it was surrounded by numer
Gus and able physicians of all the various
pathieS; allapathy, homeopathy, hydropathy
&c, besides nurses both wet and dry, ant
whole drug stores lavished their contents up
on the sufferer, but without avail, and it il
now deiunct, petered out, gone up; 1t has va
mosed, cut stick, passed IN its checks, gone
hence, climbed the golden stairs is non es
inuentus; Is as dead as mackerel, as doc
nail las chinese mummy, or anything else tina
IS dead all over and clear through.
HISTORICAL.
The subject OF this sketch was born at al
early period of It's existence, as it were, OF
the % day of December, 1852. 1t started GU
in life with the most toplofty aspirations, as
the following grandiloquent preamble viii
show, -adopted at the first meeting:
Whereas, All history has established the
fact that agriculture was the first business OF
man; the first In point of time as well as on
account of the numerous lnestlmable bless
ings which it coniers upon society. 1t pre-
ceded the arts and sciences, more ancient
than any order or profession, and all orders
and professions are dependent upon 1t .or
success
And whereas, The State of Illinois was
formed and intended by the God of nature to
become one of the greatest of all agricultural
states, &c.
Having thus proudly flung its banner to the
breeze, and launched its ship, starting out un'
der such favorable auspices, let US follow the
craft through It's voyage
The preliminary meeting for its organiza-
ton was hello at the court house on Dec. ed,
1852. Mr.. Wells Wait was chairman and
Maurice Murphy secretary. A constitution
was submitted and adopted, and John II.
Hosford elected president and Sam. W. Ray
mond secretary.
During the first few years vacant grounds
west of the side cut, between Webster and
Main streets, east oil the ravlne, were used for
county fairs, the court house being the floral
hall. In 1856 the society leased ten acres
Of ground south of the present "Prairie Gro
Gerry" frem Hoes g. Swift, which were used
for fair ground for several years. The an
lual fairs were always successful, and the
finances In healthy condition.
In 1857 the receipts of the iair were 81 ,474.-
IS, and after paying the premiums there was
/ balance in the treasury of $753.29.
In 1867 Mr.. Richard Thorne recommended
he purchase Of new grounds and the surren-
Ter Of the old ones, the new grounds to be
,aid for by selling life memberships. March
h, 1860, the comm ittee on fair grounds,
Trough VIM. Reddick, reported to meeting
n favor of purchasing 25 acres of land from
leo II. Norris for $2,SOO. This proposition
vas accepted, and committee appointed To,
aise money by subscription.
The society seeming to be Financially in a
good shape" and we'll pleased with DIR. j.
}. Harris as secretary, by resolution appro.
,rlated money to buy that gentleman "a good
ountlng house gold pen"
At the same meeting the first trotting pre-
NUNS were offered on motion Of Mr.. Don
evy, $50 for 1s,, $50 tor I'd, and $50 for Sd
est trotters. J. w. Armstrong amended by
dding that provided the fair should be held
/ the old grounds the premiums should be
rs, $40 and So, and the committee we're
iessrs. II. F. Eames, p. II. Smith and J. Il
haver.
The secretary adds TO the records of this
Meeting the following unique memorandum:
Several things being forgotten another meet
ng was called Immediately" The several
hIngs" seem to have been SIS for entrance
ee for the tro,ters, and 81 for ladies' eques-
In July 1860 it was discovered that the le
,allty of the existing organization was In
question, and new organization was formed
With the same officers as before, VIE: Cyrus
shaver, president, and j. o. Harris secretary.
Norris proposition to sell land, in new
hape, was accepted, viz: "To sell the society
par, Of the land that had been thought of
or fair grounds at 500 per acre, ana par,
It Sl25 per acre, and that he (Norris) would
axe the surplus receipts of each years fair
n payment until the land should be paid
or" The receipts this year reached the very
satisfactory sum Of s296S.3s, but, sad to
tate, the expenses deducted left only the mea-
yer sum of eight cents 10 apply on Norris
'ond; hence that gentleman was discouraged
md wanted new deal"
The society struggled along, paying lis an.
iual expenses, &c, but had never been able
o pay the debt on their ground, and at the
February meeting, 1864, John S. Armstrong,
Who had become the owner of the Norris con-
ract came forward and urged Immediate
ettemeni. He offered TO take half of what
vas due in two weeks time and the balance
n one month; or, If the society would give
Up their claim upon the land, he would let
hem hold the next fair thereon free of charge.
la effort was then made 10 raise the whole |