Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1878-01-11
Few Leaves From the History fthe Fair
Erauud


To the Editor Of the Free Press and Times
In view of the approaching city meet
ing, it may not be amiss to refresh our re-
collection about that tract of land in the
, north part OF the city, known as the "Old
Fair Ground"
1t was, as long ago as ls45, mainly
owned by Henry b Stacy, but passed from
: him into the hands Of sundrv mortgages
who. after holding it while in vacan-
cy and unproductiveness. sold it in 1858
and ls59at less than two hundred dollars
per acre to Lemuel S. Drew. S. S. Smith.
A. Ladukc and Frederick Hadey. by whom
it was sought to be used for fairs. horse
trots, caravans. and other large outdoor
public gatherings Under this ownership
the ground was fenced. seats were erected
and stalls for animals and a few cheap
buildings wereput up. 1t proved very un-
profitable property to the owners, and the
title in 1863 and 1864 became finally concen-
trated in Mr.. Drew, the present owner
The aggregate consideration of the deeds Of
the other three owners to him was So 800,
showing total value at that time of about
5000.
During the war the government used the
ground for military purposes. The Yer
mont cavalry regiment and other military
organizations were mustered and quartered
there Several large buildings were built
by the United States for the troops. some of
which were sold off and removed at the
close Of the war. and others were purchased
by Mr.. Drew and remained on the ground
till five or six years since.
On the Gath March, 1866, Lemuel 5. Drew
sold the Fair ground property described as
supposed l. contain 81 acres more or
less. to the Chttenden County Agricultur-
al Society for the sum of ie1, thousand dol
lars ana the society mortgaget i: back to
him for So, 200 pay able in SIX equal annual
payments. He reserved in this conveyance
the buildings that had been built for cook
room and officers quarters and which had
single roofs, with the right to remove the
same.
| The Chittenden County Agricultural
Society by the falling OF the elevated seats
at some fair in the Fall of 1867, became 50
much involved in liabilities for damages Tor
personal I'M uries that it went out of e1is-
tence, and Mr.. Drew in the Spring of 1865
obtained the whole property back on fore
closure of the mortgage. Neither the
Society nor any of their creditors made any
attempt to redeem the property. though the
entire amount of Mr.. Drew's decree did not
exceed $1,000.
At city meeting held March 18th. 1863.
Mr.. Drew having proposed to sell this
ground, which then came as far south as
North street. to the city for not far from
$4,000. the following vote was passed by
96 ayes to 4s nays:
Resoioed, As the sense of this meeting,
that it Is eIpedlent to purchase the Agri-
cultural Fair Ground property. sC-called.
provided the same can be done on advan-
tageous terms to the city. and the subject
of such purchase is hereby referred to the
City Council to make such purchase on such
terms as they shall deem desirable and
said City Council are authorized to impose
such tax or borrow such funds on the credit
OF the city Tor that purpose, as in their
opinion shall be necessary. Prorided, the
City Council deem such purchase condu
Give to the best interests Of the city.
The City Council did not deem such pur-
chase conducive to the best interests of the
city, and took no action in the matter
Again, at city meeting held December
Goth, 1870, the fourth article in the warn
ing was "tO vote upon the question Of pur-
chasing Of L. S. Drew the premises in the
north ward OF tho city. known as the fair
ground" Ard by a nearly unanimous
vote the article was dismissed
Since then MIR. Drew has cut the Fair
Ground up into lots with Blodgett street,
Strong street, Drew street and Ward street,
laid out through them. The lots have been
plotted and the plot recorded in the City
Clerks Office. and numerous lots have been
sold, and the streets have become fully dedi-
Gated to the public.
Oi the nineteen acres now proposed to be
sold to the city for twenty-five thousand
dollars, no. less than three and half acres
are comprised within these dedicated and
established streets, through which the city
has laid its aqueduct and these three and a
halt acres which are already the property of
oil the city, II this scheme succeeds, are to
be re-sppropriated by Mr.. Drew and sold by
him to the city at the rate of more than one
thousand dollars per acre.
question will naturally occur to the
tax PAYERS OF Burlington in these hard times |
whether if these nineteen acres, including
the entire North street front. which il the |
most valuable portion, were worth. in lS66,
only $40, 900. and were offered by Mr.. Drew
to the city. in 1863, with all the fences aud
improvements. except the few buildings re-
served by him. for about twelve thousand
dollars-whether, now IN 1878, without the |
North street front and adding instead there !
OF an equal quantity OF Cookers land living
north OF the old Fair Ground, the property
is worth 500 900, or much, if any, more
than half that sum.
This does not tOCch the questions whether
the city needs any more parks whether, |
if taken for public park this land can be |
legally turned into an agricultural Fair |
Ground. or race course, or other enclosure, |
from which all the public shall be excluded, |
unless they pay an admission lee whether |
State and county fairs. admitting the lauda- |
bic purpose in which they originated. and |
the advantage they may be to the farming or |
stock raising interests OF the State at large, |
are now with their never-fallng acc0mpanl-
ments OF horse racing. pool ceiling, betting. |
gambling. rum drinking and prostitution, |
any real benefit to the village or city IN |
whose midst they are held, and whether
this city in these terribly hard tunes ought |
to incur any more debt or lay any more |
taxes than ~ absolutely necessary aud in
dlspensable OF which questions will, |
hope, be fully discussed and ventilated be |
lore the city meeting. TAK-PAykR.
January 9, 1877.