Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1894-09-07
The Baldwin District Fair in
October.

The county OF Augusta will be excep-
tional this year in the list of Virginia
counties, in the matter Of fairs. When
the year closes her name will be found at
the head of the list as the only county that
has had two successful fairs at it's county
seat. That held by the Virginia Live
Stock and Fair Association and which has
Just closed, has been success viewed from
any stand point, but from the stand point
of a first attempt it's success has been re-
markable. And this applies not only to
the exhibition. but to its financial result.
1t has been credit to all concerned in it.
Now then, comes the Baldwin District
Fair Association, founded twenty-seven
years ago by John B. Baldwin. Wedo not
known that this year should not be made
an occasion for honoring the name OF the
fOunder-a name which has firm abiding
place in the hearts OF the Augusta people.
This exhibition should be made an annlver-
sary, so to speak, of its founders memory.
n one who can look back to the first ex-
hibition at the old fair grounds i'll the east
ern part of the city can help recalling the
history of the Association.
The Fair was Incorporated as the Au-
gusta County Fair on January 18th, 1867,
with the purpose, as set forth in MI.
Baldwin's own words ''of establishing and
conducting fairs and other exhibitions of
the material and industrial products of
Augusta county as means Of developing
the resources of the county and OF promot-
ing enterprises, industry, economy and
thrift among the people," The first Board
of Directors consisted of John B. Baldwin,
Asher W. Hartman, James Henderson.
Geo. 7. Antrim. j. Marshall McCue.
Philip 0. Palmer, Samuel B. Finley, Jas.
Walker, VIM. A. Burke and VIM. NJ. Tate.
When the legal organization took place.
William Crawford took the place OF
James Henderson, J. Wayt Bell the
place of George T. Antrim, Rudolph
Turk the place OF J. Marshall Nc
Cue, E. W. Bayly the place of P.
y. Palmer, and Robert s. Harnsberger
the place of Samuel B. Finley. The first
President was John B. Baldwin; the first
Secretary, Jed Hotchkiss, and the first
Treasurer, Chas. S. Arnall Maj. Hotch-
kiss soon retired and VIM. A. Pratt the
architect OF the Association took his place.
The first executive committee was known
to the public as the ''three B's," John B.
Baldwin. VIM. A. Burke and E. w. Bayly.
They were really the active spirits of the
Association, and were also called the
"busy Bees" The Secretaries of the AS
sociation have been Jed Hotchkiss, VIM A.
Pratt, VIM. A. Burke, Jas. H. Waters
and G. Julian Pratt, the last Of whom has
been Secretary for twelve years.
The Presidents have been in the order NAM
ed-John B. Baldwin, whodied October LIST,
1878; Gen. John Echols, A. M. Bowman,
John Towberman, VIM. L. Bumgardner,
A. A. Sproul, A. M. Bowman I'D term)
and Asher w. Hartman.
Thelater District Fair Association was Or
gained on December Goth, 1885, with the
following counties Bath. High
land, Nelson, Rockingham, Allegheny,
Rockbridge, Albemarle and Page, with
John w. Todd of Augusta, President, sin
place of Asher w. Hartman resigned. M.
Erskine Miller followed MI. Todd as Pres
ident Of the new organization, and he was
followed by J. Alex. Bumgardner the pres
ent President.
The name of Baldwin Augusta Fair was
adopted in 1873 on motion OF Arch g.
Christian of South River, as memorial to
the founder OF the Fair.
The Treasurers of the organization since
it's foundation have been Chas. s. Arnall,
Jos. A. Rollins, Jos. B. Woodward. Jno.
M. Carroll, b. F. Terry and j. N. McFar-
land. in the order named.
In the year 1873 the fair sold it's old
grounds to the Valley Railroad Co. and in
October of that year occupied their new
grounds on the western edge of the city.
Strange to say, the most successful year
of the fair was its first year when there
was little on the grounds to exhibit. There
were OF course few OIL no premiums to pay
and the attendance on account of the nov
city was immense. That year Gen. Robert
E. Lee and Commodore Mathew f. Maury
were present, and the first named was a
greater attraction at that time than any
exhibit that could have been gotten.
In the q years OF its existence over
100000 has been disbursed by the AS
ISOLATION in premiums. 1t has now $50
incorporators distributed among the coul-
ties composing the Association.
Among the distinguished men that this
Association has brought to its fairs have
been Gen. Robert E. Lee, Gen. Fitz Lee,
Gov. VIM. Cameron and Lt.-Gen. Jubal
A. Early.
When Gen. Robert E. Lee, who rode
from Lexington on Traveller" entered
the Fair Grounds at the first exhibition
there was such a scene as probably was
never before witnessed in Virginia. There
were 10, 900 people there and the larger
part of them were old Confederates and the
excitement was unparalleled. The only
attendance in numbers that approached
this was when the Pawnee Bill show was
at the fair, when the number was very near
10000.
That the Fair Association has been in
valuable to the farmers of Augusta may
be seen in the improved character of the
stock in the county now. The books of
the Commissioners of the Revenue if ex-
amined would show an increase in values
of live stock that has been wonderful.
For the Hospital Tonight.