The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-09-09
FIRST STATE FAIR
JAMES S. HOUGH, WHO WAS CON
THE GATE" IN
1854,
CONTRASTS 1T AND 1897 SHOW
HE WAS ONE OF THE TERRITORIAL
PIONEERS ON HAND YESTER-
DAY.
NEITHER FRUIT NOR BICYCLES
Were Included in the List of Exhib-
it's at the Primitive Show That
Year.


grounds, covered with buildings and
containing thousand; Cf exhibits the
products of the farm and factory, of
the school and of the laboratory, and
note the multitudes of people, 1 cannot
but contrast it with the first fair ever
held in Minnesota during the territorial
days in 1854"
The speaker was James S. Hougn, Of
St Paul, an early settler of the North
west, and several in the group Of plo-
neers with whom he was i'll conVersa-
ton recollected that important event
in the infancy of Minnesota, rad-iet-
ter occasion in the history of the ter
ritory.
Fortune had smiled upon the settlers
that year; the crops had been abuh-
dant, the Indians less troublesome than
usual and there was vouchSa1ed
spontaneous desire to commemorate the
season, so some genius with hapPy
thought Gn those days it was termed
an inspiration; now it would be called
q "hunch'O suggested the holding of a
fair The idea was seized upon with
avidity, and an invitation was extend
ed throughout the territory, calling
11pon every one to contribute something
to the exhibit.
The fair was held in the old territorial
capitol, where the present state Mouse
stands. and the three rooms on the low
or floor were filled with vegetables ana
grains; the big pumpkins and squash
the tall stalk of corn were all IN eVl-
dence There was no fruit, none pelhS
grown here in those days.
Neither was there womans pulld-
ing, there were Oily about fifty women
here then, and they didn't have nuch
time to spend in making fancy en-
broidery. The exhibits all came from
Ramsey, Washington and Benson
counties-which comprised pretty big
slice of the Northwest in those days
There was a remarkable exhibit,
sewing machine, in room on the sec
ond floor. 1t was the first one seen
here and was of very clumsy style
in comparison with that useful article
of household furniture now found in
nearly every home, but it was a great
curiosity then, and the crowd gathered
around to watch the mystic needle as it
rapidly put stitch after stitch in piece
of cloth.
Another bit of marching which as
tonished the natives" was small
hand-power printing press, which print
ed cards at the rate Of five or six
minute. 1t was to the spectators the
dawn of the age of machinery.
In several sheds on the capitol
grounds was the live stock display,
confined to two or three well-groomed
horses, a big two-year-old colt and
several head of cattle. d. T. Tanner
owned the champion colt.
A noteworthy event during the fair,
one which has been a feature of every
state and county fair ever since, was
a balloon ascension. A man named
Marco, a travelling aeronaut, and two
companions, made an ascension in an
oId-fashiOned gas balloon, with car at
tached, and landed safely near Lake
Phalen.
There was no racing, but an attempt
was made to get up a race among
crowd of Chippewa Indians who had
assembled to see the sport, but they
were rather bashful. One chief eX-
pressed the sentiments Of the tribe,
and in a very laconic way, when he
said: mo run now Maybe blmeDy
Sioux come and we need all our legs
The Midway Plaisance was yet to be
evolved in the misty uncertain future,
and the fakir had not yet strayed SO
far to the westward. The only privi-
leges sold were for the sale of ginger
beer, cider, ginger bread and like deli
cacies.
The military band, discoursing enliv-
ening strains of music was also con-
spicuous by it's absence, but vocal mu-
sic was furnished by the choir Of
Christ church.
The fair was formally opened. by
speech by Gov Sibley, who pointed
with pride to the evidences of prosper
ity of the territory and the industry of
it's Inhabitants, and predicted that it
was but the commencement of Sc
ries of grander and more elaborate eX-
positions of the kind in the future.
How truly his prediction was fulfilled
the present fair at Hamline will testi-
fv. The response was made by j. ".
Selby, the president of the fair as
ISOLATION.
The admission fee to the grounds and
building was so cents, and the receipts
were sufficient to pay all the expenses.
Sherwood Hough sold the tickets, and
J. S. Hough presided at the portals.
no