The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-09-08
STATE FAIR OF 1852.
Some "reminiscences OF the First Ex-
hfbition Fifty Years Ago.


To the Editor Of the Indianapolis Journal:
Fifty years ago. when / had just passed
the twenty-third anniversary OF my BIRTH
day. and while teaching school in the blue
grass region of Kentucky. conceived the
idea of taking Horace Greeley's advice to
..go West and grow up with the country"
But where TO go was subject that de-
manded much consideration. The first In
diana state fair was about to be held at In
dianapolis, and finally determined TO visit
1t for the purpose of gaining some knowl-
edge OF the condition, resources ano pros-
poets of the State. i had been warned
against ii as place OF swamps, ague, I'M
penetranle forests aea n,sd t re- see for nv
self. The day of the commencement OF the
fair reached Indianapolis over the Maul-
son & indianapolis Railroad then the ony
finished public highway OF the KIND IN the
State. Indianapolis was, at that time, a
place OF some 1900 inhabitants, the houses
scattered along the National road from
White river eastward for, perhaps, a mile
and a half There were only two or three
small hotels in the city, and they were all
overrun with guests from abroad before
my arrival, so IL was doubtful where 1
was TO find lodging. In strolling UP anc
down Washington street / happened TO
meet an old chum about my own age who
kind of impulse that had brought me
there. Each was glad to see the other. and
We stuck together closer than two broth
ers. Late In the afternoon. having yer
found no place TO spend the night. we hailed
a farmer who was going home from the
fair with his family I'm a large farm wagon,
and asked him IL he could not take US home
with him and furnish US lodging Certain
ly" he said, Jump I'm and we will take care
of you. And he and his good wife did
manner. The. next morning we asked
what our bills were and he said g cents
apiece for supper, lodging and breakfast
paid him four times as much IL he had de-
manded IL. 1 do not now recall his name,
but he lived not far from the deaf and
tance out of town. After breakfast we
accompanied him and his family 10 the fair,
where my companion and myself strolled
from place TO place. during the whole day.
getting a glimpse of everything on exhibi-
ton. The floral hall, If il could be properly
called by that name, for there was not a
flower in IL, was full of domestic goods
which the Hoosier housewives had made
with their own hands from the raw wool,
cotton and flax into the most durable and
beautiful fabrics. At that day almost all
the clothing worn by the farming class.
both men and women, was manufactures
at home. and contained no shoddy. The
housewives then were yet like those in the
! days of Solomon-they sought wool and
flax, and worked willingly with their
hands-they laid their hands to the spindle
| and held the distaff. There was considerable
farm machinery on exhibition; but Il was
| Dor was concerned IL was not much better
| than that In use a hundred years before.
| Riding plows and cultivators. horse hay
rakes. horse corn cutters. husking ma
| chimes. shredders, corn planters, self-bind-
| erS, hay leaders, etc, had not then been
even dreamed of. But the most curious OBJ
| feet to the young wanderers from Kentucky
| was the great crowd of people, SO different
| in dress talk and mathods of doing things
| from what they had ever seen before. The
| farmers and their families had come in their
1 oil nf,afr
| ties, bringing supplies of food, blankets.
| cooking utensils, etc. They had real out
| ing" as we call IL now. Hundreds of women
| were dressed in plain homemade fabrics
| and sunbonnets, and the men in jeans pants
| and red flannel shirts without vests or
| coats. Their suspenders were knit by girls
at home out of good strong yarn. and were
more servicable than any we can get now:
Another feature OF the fair that excited
our curiosity was the great number
of women with babies in their
We had never seen anything like IT In
Kentucky, for there the small children
were always left at home with the servants
| To US the first Indiana State fair was a
veritable baby show, and the only one we
| had ever seen. But these babies. born in
log cabins, were all rosy, hearty. laughing
| little fellows To-day they are stalwart
intelligent men and women, and they have
| largely helped to make Indiana one of the
greatest and most prosperous States in
| the Union.
| There was no racing, and the stock on
| exhibition was very inferior compared with
/ that of the present day. On the entire
grounds there were not as many carriages
| and buggies as one would find at SUM-
day church service in an out-of-town
| church at the present day. The fair was
held on a tract of land belonging 10 the
| State, just above the old wooden bridge
| over White river. on the National road.
1t is safe to assert that the progress In
diana has made in wealth. and In material
| mental and social development, since her
first State fair. fifty years ago, will excel
that made by any other commonwealth IN
the world, in like period OF time. Coinci-
| dent with this fair, which called attention
| to the wonderful resources of the State
was the Inauguration of our great system
| of free schools. which has made IL almost
| impossible to find within boundary
| man or woman, or even a child ter
| years of age, who cannot read and write
| From my observations in 1852 i believed
| that Indiana was bound to have a great
| future. but the widest dreams of my
youthful fancy have been far surpassed
| by what has actually taken place.
p. S. KENNEDY.
| CrawfOrdsyille Sent G.