The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1902-08-29
IT'S GOLDEN JUBILEE
Hail . Century Of Splendid Progress
and Achievement Marked BY This
Years Exhibition.

The Indiana state fair this year COM
memorates the golden Jubilee OF the state
board OF agriculture. So interviewer are
the interests OF the state board and the
fair-so dependent Is one upon the other
that the story OF on. IL the story OF
both. and the advancement OF either
marks the progress OF the agricultural In
terests OF Indiana The state board Of
agriculture was organized In 1851 for the
purpose OF bringing within close relation
the agricultural and Its allied interests
OF the state. to broaden the opportunities
OF the Indiana farmer. give him an In
sight into what advancement his neigh
Dor was making: and through the hair
century OF its existence the state board
has held 10 this purpose with answering
fidelity. Through its fifty years. the or
ganization has at every opportunity
broadcned the field Of its operations II
has extended a helping hand TO the In
divldual who sought knowledge OF agri-
cultural affairs within the state. and has
given its aid TO the upbuilding OF county
fairs, agricultural and horticultural assoc
ciation and through them strengthened
it's own organiza ton. Through Its annual
fair too. the state board has drawn to-
eether not only the best products OF the
soil from Indiana. but the best from other
states that the farmer from Indiana
might broaden and develop his resources
to the end OF benefiting himself and there
by enriching his state. Through the fair.
too. the state board has. year after year.
brought before the farmers the best OF
the herds and the nocks Of Indiana ana
the country. and has assembled on is
fair grounds the best and newest machin-
cry that comes within the needs OF the
tiller OF the soil.
The first Indiana state fair was held NJ
indianapolis. beginning Oct. 20. 1882. n
year after the state board was organized.
The president OF the state board was Cow
ernor Joseph A. Weight. who was at the
head OF the state fair for the first three
years OF its existence. In ls52 the idea OF
state fairs was new In the western coun-
try. Previous TO the organization OF the
state board several county fairs had been
held In Indiana and IL was out OF these
county organizations that the idea OF
state exhibition grew. The first Indiana
state fair lasted through three days each
one OF which was marked by the baimy
sunshine OF Indian summer. Thirty thou
sand Indiana people were on the fair
grounds duri nc the three days. ard this
f,rst state fair was a successful one for
the times In a financial way. in EXHIBITS
and in attendance II called together the
town and country man from remote sec
lions OF the state Some started from
home DAYS before the fair opened. some
driving horses and others being content
with the slow pace OF oxen that drew
their wagons IL was as the first general
exhibit Of the products OF the labor ard
skin OF the people. and II slim
ulated public interest In the I'M
dertakings OF the state board oi
agriculture. which has lasted 20
this day. The stock raisers OF Indiana
sent their sleekest cattle TO the fair IN
$50 as they have done every year since
They also sent their largest and finest
horses. the latest from their herds. the
best products OF field and orchard. the
best from their looms Thursday was the
i'm portant day of this pioneer fair On
the program that afternoon was speech
but there Is no record OF who the speaker
was. There were blowing contests be-
tween farmer boys. who drove horses and
oxen. There were exhibits Of tomb
stones daguerreotypes. stones cut by ma
chinery. and spinning wheels shower
bath was exhibited. said by the judges
OF the fair 20 have been 'ingeniously con-
structed and well adapted TO family use.
There were exhibits OF sewing machines
but the committee on prize awards
thought the $40. so and $50 asked for
them was too high for the machines TO
ever come into general use.
The records Of the first state fair indi-
cate that II wae not the well organized
exhibition that has developed from fifty
wears experience. At the close OF the fair
the receipts from all sources amounted 20
n sssls OF this sum the state contrib
ufed 81. 900 from its treasury and the
Marion County Agricultural society gave
1900 The price Of admission at the gates
was % cents. and the total receipts from
this source was as5i.55. The total ex-
perses OF the first fair. including prcini-
,,uns was Ae71T. and the state board
paid back 70 the state its contribution TO
the cause The premiums during that
fair amounted 20 slncs silver cups were
given as first prizes, and more than 500
worth Of them were distributed
In the earlier years OF the state fair en-
ergy was directed 70 building M public
| IN tersst in the enterprise. For two years
the fair was held at various points in the
state The chief reason for this was 10
bring the fair within reach of the COM
mon people and TO maintain the interest
that the first fair had won. The other
reason was the state board OF agriculture
was In It's infancy: its treasury had
nothing behind II but the faith and good
will OF the people II had no permanent
home: its record was to be made. The
state board borrowed from county fair
associations the use 81 grounds In these
earlier years. In 1853 the second state
| fair was held at Lafayette. Horace
Greeley delivered a speech. which was
IN ade one OF the chief attractions his sub
1ect being. what the Sister Arts Teach
as 10 Farming" In 1854 the state fair
was held at Madison. The expenses Of
the fair that year amounted 20 1855. g..
and the receipts were y.i3o.T. In 1855
the fair came back to Indianapolis where
II continued to be held for four years. Up
70 1856 the state board confined competi-
ton at the fair among exhibitors TO those
living ir. Indiana. but at the fair that
year people OF other states were invited
10 send ir exhibits. The fair that year
continued through three days. and the
premium list included money prizes. sill
verware and cutlery. amounting In all TO
S. odo During these years the fair was
paying n substantial proft The receipts
in 1856 were 81. 5s6 more than In 1855. and
SO 100 more than IN 1854. On Thursday
or fair week. in 1856 there were 10000
people on the grounds.
The fair became wanderer over the
state again In 1853. the exhibit that year
being held az New Albany. where the
pronts were between saco and $40 In the
spring Of 1860 when the cloud OF the civil
war was over the country. the state board
Of agriculture embarked In what was re-
ga rded as n daring undertaking-the buy
ing Of . fair grounds Of its own. With
the aid Of the railroads centerins at In
dianapolis the plan was carried out. Ane
property was what was then known AZ
Camp Morton. The tract comprised thir-
ty-eiRht acres. The railroads paid $500
an acre for thirty acres. and the state
board bought the other eight acres and
also voted $1,000 for improvements. Hut
| the next year the strife Of war cast .
gloom over the career OF the state fair.
| Soldiers were camping on the grounds,
| a gat k,o AxlA xA.e IT.