The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-09-09
THE FIRST STATE FAIR
INTERESTING "REMINISCENCES OF
THE OCCASION.
Mrs. A. BOwen-COOper, of Irvington
Says There Are Many Living that
Attended the Opening Year.

The recent talk about persons now living
that attended the first Indiana State fair
has aroused considerable interest in the
matter. Mrs. A. Bowen-Cooper. of Irving
ton, said yesterday:
IF the children who attended the first
State fair are considered there are prob
ably more people living who attended 1t
than are supposed. 1 was born in 1s45 in
the north edge of Washington township,
Marion county. Indiana, and attended the
first State fair as well as all following
ones for many years. AS a child, eager to
learn, L took notice of everything that was
strange and new, we'll everything
else. In those times the state fairs were
held in October, sometimes preceded by
county fair in September, and October
mornings were quite cool; in fact, uncom-
fortably cold for those who had to start
so early as country people who lived ten
miles away and hid to drive to the fairs
i'm big farm wagons.
Going to the fair was always preceded
by exciting times for the children, be-
cause of the culinary preparations that
were made. Bread, cakes and pies must be
baked and chickens fried, and all packed
ready for an early start, which meant aris-
ing at o'clock in the morning and hustling
to get milking and feeding the stock and
other necessary morning work done. 1t we
could get a very early start we could
avoid much of the dust caused by the
streams of wagons hurrying to the fair
from all directions where highways led TO
the city.
I'm those early times family badges were
sold that entitled whole families to admis-
sion TO the fair all the week. The head of
the family would pin the badge on the
lapel OF his coat and the remainder Of the
family would fall in line and march in I'M
molested But the privileges the badges
gave were so much abused that they were
soon dispensed with. Families became I'M
usually large when entering the fair
grounds. Then there were other methods
practiced with the badges that were not
considered honest by any but those who
practiced them. L have seen a family en-
ter the grounds and walk along the fence
to designated spot where others were
standing outside and badge would be
passed through a hole in the fence and the
party receiving Ii would escort another
family into the fair grounds.
ITO the children perhaps the most sensa-
tional attraction was the calliope with it's
steam pipes, which made Pop Goes the
Weasel so popular. 1t was said that IL
could be heard ten miles away.
"One amusing incident I'm connection with
| the calliope the first time 1t appeared well
remember. My mothers uncle, Samuel Fra
zer, preacher and temperance lecturer,
| who lived eight miles northwest of the city,
had some sons in Iowa, and he wanted to
write and tell them how many pipes the
| calliope had There was a rope stretched
| around the instrument inside of the in
| closure. 1t showed that people were for
| hidden to enter, but uncle thought he was
| a privileged character. and deliberately
stepped inside the Enclosure and was just
| as deliberately ordered out. He told them
| his reasons Tor getting inside, but that
| made no difference. They told him the
| number. and saw that he got out.
when family badges were tickets of adj
mission We went to the fair three or four
| days out of the week. but later we usually
went on the big day, which has always
| rht1r hot DC rrhx- n <ra- 80
there the day of the explosion. i had been
| there the day before.