Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-01-26
A DISTRICT FAIR
HEDRIcK MAN PURCHASES OLD
FAIR GROUNDS FOR
$1,000.
With Encouragement He Will Make
the Park An Amusement Resort for
Use as Baseball and Football Park
as Well as Fair Ground-Flis Plan.

use as BdSeDall ana FoOtDai fdTk
as Well as Fair Ground-tiis Plan.
Ottumwa will have district fair
this summer, and for many succeeding
4 summers if the encouragement given
L.. A. Meeker, of Hedrick, by few
prominent Ottumwans is backed UP by
the other residents of the city and
county Mr. Meeker yesterday closed
deal whereby he purchased for $4,000
from the old Wapello County Agricul-
tural association the tract known as
the old fair grounds. Mr.. Meeker has
had years of experience in the fair
business, and has been for several sea-
sons secretary of the Hedrick Mile
Track association. He is practical
farmer and stock raiser. and has spent
his entire life in this business.
Although he has as yet not perfected
his plans. Mr.. Meeker has investigated
far enough to feel assured that he will
be able to conduct a district fair at OF
tumwa that will draw interest from all
the surrounding counties, and will
prove a success from the very start
After meeting with the directors OF
the old fair association held yesterday
afternoon in the committee room OF the
Courier office. he expressed himself as
much encouraged with the outlook.
Forsees Success.
81 am confident" said Mr.. Meeker to
Courier reporter, that with proper
support from the people of Wapello
county and vicinity, we can have dis
trict fair at Ottumwa that will eclipse
any similar event in any other part OF
Iowa. Already several prominent Ut
tumwa men have announced that they
will lend their influence to the plan,
and all that is needed now is display
of the proper spirit in the territory
from which we will expect to draw pa
irons and exhibitors. | have had years
of experience in conducting agricultu-
raj exhibits and race meets. and have
found that unless the good will OF the
public is with the promoters, no mat
ter how hard the latter work, the event
will not be success. For that rea-
son want the peaple of Wapello and
the adjoining counties to know that we
mean business and intend to hold dis
: trict fair which will prove success
from every standpoint.
Fair to Begin August. 2.
The five days beginning Tuesday,
August Q. were assigned to Mr.. Meek
er for the Wapello county fair at a
meeting held in Fairfield recently. Mr..
Meeker attended the meeting and Sc
cured these dates in anticipation of
! the purchase of the property. While
the dates secured by the former asso-
citation were usually iR the latter part
Of August. Mr.. Meeker believes that
the earlier date will be more satisfac-
tory as it will not conflict with the
state fair in the last week of August
or the Big Four fair at Eldon the first
week in September.
An Amusement Park.
The use of the grounds Will not be
restricted to fair, though this is Mr..
Meeker's primary object in securing
control of the tract Of land. A base
ball park will be provided and the
league games will DE played there, the
same ground will be ready for the
football season when it begins and in
fact, all kinds of outdoor sports will
be encouraged there. The promot-
ers' idea is to provide for Ottumwa,
what the city has long been lacking,
{ an amusem ent park within a few
minutes ride from the business por-
ton Of town.
The fair ground is very easy Of &C
cess from the main part or in fact any
portion of the city. 1t is better stu
ated in fact than was the South Ottum-
wa athletic park at the end of Keota
street, because of the Improvements
recently made by the Ottumwa Trac-
ton, & Light Co., which make it pos.
sible to handle large crowds with more
speed and comfort than formerly.
The Agricultural Feature.
There are two distinct departments
!, to district fair. One is the agricul-
tural exhibit and the other the racing.
Under the head agricultural exhibit
may be included many different classes,
prominent among which are the ex-
hibits of horses, cattle, hogs. sheep,
produce, etc. These will all be looked
after in person by Mr.. Meeker, who
has had much experience in this line.
In due time premium lists will be sent
out all over southern Iowa, and exhib-
its will be invited from all.
The Track Event.
Not the least Of the attractions at
the district fair is the racing program.
The Ottumwa half mile track was fam
GUS IN the days or the WapellO county
fair and Mr.. Meeker is confident that
with little expense the once popu-
lar course can be restored to its excel
lent condition of few years ago. The
track record is only about four seconds
slower than the worlds half mile track
record and competent judges have said
that with proper care the local track
can be brought to condition that will
make it faster by at least two seconds
than it was during the best days Of
the old county fair This will assure a
splendid field of horses for the speed
events, and with proper management
the Ottumwa district fair bids fair to
become not only a reality but a per-
manent and successful advertisement
for the city and the entire county.
A.e.r. Ia.