The Lynden tribune. [volume] (Lynden, Wash.) 1908-current, 1914-10-01

IA oSPtCAhbNi oA lHdl year d lnSCtlh6
was called for that purpose. Ar
rangements were perfected for the
incorporation, with a capital stock
of $4,000. of the Whatcom County
Agricultural Society, of which J.
Wayland Clark was president, and
r. l.. Kline. secretary. The first
trustees of the organization were
Simon Mcleod, T. w. Gillette, G.
w. Loggie, w. r. Moultray, S. M.
Bruce and r. l.. Kline.
Later, the purchase of thirty-two
acres of land was effected and build
ings erected and race track laid
out. By the time the work of or
ganization was completed, however,
1t WAS considered too late. to hold
fair that year, and it was not until
1901 that Whatcom County had an
official fair. The first exhibition
was highly successful, and for two
or three years following. Bellingham
was the scene of an annual fair that
was in every way creditable. After
that, dissatisfaction having arisen
over the racing features of the fair,
interest Jagged, support was with
drawn, and after one or two inef-
fectual attempts to repeat the sue
cess of the earlier exhibitions, the
management lost heart. and the an
nual Whatcom county fair become
thing of the past.
In the summer Of 1911 some of
the wide-awake citizens Of Lynden
assembled to discuss the practical
bility of organizing a county fair
association to hold annual exhibits
r.. haI ha
eral successful street fairs and ii
was believed that it could with O.
quail success hold larger exhibition
and that it was the logical place
for the holding of county fair.
After the usual preliminaries. an
organization known Is the What
com County Fair Association, was
effected, with the following we'll
known citizens as its officers: T. H.
Smith, president; A. H. Frasier,
vice president; f. j. Shinn, secre-
tary; p. NJ. Serrurier. treasurer
And E. Edison. A. E. Rusco, H. H.
Jameson. w. H. NAPLES, B. c.
Crabtree and H. F. Slade. trustees.
1t was decided to prepare for a
fair in the early autumn of that
same year, and in remarkabl!
short time the ground had been pur-
chased and arrangements were well
under way. 1t seemed fairly gi-
gantic undertaking! 1t was late
July when the purchase of twenty
acres of uncleared land. convenient
to the city, was effected. To slash,
burn, clear and break the ground
and erect suitable buildings in time
for fair that must be held not la
ter than mid-October. would have
daunted less energetic and jealous
men than those who composed the
board Of officers and trustees of the
new organization But the SEEM
ingly impossible was accomplished,
although the clearing and breaking
Of the grounds left but six weeks in
which to erect the necessary build
ings. When the big festival was
opened on October 19, 1911, visitors
were delighted to see the splendid
grounds, an exhibition hall 60 X
100 feet in dimensions, poultry
building "a SO feet, a grand stand
with seating capacity of some 1900
people; more than a thousand feet
of stock sheds, first class race
track. base ball grounds, and many
other evidences of the work accom-
pIished by the untiring efforts of the
fair management. All exhibition
halls and buildings were filled, and
Whatcom county witnessed the most
successful fair in it's history. More
than 10000 people passed through
the gates on Thursday and Friday.
the two principal days. weather con-
ditions were perfect, and not an ac-
cident occurred to mar the perfect
success of the first annual county
fair held at Lynden.
The next year and the next saw
repetitions of the success of the 1911
fair, with added facilities for exhi-
oitipg the increasing number of dis
plays. New buildings have been e.
-cted, the grounds have been fur
ther beautified and enlarged, and
1914 will witness the biggest and
best fair that has ever been held in
the county.
The almost phenomenal success
that has attended the present fair as
sociation is due to the tireless ef-
forts on the part of the men who
have from year to year conducted
its affairs, combined with the hear
ty cooperation and support of 9TH
ers in the county who believe in the
usefulness of an annual exhibition of
this kind. The 'Lynden spirit" OF
pulling together in matters of pub
lie enterprises has done much to max
the fairs held here successes in ev-
cry particular. Unity of purpose
and perfect harmony have charac-
terized the oganization from its in
ception. Without these factors the
work accomplished by the Whatcom
County Fair Association would have
been impossible.
The Officers of the fair associa-
ton this year are: E. Edison. presi-
dent; w. H. NAPLES, vice president;
Geo. w. Frick, secretary; p. M.
Serrurier, treasurer, and the super
intendents. with the departments they
represent are as follows: Art, Mrs.
M. Hammond: Needlework, Mrs.
II. H. Jameson; Floral, Mrs. l..
Zweegman; Culinary, Mrs. j. c.
Beach; Miscellaneous, w. X. Pix
ley; Fruit, c. E. Fitzgerald; AS
sistant, Chap Bayes; Vegetables. A.
III. Frasier; Community Potatoes,