The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1914-07-13
MICHIGAN LEADS
in FOUNDATION
OF STATE FAIRS
One TO Be Held In September
VIII Be Sixty-Fifth, Oldest In
History of United States
ORIGINAL RULINGS SHOW
DIFFERENCE IN PERIODS
Matters, Deem ed Essential
Then, Could Not Be Complied
with In Present Day

The Michigan state fair which Will
be held Sept 7-lS this year is the slA'
ty-fifth annual exhibition OF the MlcA'
igan State Agricultural society sig
niflcance is given to the "annual In
the statement as the Michigan talr Is
the Oldest exhibition OF it's kind in the
United States. It's birth antedates py
four years the Ohio state fair and the
other states follow In varied order
The first exhibition was held IN De
troit in is49 on land which Is now
Grand Circus park. At that time "
vas A field beyond the city's limits.
The total receipts from every source
amounted 10 less than $4,000. II was
\ stupendous sum In those DAYS ana
the men behind the venture were 50
encouraged by the fairs success, that
they determined upon a permanent or
sanitation. A board OF directors, mead
"a nv Gov. Ransom as the first presl-
dent was named and constitution
and bylaws were drawn up. The Mich
iran state Agricultural society was
created by a special act Of the legisla'
ture. II provided that each one or the
"a directors was 10 receive SO per day
for services for a period not TO exceed
fair was 20 receive 800 a year.
One section OF the act provided that
tha "society NAV award premiums on
yueh articles productions and improve
nents "a they may deem best calcu-
lated 10 promote the agricultural and
household manufacturing interests OF
the state. having special reference 10
The most economical or prohtaDle
N
I crop or stock or in the fabrication or
the article offered: provided always
that before any premium shall be De
livered. the person claiming the same
or Ia whom the same shall be award
al shall deliver TO the president OF the
society in writing. an accurate state
rent and description. verified in such
manner as the officers aforesaid may
direct, OF the character or the SOIL ana
the process OF preparing IL, including
the quantity OF manure applied in rals-
ing the crop. or the kind and quantity
OF food in feeding the animal, as the
case may be. Also the kind and cost
OF labor employed and the total pro
duct OF the crop or the increase IN
value OF the animal, with a view OF
showing accurately the resulting
profit"
while entirely possible in those
days this provision on its very face
could not be complied with now" says
George w Dickinson, general man
ager OF the state fair The number
OF exhibits for which premiums will be
given at the fair this fall run up into
the thousands. No doubt the informa-
{ ton secured from each premium win
ner would be valuable but he would
have to hire a secretary, bookkeeper
( end two or three stenographers 10 his
farm payroll II he obeyed II 10 the
letter. We endeavor, by lectures az
the fair by those who have made not
able successes in any one line OF farm
work, TO impart as much OF this In
formation as we can. The products, OF
course, speak for themselves.
One other section In the original
act shows how little the founders OF
the fair comprehended what its future
would be- II reads-"The real and
personal estate which the said society
shall be authorized 10 take hold and
convey over and above It's library and
its scientific and agricultural collec-
lions, shall not at any time exceed In
amount the value OF $4,000. That. OF
course, has necessarily been changed
The state fair plant today represents
value close to three-quarters OF mil
lion dollars, and the premiums and
purses offered for the fair this year
4 are more than seven times the limit
imposed on the fairs property SIS years
ago"