The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1916-02-04
SHALL BINGHAM COUNTY
PURCHASE FAIR GROUNDS

Every county and town passes thru
/ four distinct phases of development
in it's growth from settlement to a
well established community. Bling
ham county and Blackfoot are just
now in the third stage of this series.
| First There are the pioneer days,
:. nen hardwood and lack of co-opera-
ton are the predominating charac-
teristics. Second: The boom period,
when the influx of new people makes
a wild rush for landed property and
the spirit of boosting is prevalent.
Third: The selfish or money-getting
period, when each individual meas
ureS his public interest, to a great
extent, by chances for personal gain
and private advertising. And last of
all, the well established community
stage, in which the feverish work of
the former period has passed away,
the farms have been divided up into
small tracts, the commercial enter
prises nave adjusted themselves in
number and extent to the exact needs
of the community. Both farmer and
merchant are we'll established and
all settle down to real enjoyment
of life.
AS was suggested in the opening
sentences of this article, we are just
r ow in the third stage of community
development and it behooves us to
look into the future a few years and
anticipate our needs in the next stage
of our existence.
snail the county purchase the fair
grounds? Emphatically, yes. The
present stock holders have operated
a county fair each year and given un-
roid advertising to this section of
the country. 1t is thru the fair that
the people of our county have been
"a W realize the possibilities of bet
ter things in every line of endeavor.
1t has furnished clearing house for
nne stock, better crops and higher
ideals, although not supported as it
should have been, the fair has done
a great work.
There is general trait in human
nature that, some how, makes man
value only that which he pays for
either in cash or effort. The indi-
vidual members of the fair associa-
ton were more interested in the fair
than any one else because they put
more into it. Then why would it not
be reasonable to suppose, that if each
citizen contributed in taxes toward
the purchase of the grounds and the
support of the fair, there would be
aroused a countrywide interest. Let
us suppose that we hold fair under
county auspices and on the big day,
admit all without price who present
a Bingham county tax receipt for the
preceding year. This would be just,
and at the same time it would create
an interest in exactly the right place.
Suppose that the county commission
ers should appoint as fair board
one or more men from each voting
precinct, would not each locality have
an interest aroused because of their
local representative?
1t Is the common history Of every
community that there comes the time
when private enterprise can not con-
duct an institution of this kind. 1t
is likewise general experience that
the county refuses to take it over,
only to be regretted later on, when
compelled to spend five or even ten
times as much money for the pur-
chase of grounds, buildings, track
and the development of proper inter-
est. Since it is generally granted
that Bingham county needs the fair,
and at the present crisis, the county
is the only logical unit for its main
tanence, therefore it follows that the
county should purchase the grounds
at once.
1t Is not difficult to picture the
present grounds beautified and joined
to the city park as q chautauqua
park. Communities, especially those
isolated like ours, do not frequently
give up the chautauqua idea when it
is once established. Then let us look
into the fourth stage of our existence