The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1919-09-03
A Great County
Fair

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heart of the coal fields in the
beautiful mountains of Virgin
ia, has one of the most success
full fairs in the Old Dominion.
Great strides have been made
n the development of this sec :
lion in the last twenty five
years. Rich in bituminous coal
deposits and virgin forests of
excellent timber, railroads were
extended into the county some
thirty years ago and now reach
into almost all sections of this
rich country. The Norfolk q
Western, Louisville & Nash
vile, Carolina, Clinchtield Il
Ohio aud Southern all traverse
the county having numerous
branch lines aud spurs reaching
out to one or another Of the va
rious coal mines. Thousands
of tons 90 ont daily over these
lines. While Virginia is not
rated high rs coal producing
state Yet Wise county rank 5
with the greatest coal produc-
ing counties of the United
States. Perhaps one half Of
the coal produced in Virginia is
mined in Wise county.
The population OF Wise coun-
ty has grown by leaps aud
bounds. The county had in
1890 less than ten thousand peo-
pie, while today she can boast
of over fifty thousand, who are
as. a whole a happy, prosperous
people.
Seven years ago a great good
roads movement was started
and carried to successful fin
ish. over one and one half
million dollars was spent for
macadnm aud graded roads and
today they reach to almost ev-
cry nook and corner OF this
great county and connect with
pike roads from other counties
of the state.
With all this great progress it
seems that something should be
done TO encourage the farmers
of the county to greater add
better farming. The Board Of
Supervisors employed a farm
demonstrators some five years
ago at considerable expense to
the county. This demonstration,
Mr.. j. G. Stiles did wonderful
amount of good for Wise coun
" agriculture and made him
self very popular among all
classes. |ie started the people
to farming along new and APP.
proved methods. II is he who
perhaps deserves the credit for
the establishment of the Wise
County Fair, which is doing
more to stimulate good farming
in Wise county than any other
one thing.
The Wise County Fair should
be proud of the r. cord it has
made. Ii is no eXaggeration to
say that it is one amongst the
foremost fairs i'll the state OF
Virginia--and that is saying II
good deal. 1t began its exis-
tence in the summer of 1914,
the year the world war started
The farmers who want to keep
pace with the fast moving times,
take great interest i'll the Coun
ty Fair, and their liberal pat
ronage aud support are among
the chief causes of the success
thus far made. 1t will be bene
fetal To both the farmers and
the fair to continue this friend
ly relationship The far was
started as farmers aid and
has grown bigger every year
because of this purpose being
steadily kept in mind and car
ried out. The future of the
County Fair is'in the hands OF
the farmers. If they lose inter
est the fair will 90 down. If
they continue their support and
in greater measure the fair will
grow right along as it has done
from year to year.
Another thing that helps the
fair is its location and the
ground chosen. High up on the
top of Guests Mountain in the
center of the county in the
beautiful little town of Wise,
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