The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1921-08-19

Inc executive COiuulltlSo 10 gill
powered to fill vacancies, call meet
ings of the society and set the dates
for the annual fairs.
The Original Signers
The original signers to the consti;
tuition, all Of whom have passed
away with one exception, Mr.. B. D.
Pay of this city, are the following
gentlemen A. ]. Jewett. e. c.
Payne, T. E. Porter, r. J. Marvin, B.
Thuyston. E. P; Evans, A. Fleming,
Miller, C. A. J. Bangs, J. w. B. Well
come, H. L. Plumb and D. Briggs.
The bylaws pertain principally to
the conduct Of the fairs, the entering
etc.
Both the constitution and bylaws
were amended and added to from
time to time, but the greater portion
Of the. original drafts and most i'm
portant parts of the same have re-
manned in force for the government
of the society and the annual fairs
up to the present time.
The Second Meeting.
The second meeting Of the society
was held in Mankato, April II, 1859,
when the following men were elect
ed to membership, they being mostly
from Mankato-George Quiggle, G.
L. Richardson, j. A. Darling. S.
Woodman, A. M. Nash, Pardon d.
Pay. David B. Beasly, J. B. Chapel,
]. A. Latimer, w. II. Gilman, ]. ].
Porter. G. w. Goodwin, r. Sherman,
wv. H. Blackman, Ira Darling. H.
S SfSss j Isaac Ia s WILSON, q NJ e F. Mack %s
Sam r. Mills David Steel, N. w.
Dickerson, D. c. Evans, w. R: Price,
A. N. Dukes, B. Y. Coffin, w. w.
Clark, A. w. Miner, r. Goodyear, B.
P. Dewey w. K. Greenwood, E. Con-
kiln, Miner Porter, I. w. Greenwood,
]. e. Conrad, Josiah Keene, A. F.
Hawley, George Maxfield. S. Cram,
]. T. Williams, D. r. Brooks, L. G..
NJ. Fletcher and James Shoemaker.
Listened To Lecture
The members of the society listen
ed to an interesting lecture" de-
livered by Judge Cleveland and for
which he received vote Of thanks.
Committees were appointed, one to
draft the premium list for the first
fair which was held in the fall of
1859, and the other to receive pro-
posals for grounds for permanent
location for the fairs. The meeting
ey was invited to deliver the ad-
dress.
The minutes of the meeting from
April -, 1859 to March 3, 1850. have
been lost from the record book. But
the first fair was held during Sep
TENDER of the year 1859.
At the quarterly meeting of the
society held May 16, 1860, the COM
mittee on location Of, grounds re-
pored in favor of holding the next
fair in the fall of 1860 at Garden
| vii or l
and from that time with one excep-
tion, the annual fairs of the society
have been held at Garden City. The
dates selected for the fair were Sep
TENDER 26 and 81, and Hon. James
H. Baker of Mankato was invited to
deliver an address on the q. Z
At the annual meeting held March
20, 1861, committee was named to
secure permanent grounds at Garden
at the meeting of the executive COM
mittee held June 25, 1861, a written
proposal for the location of the fair
grounds at South Bend, was received,
also for the holding Of the next fair
at that village.
1t was finally voted to hold the
fair of 1851 at South Bend, the dates
to be designated later. 1t was voted
at the same time to hold a special
part Of harvest that year, when
there was to be held a trial of grain
reapers. The fair was held at South
Bend October 1 and I'd, which from
the minutes was not much of a sue
cess owing to the lateness of the
dates. The trial at Garden City was
most successful.
According to a notation in the
minutes of the meeting Of the exc.
mi IN fnh h@1l -
the Clifton House in Mankato, No
vember Fl, 1861, it was voted to
purchase a gold locket awarded to
Mr.. and Mrs. L. A. Styles of Judson
for having the prettiest baby, the
award having been made at the ba.
by show held during the fair of that
year.
Daniel Buck Secretary.
At the annual meeting of the So
81. 1851, Daniel Buck of South Bend
was elected corresponding secretary;
and B. D. Pay Of Watonwan was
chosen treasurer. Both gentlemen
were elected at the next annual
meeting held at the Clifton House,
January 6, 1862. Mr.. Buck served
10: number of years, into the sew
entities, and was later one of the vice
president as was also Mr.. Pay.
Grounds Are Located
At meeting Of the executive
committee held at the Farmers hall
In Garden City, April II. 1866, the
location Of permanent fair grounds
came up again and was decided. The
following appears on the minutes:-
ID. H. Tyner presented a petition
for the permanent location of the
fair grounds in the vicinity of Man
kato, signed by 81 persons who
agreed to donate to the society il the
grounds are so located the sum of
u. K. Mead also presented a petit
ton for the location of the fair
grounds at Garden City signed BY
206 persons agreeing to donate to the
society the sum of $81S is so locat-
ed.
At the same meeting it was voted
that the fair grounds be located at or
near Garden City, and that the lands
OF Elbridge E. and Anthony Case,
the same being a part of the village
plot. be selected.
At a meeting Of the executive com
mittee in Mankato June 2, 1866, it
was voted to fence the grounds and
put up the necessary buildings for
the coming fair that fall. 1t was al
so voted that horse racing and
trotting be allowed on the course
after four o'clock the first and sec
ond days, and after one o'clock the
third day of the fair"