The Lubbock avalanche. (Lubbock, Tex.) 1909-1922, 1922-10-20
Early Days Of the State Fair
Recounted When Pioneers Met
Atthe State Fair Last Week inDallas

the State Fair Of Texas and Inter
national Exposition was In ia swad-
ding clothes and presented a vastly
different aspect from that Of the
fair today, were INDUCED in Tues
day BY two veterans Of the State
Fair, who found particular interest
in visiting the grounds on that day
because il was Dallas Day and Pat
rons Of 1856 Day.
These two men, who have been
attending the State Fair for thirty
six years. were Captain W. II. Gas
ton, one Of the directors Of the far
in 1886, when IL was organized, and
president Of the fair association
from 1898 to 1908, inclusive, and
Ben Caboll, one o. the original
stockholders Of the fair. former
Mayor Of Dallas and regular Wis
itor Of the fair grounds every year
Tor the thirty-six years that the fair
has been in existence.
Donated Original Park
Captain CASTOR donated the eighty
acres that formed the nucleus Of the
present Fair Park Later on he
gave fourteen more acres Of land
for use as fair grounds He took
stock IN the fair association for this
land. but later cancelled the stock.
Captain Gaston's experience as q
fair builder goes even farther back
tina nthe organization Of the present
exposition. Years ago a plot Of ten
acres in the grove Of trees near the
Baylor Hospital, was the fair plot
Of an association that was granted
a charter by the Confederate States
n America
Captain CASTOR was interested in
that fair, believed 90 have been the
first fair formed In Dallas He
later purchased the ten acres Of
ground that made zap the fair site,
buying the land when the organiZa-
ton ccnscd lts activities
Following this step iu fair work,
Captain CASTOR assisted in the pur-
chase % q sixty-onc acre tract, tno
ear line If which was what Is now
Haskell avenue. as the site for
new fnir ground The thorough
fare. known as Haskell avenue now,
was then q part ~ the race track VI
this second fair. which Captain Gas
ton helped organize II was given
un eventually and Captain CASTOR
next participation Of fair circles was
in the organization of the present
State Fair
Speaking briefly from the loud
poBkor stand af Fair Park Tues
day. Captain CASTOR recalled "a part
The beginning of the present EXPOSE
ton While he was on the speaker
stand be was greeted By a Mr.. lac-
obs 1f Clebufnc. who knew Captain
CASTOR yenrs ago II had been forty
wears since they had seen one anoth-
OBJ. the Clchurne man said
Indians Visited Early Fairs
NJ Cabell. In recalling the Old
days. referred 90 the fact that for
the early fairs hr succeeded in
bringing some Indians from what
was then the Indian Reservation
here % interest the visitors Among
some Of the old chieftians brought
TO che fair in the early days by Mr
Cabel were Qunnnah Parker. Tab
hincca. Big Three and others.
Member Of the Kiowas, Conan
che. Cheyenne and Araphoe tribes
were brought here and set up their
wgwams on the fair grounds, stag
ing war dances, horse races and
living just as they did before the
white man came to this country.
Mr.. Cabell was a Deputy United
States Marshal when the present
fair was organized
Another visitor 10 the fair grounds
Tuesday was John ! Brewer, who
was one Of the gatekeepers of the
first fair in 1896 Charles G.. XII
patrick, owner Of one OF the amuse-
ment devices on the midway, who
has been coming 90 the State FAIR
for many years, found many old
friends on the grounds during the
day in the veterans of other years
who were visitors 20 The 1886 eN-
position.