The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1925-09-09
Fair Symbolical
of Growth of
Az. Exhibition
FAIRS TO BRING FARM TO
25,OOO,OOO PEOPLY IN 1925; EDU-
CATIONAL VALUE GREAT, FAIR
ORIGINATED IN NEW YORK.

In 1910, one fair; in 1925, two thous
and fairs.
In 1910, an attendance of about
five thousand, in 1925 an estimated
attendance Of approximately twenty
five million.
These figures, in, a nutshell, tell
the story of the marvellous growth
of the American fair from the humb-
lest beginning to its present day
status as an important factor in agri-
cultural education. They are of es-
pecial interest here in view of the
approaching Redwood County fair
which will he held September 20 to
October 2.
While the fair idea has been taken
hold of tremendously in the United
States, it is no native to this coun-
try. Fairs run back to ancient days,
but in olden times they were more
after the manner of bazaar or mar
ket, only held with less frequency,
very much like the fairs I'M vogue in
Germany and other European coun-
tries today. The American fair
traces its ancestry back only to about
the middle of the eighteenth century,
when a group of progressive farmers
in the Tees River Valley in north
eastern Britain joined to bring their
livestock together for comparison. 1t
has been termed the first agricultural
fair and was the model after which
were patterned the hundreds of coun-
try fairs bottle here and in England.
Elkanah Watson of New York has
been credited with being the father
of the American fair. In 1915 Wat
son organized the agricultural society
of Albany, N. Y, and proceeded to
establish fairs and cattle shows in
the neighboring counties. In 1919,
due mainly to his influence, the New
York legislature appropriated ten
thousand dollars a year for six years
for premiums on agricultural and
home manufactured products. In1832
the state agricultural society was
founded and work started in other
eastern states. But while Watson
was busy converting farmers and
legislators to the value of fairs, the
Columbian Agricultural Society held
what is believed to be the first ex-
hibition of its kind in Washington,
D. C. in 1910.
Pittsfield, Mass, shortly thereafter
inaugurated regular agricultural ex
hibits, and from there first small eff
forts grew up our system Of COM
munity, county, state, district, ma
tional and international fairs which
cover practically every section of the
country.
The development of the fair in the
United States has been one of normal
growth and expansion, according to
Samuel R. Guard, director of the
Sears-Roebuck Agricultural Founda-
ton and one of the leading opponents
of agricultural exhibits in America.
The successful contestant in a local
fair naturally wished to compare his
products with those of winners in
other local fairs. That was how the
county fair came to be the state
fair with its wider appeal was the
next logical step, and there county
winners sent to settle disputes on the
relative merits of their products.
Eventually this lead to competition
| between states, eliminating first in
the inter state fair, later in the ma
tional show and finally in the inter-
national exhibit. Many a national
champion grain grower or livestock
breeder today can trace his success
to some little honor captured at the
county fairs years ago.
The appealing thing about the
county fair is the opportunity it Of
fers the farmer to compare his own
work with that of his neighbors and
so inspires in him a healthy ambition
to improve himself and his work;
states Mr.. Guard Within easy dis
lance of his home, he can examine
the best animals, grains, fruits and
vegetables, poultry and honey and
determine where he falls short of the
marks. Likewise his wife can pit her
needlework, her baking and pastry,
her canned fruits and vegetables a.
gainst those of other farm women and
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