The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1931-09-17
WAS HERE'S YEARS
BEFORE RAILROADS;
NOW S. YEARS OLD
Lean Years Mixed With Fat
Ones in History Of
Fair Boards
EARLY RECORDS BURNED
Progress Great in Last Few
Seasons; New Lands,
Buildings

DuAuAuSS
The county fair has been Red
wood county institution since 1873
So years ago this season.
Back when Redwood Falls had but
a dozen or two log cabins and when
Indians were nearly as plentiful in
Southwestern Minnesota as whites, the
nucleus of what is now one of the
three or four best fairs in the state
was formed.
Records of the fair board are in
complete because fire destroyed the
minutes of meetings prior to 1885 but
the history of Redwood county and
old Gazette files reveal much interest
ing information about fairs of an
early day.
First Fair in 1873
1t was all of five years before the
first railroad crossed the prairies to
Redwood Falls that the first Redwood
County Agricultural society was or
ganized. Transportation was a big
problem then and the number of fam
lilies in the county was small to sup
port large undertaking but the idea
was admittedly good and lived
through several lean years.
The first fair entertainment and
side shows were much different than
they are now. There was one horse
race in 1887 and the horses were
slower than the horses of today. The
time for the race that year was
3:19A. There were practically no
buildings then and but little space to
build them on. The grandstand ac-
commodated but few people.
The original Redwood County Agri-
cultural Society was organized in
1873 and held it's first fair that fall
on tract of land on the west side of
the Redwood river, not far from
where the old road crossed that river
at Redwood Falls. The first officers
were President, j. S. G. Homer; vice
president, H. d. Baldwin; treasurer,
E. A. Chandler; recording secretary,
G. w. Braley; corresponding secre-
tary, William B. Herriott.
Recognized 1882
Iu 1882 the society was reorganized
and Incorporated, and tract of 40
acres was purchased, this being the
present site Of the fair grounds. The
incorporators were: T. H. King, Del
hi; 0. A. Mason, Paxton; o. L. Dorm
berg, Redwood Falls; A. D. Mclean,
Delhi; J. w. March, Paxton; G. E.
Mckay, Redwood Falls; A. E. King,
Redwood Falls; George Holden, Delhi;
Thomas March, Paxton; H. d. Ever
EFT, Redwood Falls; Archibald Stew
art, Kintire; A. T. Stevenson, Delhi;
Robert Parker, Three Lakes; Andrew
Stewart, Delhi; Henry F. Clipfell,
Homer; l. M. Van Scaach, Redwood
Falls and Franklin Ensign, Redwood
Falls.
This association held a fair every
year. The discouragements were
many, but the promoters persevered,
contributions from the officers and
the business men often being neces-
sary to pay the current expenses,
especially on years when wet wealth
er prevented large attendance. The
association, as Incorporated in 1882
was to run 20 years. At the close of
this period, the officers for many
years having been Joseph Tyson,
president; o. L. Dornberg, secretary,
and G. E. Mckay, treasurer, the bust
ness of the association was closed.
For several years street fairs were
held at Redwood Falls, with agricul-
tural exhibits in the court house. This
was done under a new Redwood Coun-
ty Agricultural Society incorporated
August 81, 1906, by H. A. Baldwin,
H. NJ. Aune, C. Fred Thompson, A. NJ.
Welles, Frank G. Hubbard, A. N.
Dennistoun, II. G. Schmahl, Julius A.
Schmahl, o. L. Dornberg, s. G. Pet
erson, w. H. Gold, j. p. Cooper, E.
A. Pease, Fred L. Warner, George L.
Evans, S. j. Race, ]. A. johnson, 1.
M. Tompkins, c. v. Everett, w. ].
C. w. Mead, William s.
Brammer, H. M. Hitchcock and C. T.
Howard. OF these, the first directors
were: F. w. Philbrick, w. II. Gold,
J. A. Schmahl, o. L. Dornberg, H. NJ.
Aune, H. A. Baldwin, f. G. Hubbard,
C. H. Mead and C. F. Howard. The
capital was placed at $4,000 and di-
vided into shares Of S. each. On
December rs, 1912, the articles were
amended so as to place the value of
The shares at SO each.
New Buildings Started
This association continued to hold
Continued on Page 16.)