The frontiersman., 1952-08-28

The 1852 MatanuSka Valley Fair opens this week with grounds and equipment valued at $10,000 at the time of acquision but re- presenting an investment two or three times the purchase figure in terms of present day values.
 The property is owned by the Matanuska Valley Fair Associa- ton, which is operating this year as a strictly non-profit corpora ton. Although the Fair has never operated as a profit-making ven ture for it's members, all prefer red stock was called in this year.
 At present there are PTS stock holders listed in the Fair As sociation membership. Purchase of one share of stock at one dol lar entities anyone to member ship in the association.
 In 1852 Fair is the twelfth put on by the Matanuska Valley Fair Assocation. The association was organized in the spring and sum- mer of 1886, a year after estab- lishment of the Matanuska Valley Colony made Palmer the center of the largest agricultural area in Alaska.
 A few years before, during the depression the Western Alaska Fair Association of Anchorage had gone out of business, and the accent of the Fur Rendezvous, its successor, was on fur farming. Nothing was left to promote and to symbolize properly the devel- opment of agriculture in Alaska. Organization plans for the new Matanuska Valley Fair Associa- tion developed out of the North land Pioneer Grange, with M. b. Snodgrass and the late C. C.. Erik and Charles Wilson in charge. By July of 1886 100 in dividuals with faith in the future of the Valleys agriculture had subscribed for $1,200 in common and preferred stock and had made application for 5000 in Territori- al fund in support of the Fair.
 The first Fair Association of- ficers were: president, M. D.. Snodgrass; vice-president, Joe F. Flakne (now in charge of Alas ka affairs, Div. of Territories and Island Possessions, Department ot Interior); secretary, Ruth De- Armond (now Mrs. Howard Es- telle); treasurer, Luther Weida. Ross Sheely was also on the board of directors.
 Held on the 4th, 5th, 9th. and Eth of September, 1886, the first Matanuska Valley Fair featured athletic sports, horse racing, a livestock parade, a baby show a three-hour smoke of six events, and dances every night. A three game baseball series between Pal mer and Anchorage resulted in victory for Palmer and a silver trophy. A special event of the first Matanuska Valley Fair was the opening of the new Knik RiV- CT bridge at the foot of Pioneer Peak-a milestone of progress hiking the Valley with Anchorage by road.
 Locale of the first fair was the Palmer School property. Exhibits were in the basement and the gymnasium. Athletic events and horse racing were held on the school playground, and livestock exhibits were penned in canvas sheds on the square block east of the school playground. Income from the first fair was $6,OOO.
 By the time of the 1887 fair, the Fair Association had two build ings which gave ample housing for livestock. Beef cattle were ex- hibited for the first time, and there were also swine exhibits Amer J. Peterson was Fair Man ager for 1887, and although gross income was only a little more than half that of the year before, there was still a balance of S445 as the season ended.
 For the next four years the Fair struggled along, sometimes showing a net gain and sometimes
 1;.L+ 1oec Noxyar during these