Madison County Democrat. (London, Ohio) 19??-1958, 1953-08-25

Behind the sixty-fourth annual
Madison County Fair, August %
through August q, lies an inter-
esting story as compiled from
perusing the two histories of Mad
ison county, one published in 1888
and the other in 1915.
In 1876, the Clark and Madison
County Agricultural Society was
organized, which held fairs alter
nately at South Charleston and
London. The last of these fairs
was held in London, the 9th, 7th
and 9Th of October, 1852. On the
18th of November, 1852, the fol-
lowing Agricultural notice appear
ed in the Madison Reveille"; We
the undersigned, citizens of Mad
ison county, are in favor of calling
a county convention, for the pur-
pose of organizing county agri-
cultural society within and for
Madison county, separate and
apart from Clark county; and rec
ommend such convention to be
held on Saturday, the goth day of
November, 1852. In response to
this call large and enthusiastic
meeting of farmers, mechanics
and business men took place in
London on that date.
1.-The meeting was organized by
appointing T. j. Stutson of Jeffer-
son township, chairman and Will
liam H. Creighton, secretary. Of
ficers elected were, Richard Cowl-
ing, president; DR.. ]. Stutson, vice
president; John Rouse, treasurer;
w. II. Creighton, secretary.
'The first fair of the Madison
County Agricultural Society was
held on the ground where Jeriah
Swetland'S residence now stands
in London on Sept. 28-29, 1853,
under the direction OF these o.
ficers elected on June i, 1853,
John H. Findlay, president: James
Foster, vice president; John
Rouse, treasurer; ]. Z. Freeman,
secretary.
THE day prior to the opening of
the fair, the sale of imported
thoroughbred stock brought from
Europe a short time before, took
place, and gave the new enterprise
of the agricultural society an inn
petus it could have received in no
other way. Hundreds of leading
stockmen attended the sale, and
remained for the fair, which prov
ed a grand success.
I'm September, 1854, the society
purchased eight acres and 80
perches of land, in survey 5670
from John T. Maxey, paying for
the same $475. This tract is To-
Gated in the northeast part of
London, and the fairs were held
there for ID years with varying
success. The last exhibition was
held on September 18, 10, 20, 1867,
the following being officers at
that time, j. Swetland, president;
John Reed, vice president; S. w.
Durflinger, secretary; Pres ton
Adair, treasurer.
Many causes led to the aband-
onment of these fairs. In the fall
of 1868 a Union Agricultural So
ciety was organized in Mechanics
burg, which had for its promoters
some of the leading citizens of the
northwestern portion of Madison
county, who belonged to the Mad
ison County Society. A second
cause was the absence of a track
where horSemen could exhibit
their animals. The grounds were
small, and races. were not a part
of the program of these fairs;
hence one of the principal attrac-
tions was missing. The principal
cause however, why the fairs in
London were abandoned, was on
account of the rapid growth of the
Madison county stock sales, at
that time and for years the glory
and pride of this portion of Ohio.
This county needed no annual fair
for 1t held one every month. The
Madison County Agricultural So
ciety, however, still lived; its or
ganization was kept intact and its
financial condition healthy. It's of
ficers were, Stephen Watson,
president; Jeriah Swetland, vice
president; ]. c. Bridgeman, treas