In The Beginning. . .
Excerpts from "Saluting
75 Years of People, Pride, Progress"
The Clay County Fair grew out of a series
of homestead era fairs, agricultural society expositions,
a state high-wheel-bicycle meet, a trotting association
and community barbecues and picnics. The first fair
of this type was held in Spencer in 1871, only five years
after pioneer settlers drove their covered wagons from Wisconsin
to Spencer Grove. It took place just south of where
the Clay County Administration Building is now located.
One of the early memories was a printed diploma awarded
by the Clay County Agricultural Society to Mrs. Jane Auringer
for the best tomato and muskmelon sauces. This diploma
was dated October 5, 1871, and signed by J.B. Edmunds, Secretary
and B.P. Hough, President. For entertainment there
were running races with horses and riders from Sioux Rapids,
Peterson and Emmetsburg.
In 1879 the Clay County News announced
that the Clay County Agriculture Board would hold its first
annual fair at Spencer on September 17, 18 and 19.
Apparently the Clay County Agriculture Board was a new group
that helped to organize a new fair that differed slightly
from the original group of 1871. The fair in 1879
was held on what was known as the Lamberton homestead northwest
of Spencer and comprised thirty acres of land.
During those early years, various events
were held on the fairgrounds. Bicycle racing became
very popular, and the State Bicycle Championship was held
on the half mile track in July of 1888.
With the panic, activities at the fairgrounds
declined as Spencer felt the pinch. No mention of
a fair or trotting matches being held during the late 1890's
is to be found.
Early in the new century however, Samuel
Gillespie and James E. Steele wrote in the History of Clay
County: "For the past three or four years another effort
has been made by prominent citizens of Spencer to organize
a fair association, and the project now seems on a fair
way to fruition. . . Their plans are for the county to buy
the necessary land, and then the association will do the
rest. Two locations have been considered: A tract of land
in the neighborhood of the tile factory on the east border
of Spencer, and land belonging to Frank Tuttle in the northwest
part of town."
However, nothing developed until 1913,
when Spencer merchants organized a Clay County Fair and
Picnic featuring a barbecue. Records show that it took one
steer to feed all the hungry fair goers. E.D. Kabrick helped
by furnishing the steam engine from his threshing outfit
to cook the steer.
All these events lead up to 1917 when the
Clay County Fair Association as it's known today was organized.
The first modern Clay County Fair was held in 1918 just
six weeks before the Armistice of World War I.
Next, The First
Clay County Fair
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