The Allegany County Fair
Information taken from the
Allegany County Fair History book
Submitted by
William A. Greene 2005
There is a function that has been going on since around the
birth of Allegany County and it’s the Allegany County Fair. Oh,
there have been a few other fairs like Cuba and Wellsville just to
name a couple, but the county fair is still going strong today after
over 160 years.
It all started in 1843 when
the Allegany County Agricultural Society was formed and the first
fair was held on the 8th day of October 1844. A grand
total of $142 was handed out in prizes.
In 1846 the fair was extended
to two days plus there was an increase in exhibits plus the quality
and quantity of them were better than the previous years. Farmers
were showing cows, sheep, horses, pigs and their crops. Women were
showing canned goods and sewing crafts.
In 1854 it was noted that with
the drought that year, the yield per acre was about half. The chief
agricultural product of the county was oats. It was noted that more
land was being used for farming yet there was little scientific
attention being given to farm cultivation.
In August of 1855 it was voted
to purchase a tent for the fair. It was also voted on that
Centerville, Rushford, Hume and Caneadea Agricultural Associations
might use it.
In the later part of the
1850’s it was voted to purchase land for the fair grounds, but
nothing became of it, as they had no funds.
On October 22, 1859, sixteen
men met to re-organize the Allegany County Agricultural Society to
comply with the new state requirements, to form a county society in
and for the county of Allegany, for the advancement of Agriculture,
Horticulture, the Mechanical Arts and Household Industry.
In 1860 the society leased a
piece of land from Judge A.C. Hull in the village of Angelica,
situated south of his residence (the west side of South Street),
containing about four and one-half acres, for the term of 12 years,
for annual rent of $30 per annum. Thy also surrounded the lot with
a tight board fence 7 feet high, with suitable gates and a suitable
office for the officers use. The surrounding farmers made a
trotting track.
On December 27, 1865 a report
was given telling of the purchase of the McAdam lot containing about
11 acres, for the sum of $1,100, three acres of the Tucker lot for
$500 and about an acre from the William Hull estate. A contract was
made with the Angelica Driving Park Co. for the fencing and tracking
of said grounds. The horse racetrack was a great crowd pleaser
along with the addition of baseball.
In the 1860’s and 70’s the
weather gave fair goers a time but there was always a profit to turn
in at the end of each fair.
In 1875 the fair tent and
grounds were sold to W.L. Davis to satisfy his claims. I have no
clue as to what this is all about and there is nothing written about
it in 1876. In October of 1877 it is written Sheriff Deed issued
selling all Fair Ground property to John R. Common, again nothing
written as to the reason why.
In 1882 a cyclone struck
Angelica on June 15th at 10 o’clock. It lasted only 15
seconds and came with only warning of a clap of thunder, but that
was all that was needed. In the town, trees were blown down or
broken off, buildings were moved, signs were blown down and roofs
were ripped off their buildings. At the fair grounds, Mechanic’s
Hall was torn to pieces, another building was twisted from its
foundation, and part of the fencing was destroyed. By the end of
1882, a new secretary’s office, and a 100 foot long shed were
built. In 1883 it was resolved to erect an additional new building,
a row of sheds, a dining hall and more.
During the 1885 fair about 35
Civil War veterans from Angelica, Cuba and Belfast put on a sham
battle. The boys and the crowd had a good time. There were two
accidents. During the skirmish Cale Thomas of Belvidere got a wad a
little too close to his cheek. While fooling around after the
battle Charley Fanning got hit in the leg with a gun shot wad. Dr.
VanDusen dressed them both.
The name “Allegany County
Fair” was used for the first time in 1894.
So at the turn of the century
we were the oldest Agricultural Fair in the region. We have seen
profits from around $200 grow to over $1,000. We have bought land
and built buildings and a horse racetrack. What will the future
bring?
From 1900 through 1950 many
new buildings were built or replaced. In 1910 a new grandstand was
built and also in 1935.
In 1923 electricity was used
for the first time.
In 1924 they had two night
carnivals.
In 1931 the department of 4-H
was added and a 4-H building built. A new free attraction stand was
built.
In 1932 a free day was
instituted for all school children.
In 1933 a loudspeaker system
was installed.
From September 1942 to May
1944, the Allegany Fair Association allowed the First Fighter
Command to use the fair grounds for an observation post for the Army
Air Force, which was manned by local personnel. From this post,
reports were sent to the Aircraft Warning Center in Buffalo, of all
airplanes seen or heard in this vicinity. This was one of thousands
used up and down the Atlantic seaboard by the Army Air Forces for
this purpose.
Girl ticket-takers in brightly
colored slacks met the fair goers that year, due to the young men
going to war.
1943 brought the doubt of not
having a fair because of the conditions of the world and the area,
but they decided to have it only a week before it was to take
place. An auction was held to support war bonds and a total of
$26,365 was raised.
In 1944 and 45 attendance was
down due to the polio outbreak. There were seven cases in the
immediate area.
Things stayed pretty much the
same thru the rest of the 40’s till 1956 when the fair had live
radio broadcast from the fair grounds. WLSV, 790 AM from
Wellsville, provided the service. Live radio is still being used
today.
The first ever nationally
known artist appeared at the fair. Jim Reeves, a TV personality
and country recording star headlined the year of 1958.
The year of 1959 was the first
year for a Dairy Princess. She was to be chosen from a field of
eight candidates.
New acts of different kinds
were added to bring in the crowds. A rodeo, Joie Chitwood Thrill
Drivers, professional wrestlers, motorcycle races along with the
regular items kept the crowds coming.
In 1977 the Allegany County
Fair was voted one of the top 10 agricultural fairs in New York, by
the State Fair Board.
The year 1979 brought the
start of one of the largest crowd pleasers ever. The Whitesville
Fire Department started a demolition derby with over 100 cars
entered. This event is still going today and the crowds are still
getting bigger every year.
Today the Allegany County Fair
is still going strong. The horse-pulling event is still going on
each year as it has for over 125 years. The horse racing has been
replaced with truck and tractor pulls. Some of the newfangled
gadgets that were new in the 19th century are on display
as antiques today at the fair.
We as a county ought to be
very proud of our past and present and for all of the great people
that have dedicated their lives to making the Allegany County Fair a
great success for over 160 years. They have done an excellent job
of putting Allegany County’s best face forward.
