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    The Tunbridge World's Fair
    The Tunbridge World's Fair
    The Tunbridge World's Fair
    Ebook178 pages50 minutes

    The Tunbridge World's Fair

    By Euclid Farnham

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    About this ebook

    Since its opening in 1867, the Tunbridge World's Fair has drawn hundreds of thousands of people to its one-of-a-kind event, showcasing the best of regional agriculture and entertainment. The fair, originally intended to determine who owned the fastest horse or best-looking cow, began as an improvised event in farmer Elisha Lougee's North Tunbridge pasture and quickly grew into the complex it is today, with well-developed fairgrounds centered around a half-mile racetrack. During the 1929 fair, the Log Cabin Museum was opened with many local residents reenacting the skills of the early settlers. Over the generations, the fair has matured into the best of its kind in northern New England.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherArcadia Publishing
    Release dateSep 8, 2008
    ISBN9781439636053
    The Tunbridge World's Fair
    Author

    Euclid Farnham

    Euclid Farnham has spent his entire life in Tunbridge and served as the fair president for 30 years. A retired dairy farmer, he has held numerous town offices and is recognized as the Tunbridge town historian.

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      Book preview

      The Tunbridge World's Fair - Euclid Farnham

      quality.

      INTRODUCTION

      Vermonters always have been competitive with their farm animals, wanting a local event to determine who had the fastest horse or best-looking cow. Starting in 1847 and continuing for at least 10 years, an Orange County Agricultural Day moved around the county from Bradford to Chelsea; however, many residents yearned for a permanent home for a fair.

      In 1861, a fair was held on the Elisha Lougee farm in North Tunbridge. Six years later, the Tunbridge Agricultural Society was formed and a more structured fair was held at the Lougee place. Local men established a crude racetrack and built a pole shed. These one-day events always featured a guest speaker. In 1867, former Lt. Gov. Burnham Martin (perhaps trying to impress the locals) referred to the event as the Little World’s Fair. The fair organizers thought this was a great idea, so on the 1868 fair handbills, in large type, were the words World’s Fair.

      By 1875, it was obvious that the fair needed larger and more useful grounds. It was at this time that Aaron King and David F. Chapman, two Tunbridge entrepreneurs, offered their two 10-acre bottom land fields just to the west of Tunbridge Village.

      The use of the land came with several strings attached. The landlords charged $50 annual land rent and took all the receipts from the grandstand as well as all concession rentals. In addition they would not allow a fair to take place until after the corn grown on the land had been harvested; consequently, the fair had to be postponed until late September or early October. Since the fair only got admission fees, it was always financially strapped. It would be this way until 1917 after both King and Chapman had died.

      In retrospect it seems miraculous that the fair survived those early years. Most years the directors could cover the bills; however, in 1880, 1885, and 1889, they had to borrow to meet expenses.

      Those involved with the fair in 1875 laid out the trademark half-mile racetrack on the grounds and worked on the first buildings: Floral Hall and the main ticket office. Within a few years they added the first grandstand as well as horse stalls and the cattle barns (some brought from the old Woodstock fairgrounds). Now that the fair had a permanent home the fair itself was extended to two days. In 1876 a third day was added. Also that year the organization increased the number of directors to 25 men from 13 towns around Tunbridge, in order to get more people involved in the fair.

      For the next 20 years, the annual fairs went well until disaster struck in 1897. During a bicycle race on the racetrack, a young cyclist swerved and ran into a sulky. He was badly injured, soon sued the society, and won. The fair was ordered to pay $2,644.28 in damages and costs. This was a huge sum for an organization with only $600 in its treasury. A meeting of the members was soon called and 50 people pledged $40 each to pay off the debt. They also decided to incorporate with the State of Vermont as the Union Agricultural Society, the World’s Fair. One hundred shares at $5 each were then sold to pay bills. The first fair after this in 1902 saw a profit of $197.16.

      In 1907, cool weather and heavy rain drowned out the fair. When the directors met to set dates for the next year they voted to hold the fair October 6, 7, and 8, 1908, if we have one at all. They did. For the first time since its inception, the 1918 fair was cancelled due to World War I and the world-wide influenza epidemic.

      The Antique Cabin Museum was added in 1929 giving the fair an important new dimension. Ed Flint collected agricultural equipment and household goods from local farm families. Since then it has become one of the best museums at any fair in the East.

      The 1938 fair started in the rain on September 20. The situation quickly worsened the next day when the great hurricane of 1938 roared through Vermont. Livestock had to be removed from the grounds, tents blew down, the electricity failed, and many people panicked. The directors tried to reschedule events later in the week, but few people attended—they stayed at home with their own hurricane-related problems.

      It was not until

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