| |
JACKTOWN FAIR GREENE COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
143rd Annual Fair  July 15-19, 2008 |
2008 Theme:
~~ "Fun for the Whole Herd"
|
"Fun for the Whole Herd" |
Fair Contact: Buck Burns at
724-428-3637
|
|
THE NATION'S OLDEST CONTINUING FAIR (1865 - 2008)
HISTORY of the JACKTOWN FAIR:
"You'll never die happy until you go to the Jacktown Fair" is a saying which dates
back over 138 years when the oldest continuous fair in the county was held for the first time on
Wednesday and Thursday, October 3 and 4, 1866.
The Jacktown Fair was organized on July 6, 1866. The Richhill Agricultural Horticultural and
Mechanical Society was organized by residents of what was then known as Jacksonville, today's Wind
Ridge, Pennsylvania.
Many homesteads were established in this area in the early 1860's. There was a need for a formal
meeting, not only for recreation but to compare work habits and products. A fair seemed to be the answer.
The Jacktown Fair is unique. It is a holdover from the horse and buggy days when every community had its
fairgrounds and set aside certain days each summer to enable farmers and housewives to bring their prize
samples of produce, handiwork and livestock, plus new farming ideas and equipment to share with their
neighbors.
It is held on the fairgrounds in western Greene County, barely three miles east of West Virginia.
In Greene County, it is reached by Route 21 from Waynesburg, 20 miles to the west. Fairs were common
throughout the 19th Century but only on a community basis. Because the community known today
as Wind Ridge was largely isolated from the heavier populated areas to the east due to poor road
conditions, the settlers of the western part of the county relied upon themselves to provide their own
social activities.
An account of the first fair describes the community as having a bandstand, boot maker, canner,
grocery, milliner, dressmaker, jewelry store, photographer and squire.
Patrons came in wagons, equipped with food for picnics and prepared to stay the entire day for the
fair. The first fair also had a concession stand, lemonade, and peppermint candy. Prizes were offered
for draft horses, trotting, pacing and walking horses, working oxen, cattle, sheep, swine, poultry and
farm equipment.
The fair was not exclusively for animals, however. The "Floral (Women's) Hall" was well
stocked with coats, linen goods, 'fancy' work, preserves, boots, shoes, vegetables, molasses, brooms,
and dozens of floral entries as well as baked goods, meats and many other home products.
Although a fair of this size was a big financial undertaking in those days just after the close of
the Civil War, especially with the premiums totalling $1,178.75 in addition to the expense of buying the
grounds, laying out the race track and erecting the necessary buildings, it must have been a success.
The fair has not missed a year, the ladies of the community continued the annual event during the Second
World War and a picnic style fair was held during the great depression. Plans are underway in 2008 for
the 143th fair.
A unique feature of the grounds is the oval track which disappears from sight of the grandstand
because the oval literally circles the hill-top on which the fairgrounds are located.
Although never a part of the fair proper, Horse Traders Alley became a tradition from the very first
fair until the practice of buying and selling horses, mules, and other animals simply died in the late
1950's. The first Trader's Alley was held in Wind Ridge in a vacant lot across from the Presbyterian Church.
Because of the drinking and carrying on, the townspeople had it moved out of town. The story has been told
many times of the unknown man that brought a dead horse to Trader's Alley and he propped it up against a
building and sold it.
The first few fairs were 'Day Time Only', then oil and gas lights were hung in trees as there was
little activity at night. In 1927, the Fairboard realized they needed to carry the Fair over into the
nights and started investigating a lighting system. At this time there were only two homes in Wind Ridge
that had installed a Delco System. This type of system was bought from a large estate in the Claysville
area and work was immediately started on building a block power house. It consisted of a two-cylinder
upright engine standing about nine feet high and heavy flywheels, and had a capacity load of 400 RPM.
After three days of working day and night the lighting system would not work. It was then they called a
local mechanic and asked for help. The natural gas supply to the engine had to be changed and the
ignition voltage had to be modified. The plant was started using compressed air to turn the engine over
and people came from miles away to see the lighted Fairgrounds. In 1929, West Penn Power lit the grounds
and the fair was a 3-day and night event. The 100th fair, in 1965 was the first 5-day exhibit.
The early Fair goers enjoyed horse racing, balloon ascension and parachute jumping. On the last day
of the fair, a brass band played as the premium livestock was promenaded around the track. Popular now
with the present generation are horse and tractor pulls and the annual demolition derby.
Over the years, some modern conveniences have been added, including running water and restrooms,
but it still maintains the rustic look of yesteryear with most of the work being done by volunteers and
the community pulling together to hold the annual Jacktown Fair.
... history contributed by the Burns Family of Wind Ridge, Greene County,
Pennsylvania. |
|
|
. . . Thank you for visiting our Jacktown Fair website.
|
|
|
Date page last updated: Sat Apr 5 17:13:35 2008
Copyright © 2007 [www.jacktownfair.org]
Site Webmaster
'jacfair@alltel.net'
|
|
This web site is a product of Jacktown Fair of Wind Ridge, Pennsylvania, ©2008 All rights reserved.
Site hosted by Direct Results |
|