This review is not guaranteed to be one hundred percent accurate and therefore should probably not be called a history. It is rather a collection of stories written during the years from 1967 to the present. Many of the happenings have already become somewhat clouded, but the actual growth of the fairgrounds is a story worth writing down. Thanks to good recordkeeping by the county fair board, dates of construction have been provided.
This then is the story of the present Warren County Fair located at Pittsfield, PA. First a prelude is in order.
There have been other fairs in this county to be sure. Old newspapers on file in the library reveal some interesting tales concerning several of them.
The first Agricultural Show in the county was a one day event in 1850 at Sugar Grove. There appeared to be no formal organization. The following year the "Warren County Agricultural Society" was formed, and nineteen annual fairs were held. There were three fairs missing during the Civil War years, and in 1871 the Society died from lack of interest and support.
By 1874 the "Union Agricultural Society of Warren County" was formed in Sugar Grove, and that group operated a fair for the next thirteen years. It came to a halt because the County Fair in Warren, composed of a new bunch of upstarts, proved to be too much competition.
In 1884 the Warren County Agricultural Fair Association was formed by the combination of the Warren Board of Trade and the Warren Farmers Club. The spearhead was a fellow named George Orr, who according to the journal, was a zealous leader and businessman. There was $1,500 subscribed by businessmen of the borough to get the thing rolling. For five years they leased the spacious grounds across the river where the general hospital now stands. It was called Irvine Bottoms then. The rental amounted to $200 a year, and the toll bridge owners got $150 for the week to make free access to the grounds.
According to the "Warren Mail", work started June 14, 1884. Grounds were tilled, the race course graded, sheds and fencing were built, and the fair was held September 9, 10, 11, and 12. It was a grand success with over 1,000 entries and $3,000 taken in at the gate.
Sometime later the Warren Fair moved to new grounds at Conewango Avenue Extension and remained there until 1928.
So there have actually been four countywide organizations calling themselves county fairs. One was formed in 1851, another in 1874, still another in 1884. The fourth fair is of more recent vintage.
The Youngsville Community Fair had its beginning in 1931 at the high school with home economics exhibits being displayed in the old Currie Building. The agricultural students exhibited in the gymnasium of the high school.
By 1935 everything was moved again to Island Park where the fair stayed for some time. Twenty years later only nine dairy animals were exhibited and no 4-H projects. The following year the Warren County Extension Service committed the resources of its office and the countywide 4-H program toward revitalizing this one remaining fair in Warren County. The fair became a well organized dairy show in northwestern Pennsylvania. Competitive exhibits and commercial exhibitors increased in number.
In 1967 the relocated highway bypassing Youngsville went through the grounds and a new location was needed once again. A reorganized board purchased approximately 100 acres of the Charles Takats farm near Pittsfield to rebuild upon.
That year a well was drilled and a pump house constructed. A county fairgrounds was again under development. Fields were mowed, bulldozing and ditch digging occurred in random locations. Temporary fences and water lines snaked across the grounds. Electric wires were strung and tents were erected.
A farm field was transformed into a busy jumble of sprawling tents, which protected dresses, cows, pickles, horses, food booths, popcorn stands and baked goods. The 4-H exhibits outnumbered the open class exhibitors in almost all categories. In 1968 the first commercial building was erected and the fairgrounds again looked much like a canvass refugee camp during the third week in August, but the fair was growing.
In 1969 the first permanent restroom facilities were constructed. The horseshoe pits designed for big league competition were also built. The pits were enlarged in 1972 and fenced in 1974. All volunteer work was done by the horseshoe people on their facility.
Fast and furious construction followed for the next few years, most of it being completed by volunteers. The major work follows:
Large Horse Show Ring and Announcers Stand - 1970
Red Domestic Exhibit Building - 1971
Dairy Cattle Barn - 1971
Second Dairy Cattle Barn - 1972
4-H Center - 1972
Pomona Grange Building - 1973
Main Office - 1973
Poultry Barn - 1973
4-H Saddle Horse Barn - 1974
Draft Horse Barn - 1974
Double Width Cattle Barn - 1975
Cornplanter Entertainment Pavilion - 1976
Second Water Well - 1976
Williams Memorial Entertainment Pavilion - 1978
Blue Domestic Exhibit Building - 1978
Barton Run Road (leading to grounds) was paved - 1978
Yellow Commercial Exhibit Building - 1979
Perimeter of the Grounds fencing - 1979
Emergency Medical Technicians - 1980
4-H Livestock Complex, Second Horse Practice Ring, Sheep Wing, Swine and Beef
Cattle Wing - 1980-1983
Milking Parlor and Milk House - 1982
Main Gate Ticket House - 1982
Dressing Room Addition to Cornplanter Pavilion - 1983
Livestock Washrack and Shower Rooms and Third Water Well - 1983
Drainage Ditching - 1982-1983-1984-1988
Motor Sports Arena - 1984
Ticket Booth at Second Gate - 1984
Dairy Cattle Barn - 1984
Oxen and Draft Animal Barn - 1984
Major Drainage for Parking Lots - 1987
Parking Lot Lights - 1987
And the story goes on
We crowned our first Warren County Fair Queen in 1987, and that continues to be a Monday night tradition at the fair.
The fair moved into the communications era in 1989 with its first Media Luncheon for the local radio station, newspapers and other media staff. Now several local stations attend the event and broadcast live at the fair throughout the week.
Also that year, the fair instituted the "Pay One Price" admission, which includes most shows and midway rides in the price of admission at the gate.
The year 1989 also brought improvements to the Motorsports Arena, with the addition of the announcers stand. Since then, we've added new bleachers, a pit building, safety wall and new food booths to handle the crowds, especially during our Grand American Sanctioned Tractor Pull.
New computer programs in 1991 made it easier and quicker to enter exhibits and pick up prize checks.
With all of this growth, the fair needed more parking lots! So the Anderson property across from the fairgrounds was purchased in 1992 for just that. A new access road to the fairgrounds was also created that year.
Volunteers were busy in 1993 building a new dairy barn named after the grounds' long-time caretaker Veigh Barnett; and again in 1996 for a new EMT building called the Band-Aid Barn.
Since 1994, the fair has paved much of the grounds, making it very handicap accessible.
The Warren County Fair made its way to the Internet in 1999 and now proudly has its own Website, which debuted in 2003.
This amazing story will go on for years to come, thanks to hundreds of dedicated volunteers.
To be continued - as the fair grows and excels! |
