Page:History of Richland County, Ohio.djvu/206

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��HISTORY OF RICHLAND COUNTY.

��was formed. Three years after the passage of the above-mentioned law, in 1849, a permanent agricultural society was organized. Its growth really began a year or so before, but the organ- ization was not effected until that year. A fair was held that autumn, which, for the first one, was very creditable. The exhibitions were, it is true, rather meager, yet they showed an advance in many regards. It is not likely that any admission fee was charged, as that was not the custom then. Probably a hat was passed around at the close of each day's exhibition, and what money could be collected was used to defray the light expense. Often the articles exhibited were sold on the ground at the close of the fair.

There is no account of the fairs from 1849 to 1857 ; neither can any one give an}' definite in- formation. It is pretty certain, however, that the fair was held regularly during that period of eight years. The report of 1857 speaks of the "annual exhibitions." The occasidnal pa- pers preserved of that period refer to the fair in the same terms, hence the inference is in favor of a regular exhibition. In addition to this, no one remembers other than that the fairs were regularly held. In 1857, the first printed report of the Agricultural Board of the State appeared. Reports from nearly all the county societies are given. That from Richland County reads as follows:

" The eighth annual fair was held September 22 and 23, 1857. The Society has been holding its anniversaries upon ground belonging to a private citizen, without any other right than a permit, and for no specified time. The Society has adopted measures to procure and fit up grounds. The County Commissioners have agreed to appropriate one-half of the money, and the citizens of Mansfield agree to furnish one- half of the remainder, the balance to be raised b}' subscription in the count}'. The Society is confident of success in the enter- prise."

��The Secretary, Alex. Mcllvain, speaks hope- fully of the future and well of the past. He reports the total receipts from all sources, $223.- 86; the total expenditures, $211.90, leaving a balance of $11.96 in the treasury. Ezra Osborn was President of the Society that year.

The report of 1858 shows that steps were being taken to procure new grounds, which de- sired change was not accomplished till the next year. The fair of 1858 was only a partial success. The fair at Plymouth started that year, and drew nearly all the patronage from the north part of the county. The receipts were, how- ever, increased, and after paying all expenses (amounting to $726.58) there remained in the treasury $101.95.

The next 3'ear, the new gi'ounds, on the south side of the city, were purchased, and there, on the 12th, 13th and 14th of October, 1859, the fair, the largest yet. was held. Over fifteen thousand persons were estimated to have been on the grounds. The receipts were $879 and the expenses $1,020.

The new grounds contained about ten acres, and were in an excellent location, at the junction of the Lexington and Bellville roads.

The county fairs continued to lie held here with varying successes during the years that followed, when the civil war almost swallowed every other question. Its influence was dis- cernible, however, as well as the Plymouth fair, and the Bellville fair, started in 1860. The close of the great war, and the return of pi'os- perity, brought a change over agricultural, as well as other, interests. The sixteenth fair, held October 3, 4 and 5, 1865, was, considering the weather, a success. Ten cents admission was charged ; 156 membership tickets sold, and 536 entries made. The next year the prosperity continued, and thoughts of new and larger grounds were entertained. The fair of 1867 was still better. The Society made enough to pay all premiums, and also a part of their indebted-

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