Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 8.djvu/330

 322 GEORGE H. HIMES.

agricultural society was held at West Tualatin (now Forest Grove) on May 25, 1854, with B. Q. Tucker, chairman, and H. C. Raymond, secretary. A short address was made .by H. H. Hendricks, explaining the object of the meeting, after which it was voted that Mr. Hendricks, Thomas G. Naylor and J. Marsh be appointed a committee to prepare a constitution ; whereupon the meeting was adjourned to June 10. At this time Israel Mitchell was called upon to preside and J. M. Keeler elected secretary. The committee on constitution re- ported and it was adopted. Permanent organization was effected by electing Thomas G. Naylor, president, Wesley Mulkey, vice-president, and J. M. Keeler, secretary-treasurer; councilmen, Alanson Hinman, James Johnson, W. O. Gibson, Thomas J. Dryer, Levi Whitcomb, John S. White, and Israel Mitchell. It was decided that a fair should be held on October 5, 1854. The premiums offered amounted to $420.00, and ranged from $15.00 for the best conducted farm of twenty- five acres or more down to $1.00. First and second prizes were given in each case. The scope of the fair may be judged by noticing the objects for which premiums were offered, viz. : Farms, dairies, butter, cheese, cattle, sheep, swine, bread, flowers, household manufactures, ladies' department, farming implements, plowing match, field crops, orchard and shade trees. From the foregoing it will be seen that the agitation in re- lation to organizing county agricultural societies, begun in Yamhill County in the fall of 1853, resulted in the movement extending into four counties, each of which had a successful county fair almost simultaneously the next year. Nearly two years elapsed before another county joined hands with those already mentioned, and that was the county of Linn. The preliminary meeting was held at the court house in Albany on May 3, 1856, at which time "a large number of citizens met for the purpose of organizing an agri- cultural society." William Allphin was chosen chairman,