The Carbon County Fair through the years

100 years ago

August 5, 1915

Preparing for County Fair

In a recent issue of the Wyoming Tribune appeared the following boost for the Carbon County Fair:

“Solidly backed by every business interest in the county and with the county government providing a fund that guarantees one of the most successful ventures of its kind ever promoted in the state, the Carbon County Fair will be open on the sixth day of September at Saratoga. A group of hard working enthusiasts among whom are W.E. Tilton, D.S. Richmond, George Broadhurst, Charles C. Young, Dana Crawford and Geo. W. Sission, directors of the fair association, are leaving nothing undone to write the 1915 celebration big in the annals of county fairs.

“Anticipating the free fish fry on Cadwell’s Island the first day of the fair 2,500 trout may be heard on the banks of the North Platte singing the song that all good fishes sing before they go down into the valley of dry bones. Eight men, arch enemies of the fish clan, anyone of whom considers himself disgraced if he comes to camp with less than the limit for a day’s catch, have engaged to whip the streams for three days preceding the opening of the carnival to supply fish for the crowd. A prize of forty dollars is posted for the man making the largest catch. George Sisson, ‘Cotton’ McPhail, Glenn Scott, Bill Mace, Charlie Plummer, Swift, Hickey and George Broadhurst are the artists selected to supply the crowd, and the wise boys say that no one will go to bed hungry that first day.

“Besides the regular menu of western sports and agricultural displays ranging from the largest steer in the world down to canary birds, the directors promise that the three days’ carnival will be replete with new features.

“A Better Baby show, which already has thrown Carbon county mothers into nights of sleepless worry lest their baby be not proclaimed the prettiest, pinkest one of the garden; Captain and Mrs. A.H. Hardy, firearms experts, who smash glass balls from a speeding car, plunk leaden pellets into a chalk white board until they come into being a Teddy Roosevelt smile, teeth and all, together with a troupe of side splitting entertainers and musicians to provide inspiration for all night dances. These are among the attractions that the managers of the fair promise Saratoga guests.

“Another phase of the 1915 exhibit that the directors are emphasizing is the fact that this is a county fair, not a neighborhood enterprise.

“Entrants from the Elk Mountain section, side by side with ranchmen and farmers from Snake river, will compete with residents of the North Platte valley for the prizes that are being offered. And Saratoga herself, the soul of hospitality, is preparing to make everyone welcome.

75 years ago

August 15, 1940

Get Your County Fair

Exhibits Ready, Says County Agent

With those encircled dates on your calendar, August 29, 30 and 31, rapidly approaching, it’s time to be completing your arrangements for the exhibits that you have planned for the Carbon county show window at the Annual County Fair, says County Agent John Meyers.

The Carbon county fair has grown into one of the outstanding shows of Wyoming through the competition that has developed between the various communities of the state. The co-operation that has gone hand-in-hand with the competition has been the other major ingredient in building a fair of which the county’s citizens can well be proud. Right now is the time to think of the competition end, since it is up to the producers of quality agricultural products in each community to see that they’re in the front row or mighty near the front row when the ribbons are passed out in Rawlins on August 29-30-31.

The germ of the Carbon county fair wasn’t native to Rawlins by any manner of means. The real impetus that has culminated in the present-day fair had its beginning a good many years ago in Saratoga.

It was some thirty years ago that the first fair in the area was tried out by a fair association which had its headquarters in Saratoga, developing a county fair that followed the association plan, and for several years proved a most successful affair. Some twenty years ago, Reverend William Toole also succeeded in establishing a fair, for the people of Snake River at Dixon, but this fair ran only two years.

The fair idea again gathered momentum in the county in 1927 when the County Extension Office was established and community fairs were held for the Snake River section at Dixon and for the Saratoga-Encampment sections in the old fair exhibit buildings at Saratoga. These fairs were repeated in 1928 and community exhibits also were held at Pedro and Austin Creek.

The community fairs stimulated real interest and residents of the several communities united in a county-wide movement that resulted in the establishment of a county fair in 1929. This first fair was publicly supported and under the supervision of the Board of County Commissioners with the immediate direction vested in the County Extension Office.

The 1929 fair and the 1930 fair were held at the present fair ground in Rawlins, but the exhibits were housed in tents which proved unsatisfactory from several standpoints. The unfavorable surroundings for the fair resulted in another county-wide movement which gained its point in 1930 with the passage of a bond issue for $10,000 for the construction of propor buildings for the housing of the fair. Two brick buildings, 105 feet by 60 feet, were constructed by the spring of 1931 and today are the finest fair buildings in the state and with the beautiful grounds that have been improved each year furnish a fine setting for the event.

In 1932, Old Man Depression put his foot down and didn’t raise it for three years, and there were no county fairs in 1933, 1934 or 1935. However, the Carbon county fair came back “bigger and better than ever” in 1936, and has since been improving steadily by reflecting the interest and activities of the ranches, farms, ranges, homes, schools and industries of the county. Carbon county residents take pride in the quality of their products; so it has been only natural that the variety, number and quality of the county fair exhibits have increased each year.

Virtually every community of the county will be on hand this year with exhibits of high quality. An annual highlight of the fair is the keen rivalry between the different communities for the Silver Loving Cup awarded each year by the Rawlin’s Chamber of Commerce for the best community booth. Livestock have become a more prominent part of the program each year.

The 4-H Club Camp is scheduled in conjunction with the fair for the third straight year. The future ranchers and farmers of the county will vie for honors with exhibits that may give those with years of experience in the ranching and farming business something to think about in the way of methods and results. The 4-H lads and lassies always serve as a reminder at the fair that age is a small factor in progressive ranging or farming.

Entertainment features for the fair are being worked out in Rawlins this week. There are rumors to the effect that there will be a radical departure from the customary entertainment features, with the result that fun and frivolity will be stepped up considerably during the three-day celebration. More bands than usual are scheduled to “strut their stuff” and the dedication ceremonies for the new Courthouse on the second day are expected to be impressively backgrounded with the spirit and atmosphere of the Old West.

50 years ago

Aug 12, 1965

‘Valley of Campions’ Ready for County Fair

Several months of work and worry will turn into dollars and cents, August 20, for a great many Platte Valley 4-H youngsters when their baby beeves and fat lambs go on the auction block at the Carbon County Fair. The junior livestock sale, one of the major events of the six day fair, will start at 1:00 p.m.

Opening the fair next week will be a feature new this year, an American Quarter Horse Association approved show. Halter classes will be judged at 9:00 a.m. Monday with performance classes starting at 2:00 p.m. Deadline for entries has been extended until Sunday, Aug. 25, County Agent Dick Hiser said this week, in an attempt to swell a rather small number of entries. The horses will be shown in front of the arena grandstands before Maurise Laycock of Cheyenne, judge.

Points towards official AQHA championship and Register of Merit will be awarded in both classes.

Other special events will include jackpot team tying Wednesday night, Aug. 18, at 8:00 and girl’s barrel racing Saturday afternoon, offering a $100 purse. The parade through downtown Rawlins will start at 10:00 Saturday morning, Aug. 21.

Pre-fair activities started today at Jeffrey Center with the presentation of the 4-H home economics and dress revue judgings.

25 years ago

Aug. 15, 1990

Saratoga Homemakers

to man County Homemakers booth at fair

During fair week, the Saratoga Homemakers will man the Carbon County Extension Homemakers Booth all day Aug. 17.

A raffle will be held with proceeds used for tree replacement program at various county senior centers. Grand prize will be a counter top TV with other nice items from Homemakers Clubs in Carbon County given away. The drawing will be Aug. 17 at 6 p.m. at the Homemakers booth.

Saratoga Homemakers met on Aug. 8 at the IOOF Hall at 1:30.

Roll call was answered by the six members present who gave their “favorite beef dish.”

The bake sale held on Veterans Island July 7 was a success and went well.

The Golden Age Dinner held on June 24 was attended by 57 valley seniors and was enjoyed by all.

The Saratoga Homemakers bought trees, donated them to the school and planted them.

Marilyn Tollner, University Extension Agent from Rawlins, has moved to Kansas. A coffee was held for her wishing her our best in her move.

The next Carbon County Extension Homemakers Council meeting will be held in Saratoga Sept. 22 at the IOOF Hall at 9:30. Each club in the county is to bring a salad with Saratoga to furnish the meat, rolls and coffee. Entertainment is being planned.

The next Homemakers meeting will be Sept. 4 at 1:30 p.m. at the IOOF Hall and roll call will be “A fall cleaning tip.” The program will be on International. Anyone is welcome to attend.

After the meeting the members watched a video on “lean beef cooked in the microwave.”

Cake was served by Joan Green and Lorraine Brinar.