Farmers’ Fair Collection, 1888-1973

Call Number:  MG-146

1 box     12 folders, 1 scrapbook    1 cubic ft.

Repository:  LancasterHistory (Organization); PV7

Shelving Location:  Archives South, Side 4

Scope and Content Note:  Of primary interest are premium list books from the Lancaster Fair. The books contain entry categories and prizes offered for winners, general rules and regulations, many advertisements, and photographs of the fairgrounds and acts performing at some of the fairs. There are also Fair Association stock certificates and pamphlets, exhibit entry blanks, promotional fliers, and premium lists from other fairs.

Lancaster County Agricultural Fairs, 1909-1914 scrapbook contains a variety of information pertaining to the Lancaster County Agricultural Fair.  There are copies of letters that I. C. Arnold typed and sent out to notify the public about the annual fair, including letters to teachers and businesses.  Photographs are scattered within the book.  The book is also filled with admission tickets, stand-holder tickets, and exhibitor tickets.  There are several pages that show the layout of the fairgrounds and where different exhibits and rides were located.  An item of interest is a facsimile of a confederate fifty-dollar bill.

Creator:  LancasterHistory (Organization)

Conditions for Access:  Restrictions are noted at the item level.

Conditions Governing Reproductions: Collection may not be photocopied. Please contact Research Staff or Archives Staff with questions.

Language:  English

Biographical and Historical Note:  The Lancaster County Agricultural Fair was held annually starting in 1888 and was sponsored by the Lancaster County Agricultural Fair Association. The fair lasted for one week and was open to the public for four days.  For the first ten years the fair was held at McGrann’s Park.  In 1909, Lancaster County Agricultural Fair moved to the newly constructed Lancaster Fair Grounds.  The new fair complex consisted of fifty-five acres and contained 5,500 bleacher seats, cattle sheds for over 400 exhibits, 225 stables for racing and show horses, a poultry exhibition building for 3,000 exhibits, and two exhibit buildings for the horticulture, agriculture and fancy work exhibits.  The animals and exhibits were on display during the fair and there were rides, food stands and other amusements available for the public.  Fair entries were judged in one of eight fair departments: Cattle; Sheep and Swine; Horses, Ponies and Mules; Poultry, Pigeons and Pet Stock; Farm and Dairy Machinery, Implements, Carriages and Vehicles; Agriculture and Horticulture; Home and Dairy; and Ladies’ Fancy Work.  The Cattle Department had three different classes of dairy breeds, beef breeds and overall.  The Sheep and Swine Department was split in two classes between the sheep and the swine and each class held many divisions for breed classifications. The Department of Horses, Ponies and Mules was split between show animals and work animals used for pulling carts and machinery.  Poultry, Pigeons and Pet Stock were judged as one category winning gold, silver, bronze and runner up medals.  Items used for farming and dairy divided the fifth department and then carriages and vehicles shared their own category. The Department of Agriculture and Horticulture was split into many different categories including grains, seed and flour; wheat; vegetables; potatoes; tobacco; apples; pear, plums and quinces; peaches; grapes; fall strawberries; nuts; wines, cider, etc.; flowers; floral designs; and the boy’s corn growing contest.  The categories of the Home and Dairy Department are bread and butter; cakes and pies; preserves and pickles; confections; and soaps and hams.  The final department, Ladies’ Fancy Work, included craft work such as knitting, crochet work, infant’s clothing, lace and tatting work, Irish crochet, embroidery, cross stitch, silk embroidery, outline embroidery, punch work, drawn work, stencil work, beadwork, raffia work and the juvenile department. The annual Lancaster County Agricultural Fair’s last year was in 1933.

Source of Acquisition:  Unknown unless otherwise specified at the item level.

Accruals:  No further accruals are expected.

Preferred Citation:  Farmers’ Fair Collection (MG-146), Box #, Folder #, LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pa.

Processing History:  Collection was processed and finding aid prepared in 1998; the scrapbook was cataloged by CB, 2007-2008. This collection has been documented, preserved and managed according to professional museum and archives standards. The collection was cataloged using DACS conventions.

Note:  Lancaster County Agricultural Fairs scrapbook was cataloged and preserved with funding from the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, 2007-2008. ME60112.

 

Folder 1  Premium Lists-Lancaster Fair

Premium list, Farmers’ Lancaster County Agricultural Fair at Lancaster. September 17-22, 1888. Entry categories and prizes, many advertisements. Printed by The New Era Steam Book Print, Lancaster.

Premium list, Farmers’ Lancaster County Agricultural Fair at Lancaster. September 9-14, 1889. Entry categories and prizes, many advertisements. Printed by The New Era Steam Book Print., Lancaster.

Insert 1  Items from the 1889 premium book.

Premium card for horse speed trials, Lancaster Fair Association. 1889.

Flier for the Lancaster County Fair advertising attractions. (poor condition, incomplete. Please use photocopy.)

Insert 2  Premium list, Grand Fair at Lancaster. September 9-12, 1890. Entry categories and prizes. Printed by Lancaster Intelligencer Printing.

 

Folder 2  Premium Lists-Lancaster Fair

Premium list, Great Lancaster Fair at Lancaster. October 12-15, 1909. 80 pages. Entry categories and prizes, many advertisements. Printed by Herald Printing Co., Mount Joy. (copy 1).

Premium list of the Great Lancaster Fair at Lancaster. September 27-30, 1910. 126 pages. Entry categories and prizes and some advertisements. Airship photograph on cover, printed by the Commercial Printing House, Lancaster. (copy 1)

Insert 1  1909 Lancaster Fair entry form (copy 1).

Insert 2  1909 Lancaster Fair premium list (copy 2).

1909 Lancaster Fair entry form (copy 2).

Insert 3  1910 Lancaster Fair entry blank. (copy 1)

Insert 4  1910 Lancaster Fair premium list. (copy 2)

1910 Lancaster Fair Entry Blank. (copy 2)

 

Folder 3  Premium Lists-Lancaster Fair

Premium list, Great Lancaster Fair, Lancaster. September 26-29, 1911. 138 pages. Entry categories and prizes, some advertisements.  Photographs of grandstand, exhibition building, airplane, and fair crowd scene. Printed by the Commercial Printing House, Lancaster.

Premium list, The Great Lancaster Fair, Lancaster. October 1-4, 1912. 132 pages. Entry categories and prizes, many advertisements.

Insert 1  1911 Lancaster Fair entry blank.

 

Folder 4  Premium Lists-Lancaster Fair

Premium, rules, and regulations of the 5th Annual Great Lancaster Fair, Lancaster. September 30 and October 1-3, 1913. 128 pages. Entry categories and prizes, many advertisements. Printed by the New Era Printing Co.

Premium list, rules, and regulations of the 6th Annual Lancaster Fair, Lancaster. September 29-30 and October 1-2, 1914. 112 pages. Entry categories and prizes, many advertisements.

Premium list, rules, and regulations for the Eighth Annual Lancaster Fair, Lancaster. September 26-29, 1916. 112 pages. Entry categories and prizes, many advertisements. Printed by the Conestoga Publishing Company, Lancaster.

Insert 1  1914 Lancaster Fair entry blank.

Insert 2  1916 Lancaster Fair entry blank.

 

Folder 5  Premium Lists-Lancaster Fair

Premium list of the Lancaster Fair, Lancaster. September 30 and October 1-3, 1919. 96 pages. Entry categories and prizes. Many advertisements.

Premium list of the Lancaster Fair, Lancaster. September 28-30 and October 1, 1920. 96 pages. Entry categories and prizes. Many advertisements. Printed by Conestoga Publishing Company, Lancaster.

Premium list of the Lancaster Fair, Lancaster. September 27-30, 1921. 96 pages. Entry categories and prizes, many advertisements. Some photographs of fair acts. Printed by Commercial Printing House, Lancaster.

Premium list of the Lancaster Fair, Lancaster. September 26-30, 1922. 96 pages. Entry categories and prizes, many advertisements. Some photographs of fair acts. Printed by Conestoga Publishing Company, Lancaster.

Insert 1  1919 Lancaster Fair entry blank.

Insert 2  1920 Lancaster Fair entry blank.

Insert 3  1921 Lancaster Fair entry blank.

Insert 4  1922 Lancaster Fair entry blank.

 

Folder 6  Premium Lists-Lancaster Fair

Premium list for the Lancaster Fair, Lancaster. September 25-28, 1923. Entry categories and prizes, many advertisements. Some photographs of fair acts.

Premium list for the Lancaster Fair, Lancaster. September 30 and October 1-3, 1924. Entry categories and prizes, many advertisements. Some photographs of fair acts.

Premium list for the Lancaster Fair, Lancaster. September 29-30 and October 1-3, 1925. Entry categories and prizes, many advertisements. Some photographs of fair acts. Conestoga Publishing Co., Inc., Lancaster.

Premium list for the Lancaster Fair, Lancaster. August 24-28, 1926. Entry categories and prizes, many advertisements. Some photographs of fair acts.

Insert 1  1924 Lancaster Fair entry blank.

Insert 2  1925 Lancaster Fair entry blank.

Insert 3  1926 Lancaster Fair entry blank.

 

Folder 7  Premium Lists-New Holland and Southern Lancaster County

Premium list and program for the New Holland Farmers’ Fair. September 30 and October 1-3, 1959. 128 pages. Entry categories and prizes, many advertisements, some photographs.

Premium list and program for the 24th Southern Lancaster County Community Fair, Quarryville. September 19-21, 1973. 184 pages. Entry categories and prizes, many advertisements, lists of supporters.

Insert 1  Ticket for the Black Barren Fair. September 9, 1921.

 

Folder 8

Insert 1  Flier promoting daily aeroplane flights at the Lancaster Fair, September 26-29, 1911. Illustration of airplanes in flight over fairgrounds.

Insert 2  Capital Stock Certificate issued by the Lancaster County Agricultural Fair Assoc. to J. D. Hostetter. Dated April 29, 1912. Signed by J. F. Seldomridge, Secretary, and Allan A. Herr, Vice-President.

Capital Stock Certificate issued by the Lancaster County Agricultural Fair Association to J. D. Hostetter. Dated March 28, 1913. Signed by J. F. Seldomridge, Secretary, and Allan A. Herr, Vice-President.

Proxy form for the annual meeting of stockholders of the Lancaster County Agricultural Fair Association. 192_.

Insert 3  Flier advertising Lancaster Fair advanced ticket sales, closing date September 16, 1922.  Sale conducted by Raysold Sales Co., 36-38 N. Mary St., Lancaster.

 

Folder 9  Scrapbook for the Lancaster Fair, 1909-1916

Fliers, tickets, permits, letters to teachers, photograph, tags, and entry blanks for 1909-1911. Auditors report and letter to stockholders for 1916. Photograph of grandstand transferred to the Photograph Collection, 30 September 2016.

 

Folder 10  Independent State Fair Journal

Devoted to the Lancaster Fair, September 17-21, [1883]. (Original in poor condition, please use photocopy)

 

Folder 11  Pamphlets, Pass, and Program

Insert 1  Pamphlets for the Lancaster County Agricultural Fair Association. No date.

Insert 2  Complimentary pass for the Great Lancaster Fair. 1910.

Insert 3  Official program for the Lancaster Fair. September 27-30, 1910. Schedule of horse races, map of track, and many advertisements.

 

Folder 12  Reprint of handbill for the Neffsville Fair from 26 August 1836. Printed in The Lititz Record, August 1876. Copied by Herbert H. Beck, 12 February 1949.

Scrapbook  Lancaster County Agricultural Fairs, 1909-1914. Gift of I. C. Arnold, May 1947.

Contains a variety of information pertaining to the Lancaster County Agricultural Fair. There are copies of letters that I. C. Arnold typed and sent out to notify the public about the annual fair, including letters to teachers and businesses. Photographs are scattered within the book. The book is also filled with admission tickets, stand-holder tickets, and exhibitor tickets. There are several pages that show the layout of the fairgrounds and where different exhibits and rides were located. An item of interest is a facsimile of a confederate fifty-dollar bill.