Outagamie County, WI - "Agriculture, Industry Join Forces in 1891" ************************************************************* USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. http://www.usgwarchives.net ************************************************************* Contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives Subject: newspaper article "Agriculture, Industry Join Forces in 1891" Submitted by: county coordinator EMAIL: jmmarasch@aol.com Date Submitted: 15 March 2000 Source: New London Press newspaper article from Bicentennial issue, undated. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Agriculture, Industry Join Forces in 1891 On June 10, 1891, a group of New London business men formed the New London Agricultural and Industrial Association - a stock association for the purpose of promoting Agricultural, Household and Mechanical Arts mainly a Fair organization. The group had a capital stock of $3,000. which was issued to its members in shares of $10. each, and was transferable and non-assessable. Charter members were J.H. Cannon, E.H. Ramm, A.J. Meiklejohn, R.E. Johnson, Ira Millard, Sr., August Roloff, C.P. Millerd, John Hickey, W.B. Williams, G.E. Lutsey, C.E. Dickinson, Bernard Miller, C.R. Strickland, Fred Radkey, W.M. Hanson and C.H. Nordham. According to an 80-page booklet dated Sept. 18 - 21, 1894, (loaned by Mrs. Kenneth Hanaman) a fair was held on Hwy 54, just beyond the viaduct on the now Thern farm. Exhibits at the Fair were limited to Outagamie, Shawano and Waupaca counties. Fairs today start so early in the season, garden produce displays are scarce. Only two prizes were awarded for each category, a blue ribbon for first, and a red ribbon for second - hay, straw and water were furnished free, and no animals were allowed to run at large on the grounds. Emil Gehrke said the Manawa band marched from the Elwood to the N.L. fair grounds when he was a kid. Rates of admission were one person, 35 cents; one team, 25 cents; child under 12, 15 cents. Season tickets for adults sold for $1; team and carriage 50 cents. Trotting and Pacing races were the chief attractions, held in mild heats, best three in five, in harness. Entrance fees to all races were 5 percent of the purse, and 5 percent additional to winners. Wednesday's show had a Green Race, trotting, with a purse of $75.; and 2:45 Trotting & Pacing purse was $200. - Thursday's attraction was 2:30 Trot & Pace, purse $250.; and Free for All Pace, brought $350. - Friday's purse was $150. - for 300 Trotting; and $450. for 2: 10 Trot. One-mile bicycle race, limited to New London wheelmen only, on Wednesday, offered medals as prizes; and a three mile bicycle race for Waupaca county bicyclists featured a championship medal. Exhibitions and Premiums back in 1894 were many. The horse divison featured roadsters, stallions, mares & foals, geldings, fillies, matched pairs, farm or general purpose horses, and draft horse. Percherons & Normans and other French draft horses, Clydesdales, English Shire and other draft breeds warranted many premiums, with two for a sweepstakes class. The cattle division offered thoroughbred shorthorns, Jerseys, Ayrshires, Devons, Holstein, Herefords, Red Polled, Galloways, Natives & Grades, with prizes in sweepstakes, any breed, for best bull, cow or calf. Sheep classed were American Merino, Shropshire and Southdowns, Lincolns and other long wools, while swine listed were large breed including Poland, China, Chester White, Jersey Red and middle-bred Berkshires, Cheshires, Cumberlands, Yorkshires and Victorias. Poultry listed were Asiastics, Brahma, Cochin, Plymoth Rock, Dorkins, Langshan, Spanish Black, Brown &White, French Houdon, Polish Black & White, miscellaneous Wyandottes, Game, Bantam, Bolton, along with turkeys, geese, ducks, Guina, doves, rabbits and tame birds. Grains listed were winter and spring wheat (Rio Grande and Fife), winter and spring rye, oats, (Russian, Belgium and common), barley (white, and yellow Dent, also Flint), early sweet corn, evergreen corn, popcorn, buckwheat, flax seed, field peas, navy beans, clover seed and Timothy seed. Vegetables included potatoes, all varieties (Early Rose, Snowflake, Burbank, Beauty and Hebron), sweet potatoes, onions (white and yellow), beets, turnips, parsnips, carrots, mangles, salsify, radishes, egg plants, red peppers, cabbages, cauliflower, celery, tomatoes, squash, water and muskmellons, citron, pumpkins, gourds and leaks. Fruit display included many varieties of apples, winter, summer, fall seedlings, crab, transparent, Duchess, Switzer, Famuse, McManns, Plum Cider, Princess Sweet, Ben Davis, Talmon Sweet, Golden Russet, Alexander, Briar Sweet, Hass, Wolf River, Pewaukee, Woolridge, Whitner, Grant, Wealthy and Greening. Fruits included pears, plums and Concord, Warden, Moore, Rogers, Agawam, Wilder, Salem, Delaware, Brighton, Martha, Niagara, Empire, Pocklinton, Tetofsky grapes. Floral displays included dahlias, asters, pansies, verbena, petunias, geraniums, fuchias, phlox, everlasting roses, calla, cactus, with prizes for largest variety cut f lowers; flat bouquets, hanging baskets, floral designs, funeral designs, fernery and aquarium. Dairy and household items included home-made and dairy and creamery butters, factory cheese, pickled cukes, peaches, mixed pickles, cauliflower, onions, pears, apples, tomato catsup and chili sauce. There were jellies and jams - raspberry, blackberry, raspberry, currant, crabapple, grape, plus canned raspberries, strawberries, currants, gooseberries, plums' cherries, tomatoes, grapes, crabapples, peaches, blackberries. Breads included hop yeast; salt yeast; corn, rye, graham and cake. - There were prizes for maple and amber syrup; extract and sample honey; vinegar of maple syrup, plus any other kind - also soft and hard home-made soap. In the manufacturing division, diplomas were given for a sample brick, drain tile, earthenware, reaper mower, chilled or steel plow, cultivator, seeder, fanning mill, iron or steel wire. Stoves featured were wood-cooking or range for families, and ornamental parlor stoves. There were horseshoes in variety, exhibitions of guns, refrigerators, collection of glass, china and earthenware - carriages, double and double top, single top and single open buggy, double and single harness, trotting wagon, phaeton, double and single sleigh, common farm wagon, 3 springs and 3 seat wagon, - marble and granite work. Fancy work displays were many, including embroidery, crocheting, knitting, hemstitching, darning, drawnwork, needlepoint, Honitan lace, and patchwork quilts. The art section included oils in landscapes, flower pieces, marine paintings, plaques, -panel, Kensington, on cloth, steel, tile or slate or glass paintings were in water colors, India Ink, crayons, pencil, photographs, works in hair, moss, stone, feather, shell, straw, wax, rustic, taxidermist, agriculture and wreath tissue paper flowers. The children's department (under 15 years old) included worsted or cotton sewing, patchwork quilt, plain sewing, darning, pencil drawings, map of Wisconsin, writing, oil painting, scroll sawing, carving in wood, model of building, Botanical collection, loaf of hop or salt bread and sample of cake. Other Wisconsin Fairs in our vicinity in 1894 were held in Oshkosh, Green Bay, and Seymour also had its fair. The Outagamie fair was held at Hortonville, and the Waupaca County at Weyauwega.