The Edwards County Fair was, and still is, a very big deal. It was probably a bigger deal back in the 1800’s. This fair was bigger than the combination of the Anderson Free Fair and the Madison County Fair in Alexandria when I was young. The Free Fair had rides (not in the 1800’s). My dad, Jerry Dixon, only offered us the chance to go with him one night each year to see the harness racing. Maybe one real amusement ride, but no guarantee. The costs of enjoying the amusement rides was way too high from the Dixon perspective.
I always wondered why my dad had any interest at all in the harness racing. Now I know it was in his blood. There is no evidence yet that his ancestors raced or owned racehorses, but they surely went to the fair. Harness racing was very big in Albion (and probably all of rural America) in the 1880’s. Several of the wealthier folks bought and sold horses used for racing.
Bigger entertainment acts were scheduled during the fair, although they performed in the Opera Hall, which had events throughout the year. Bands were big.
There were literally hundreds of award categories for Best of Show in everything under the sun, from each subspecies of animal to the tiniest segment of flower decorating. The Dixon name never appears in the hundreds of winners that are published each year after the fair. And another difference is that there did not appear to be prizes specifically for the kids like the 4-H program awards at a modern county fair.
The railroads provided special trains, at large discounts, for riders from folks in surrounding towns to come to the fair. I’m not sure if the local fair committee subsidized the railroads or if they recognized a chance to make some money on the spike in volume. This was done for all nearby fairs. Nearby meaning every sizable town between Cincinnati and St. Louis. These towns would advertise their fairs in The Albion Journal also. The first Edwards County Fair, according to the October 1887 issue, was in 1856.
Weather was a critical factor. A large production like the county fair could lose large bucks if the weather turned sour for the three day period. I did see one nearby fair that was bailed out by a wealthy individual after one such weather disaster. The Edwards County Fair was seemingly well run and they seemed to break even or add to the kitty each year.
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