September 8, 1921, Colfax Messenger: Two-day Fair is a Grand Success
Compiled by LeAnn R. Ralph
COLFAX — The Colfax Free Fair will be celebrating its 100th anniversary next year in June of 2019.
Members of the Colfax Fair Board say they do not know why 1919 was selected as the inaugural year of a fair in Colfax.
The year 1919 may have been selected as the “first” year of the fair because it appears 1919 was the first time premiums were awarded for fair exhibits. In 1916, the Colfax Messenger reported prizes would be awarded. By 1919, the Messenger reported “premiums.”
The earliest mention of a fair in Colfax was in 1914 in the Colfax Messenger in the September 12, 1914, issue: “Civic League Fair — At the close of the fair, a picture show will be held in the Opera House at 8 o’clock p.m.”
In the September 25, 1915, edition, the Messenger declared the Civic League Fair will be held on Main Street.
In the September 8, 1916, Colfax Messenger, the Civic League Fair was held in the brand new Colfax Municipal Building: “Civic League Fair, Saturday, September 30, 1916, Colfax, Wis. For all children under 16 years of age in, and within a radius of 10 miles of Colfax. First prize will be 50 cents, second prize will be 25 cents, on fancy work, children’s hand-made garment, children’s cooking, children’s poultry, boys carpenter work, children’s flowers, potted plants, vegetables. Any person over 16 years of age is requested to bring any of the above named articles for exhibit. No cash prizes will be awarded but will receive the blue and red tags. Each and every farmer is requested to bring exhibits of farm products and help make this fair a success.”
Notice
In the Thursday, September 11, 1919, Colfax Messenger, a notice was published about the fair:
Civic League Fair, Saturday, September 20, 1919. Basement Municipal Building.
Stupendous exhibition of marvelous exhibits. Fish Pond. Piscatorial surprises [related to fishing].
Bring your exhibits early and try for the big prize. Prize list published later. Watch for it.
Management would appreciate contributions of cream, cake, doughnuts or sandwiches.
Special lunch at noon.
Refreshments all afternoon.
Come one, come all
Parents bring your children. Children bring your parents.
Admission ten cents.
Premium list
In the September 18, 1919, Messenger, a premium list was published.
All children under 16 years of age within a radius of ten miles of Colfax may compete for premiums. A cash premium of fifty cents for first prizes and twenty-five cents for second prize will be given on everything except the best Patching, Darning, Knitted Mittens, and one-half dozen Button Holes, which will be seventy-five cents for the first prize and fifty cents for the second prize.
The Fancy Work and Cooking will be divided into two classes. Class 1 for all boys and girls up to and including twelve years of age. Class 2 for all boys and girls over 12 years of age and up to sixteen years of age.
In addition to the above prizes, a prize of One Dollar will be given the girls, also the boy having the best and most varied individual display of vegetables.
For the grown ups:
Premiums — not cash — will be awarded to any competitor over sixteen years of age, entering the best articles in either or both, the Cooking and Fancy Work departments. This includes canned goods. Will also award premiums, not cash, for the best and most varied individual display of vegetables. We urge every housewife and every gardener to take an active interest in this display and help to make our fair a big success this year.
Fancy Work: ½ yard or more Crochet Lace; ½ yard or more of Tatted Lace; embroidered doily; doily, linen center, crochet lace; towel with cross stitch; fancy apron; kitchen apron; child’s petticoat; best patching; best darning; best knitted mittens; Best ½ doz. Button holes; night gowns; corset covers; bound button holes.
Potted plants: geraniums; foliage; ferns; fuchsia.
Carpentry: fern stand; hall tree; book end; screens; bow and arrows.
Cooking: white bread; graham bread; nut bread; light cake; dark cake; light cookies; dark cookies; pies; doughnuts; buns.
Vegetables: potatoes; tomatoes; onions; carrots; cabbage; squash; pie pumpkin; field pumpkin; sweet corn; field corn; pop corn; beets; sun flowers.
Flowers: pansies; pinks; petunias; gladiolas; asters; dahlias.
Two-day fair
In 1921, Colfax had the first fair with animal exhibits at what is now the Colfax Fairgrounds.
In the Thursday, September 8, 1921, Colfax Messenger, it was reported: “Two-day Fair is a Grand Success — Attendance and Number of Exhibits Exceeded Expectations — Stock Show Was Fine.
“The Community and Civic League Fair held on Friday and Saturday of last week surpassed all expectations, both in attendance and the number of exhibits. Saturday proved the big day, the streets being lined with autos all day and till late at night. Additional ‘pep’ was given in the discourse of music by a Menomonie band.
“Those who were active in promoting the fair feel well repaid for their efforts and are stimulated with sufficient courage to make the affair ‘ bigger and better’ next year. The prediction has been made by several that Colfax will eventually have a fair to be proud of — thanks to the efforts of the Woman’s Club.
“The stock exhibit, the new feature added this year, proved a big attraction and demonstrated that most of the farmers in this locality are behind this movement to encourage the raising of pure bred stock. These exhibits were shown at the S.A.F. Park pavilion, and a credible lot they were. There were fifty head of cattle, twenty hogs and twenty pens of poultry.”
[S.A.F. was the Scandinavian American Fraternity.]
“Owing to the work involved in getting up the list of awards, it is impossible to get the same in time to publish in this week’s issue of the Messenger.
“The beautiful loving cup, offered by the Bank of Colfax, for the best pure bred Ayrshire cow, was awarded to Herman Schroeder, residing on Route 3, south-west of the village on the Menomonie road. “To say that Mr. Schroeder was pleased with the prize is expressing it too mildly.
“Who gets the pig? That’s the question. In the drawing Saturday evening, No. 891 was designated as the lucky number. However, up to the present time, the holder of the coupon bearing that number has failed to put in an appearance.
“This year’s exhibits at the Municipal building were more numerous and better than ever before. There were fine exhibits of fancy work, canned goods, flowers, cooking, vegetables, grains and apples. In the foregoing, it will be impossible to publish a list of the prize winners this week.
“Saturday afternoon, considerable time was devoted to sports for the young people, such as running races, pole-vaulting and other contests in which boys and girls competed. Some of the contests were staged on the lawn adjoining the municipal building. Suitable cash prizes were given, bringing forth quite a rivalry in the various contests.
“A pleasing feature of the afternoon was the entertainment by a number of little girls, picked and drilled by Miss Lucile Prucia. These little girls proved very clever in their marches and songs and were generously applauded.
“During the early evening, a band concert was given at the Noer Drug store corner, ending at 8 o’clock. After that it was a choice of attending the movies or joining in the carnival frolic. Both of these attractions drew largely. Main street was thronged till late in the evening. Many were in costume, prizes having been offered for the prettiest costume, lady and gent, also for the most comic, lady and gent. The shower of confetti made the street look as if a miniature blizzard had struck the town.
“At the children’s health conference in connection with the fair, babies under one year of age were weighed and measured and given a physical examination of heart, lungs, teeth, nose and throat. Thirty-six older children were weighed and measured and teeth and throat examined.
“This was done to show their physical condition and indicate points at which their health and vigor might be improved. Drs. Larsen and Cooper, with Miss Diedrickson, Red Cross nurse, and Miss Ethel Adams, domestic science teacher, did this work for the children free of charge.
“The prizes offered by the Woman’s Club went to two babies whose records were perfect: Alfon Edwards, son of Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Edwards, and Tom Hill, son of Mr. and Mrs. E.E. Hill. Seven babies where records were so near perfect that they were entitled to a blue ribbon were the following: Deloris Scott, Ivan Dale Gregory, Doris Selmyhr, Alfred Loftsgaard, Alarice Christianson, Carvoll Amble and Norman Benson.”
Premiums
The September 22, 1921, issue of the Colfax Messenger lists all of the premium awards from the Colfax Fair on September 2 and 3, 1921.
The premium awards take up nearly two full-length columns on the front page and include many “local” names still known in the area — Hill, Freestone, Ferry, Viets, Hanson, Running, Martin, Rublee, Bergeson, Larson, Peterson, Toycen, Mattison, Pooler, Nelson, Braaten, Simonson, Beyrer.