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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1964-09-10, Page 11• • • 1 1 - r • • o ii • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • n .Eve of 119th Fair By MRS. JOSEPH GRUMMETT The Seaforth Agricultural So- ciety this year will holds its 119th annual successive fall fair, having been organized in 1845. This fact is. based on infor- mation regarding agricultural societies in Huron County, tak- en from Transactions of the Board of Agriculture of Upper Canada, 1857, and from a re- port by Thomas McQueen, of Goderich: were not charged for their space and included classes for ensil- age cutter, wagons, top and op- en buggies, iron beam plow, stubble plow, sub -soil plow, dou- ble mould plow, gang plow, horse hoe, two -horse cultivator, "There are at present six branch societies in Huron Coun- ty, namely: Clinton, Harpurhey, Stanley, Hay, Exeter and Bruce- field; one in Usborne and one in McGillvary Townships. The oldest of these is Harpurhey, which was established in 1845, and includes the northeast side of Tuckersmith, part of Hullett and the Township of McKillop. It has about 100 members and is prospering." To Present Site in 1902 • Although the Seaforth fall fair has had several locations, it has been held at the present site since 1902. The first fair using the new grounds and buildings in 1902 was held September 25 and 26. Exclusive of the cover, the ,prize list of that year had only eight pages, and the event was named "The Fall Fair of the Tuckersmith Branch. Agricultur- al Society," still retaining the name from two previous loca- tions, namely, Tuckersmith Township. The admission charg- • ed was: non-members, 25 cents; ladies arid children, 10 cents; carria es, 25 cents. Theers and directors in 1902 were: President, D. D. Wilson; vice-president, George Sills; secretary -treasurer, T. E. Hays; auditors,' Andrew Young and W. Somerville, all . being residents of the Town of Sea - forth; directors: Seaforth, Geo. Chesney, Mike Broderick; Mc- Killop, James Evans, J. M. Gov- enlock; Hullett, John. Dale, C. McGregor; Tuckersmith, John Dale and William Chesney. Hon- orary directors were: James Dick, William Archibald, J. G. Grieve, William McIntosh, John Britton, R. Anderson, G. E. Cresswell and Robert Charters. The prize list of 62 years ago listed classes for heavy draught, agricultural, general purpose, carriage and roadster horses, with. $2 and $3. offered as first prizes for single horses and $4 for teams. A general purpose horse was described as one suit- able for wagon, carriage, buggy, saddle or plow. Feature Cattle, Sheep Cattle classes were for thor- oughbred Durham, grades, but- chers' cattle, Ayrshire, Jersey, Polled Angus and Hereford. • A class for sheep: was includ- ed in the sheep listings, and three "classes of pigs—York- shire, Berkshire and Tamworth, with the notation that all hogs must be unloaded from the wage s and placed in 'pens. Exitors of implements MRS. JOSEPH GRUMMETT, president of the Women's Section. of the Ontario As- sociation of . Fairs and Ex- hibits;, has been an active worker in the Seaforth Agri cultural Society. Grandstands Fall To Fire And Old Age Fairgoers this year will be able to watch proceedings with- out the doubts and fears that in recent, years accompanied •occupancy of the frame grand- stand that for nearly 50 years has been a landmark at Agricul- tural Park. The frame struc- ture has disappeared and in its place are movable steel stands which directors have built dur- ing the summer. The wooden stand., torn down this, Year in the interests of safety, was built in 1915 to re- place an earlier building de- stroyed by fire in June of that year. The Expositor of July 2,. 1915, describes the fire: "The large covered grandstand at the race track was complete- ly destroyed by fire on Monday afternoon last, June 28, together with considerable fencing along the track. The wooden stand burned like tinder, and its quick collapse was all that saved the agricultural hall, immediately to the rear of it. Considering the distance and the fact that they had to lay .2,200 feet of hose, the firemen • made a re- cord run, but the fire had made such headway that the. stand was all ablaze before .an alarm was turned in, and is a • com- plete loss. The loss will 'be a heavy one to the Turf Associa- tion, and doubly so, coming on- ly two days before the annual race meet." pair of iron harrows, land roll- er, horse hay rake, turnip seed drill, turnip cutter, tread power, farm furnace, windmill and wooden pump, with Prise mon- ey of $2 and $1 offered -for wooden pump only. The dairy produce class call- ed for 25 pounds of butter in crock tub, and five pounds of table butter. There were class- es for factory -made cheese, 50 pounds or more, and for pri- vately made cheese, 15 pounds or more; as well as a class for homemade wine. Domestic manufactures listed were: 10 yards of domestic cloth and 10 yards of flannel cloth, and lindsay woolsey, woollen homemade quilts, home- made blankets, woollen yarn homespun; factory -made quilts, tweeds, flannels and blankets, single and double team harness, ladies' and gents' boots, cooper work (barrels), tin and marble work, set of parlor and bed- room furniture, collection of musical instruments; barrels of salt, flour and oatmeal; collec- tions of hams and bacon sides; collections of pottery, brick and tile; best assortment of sashes and doors, and assortment of leather and leather products. • a laneway for farmers, the re- mainder. having been incorpor- ated into farm land. The second known location in the area was where the Seaforth Public School now stands, and which was then a part of Tuck- ersmith Township. This area boasted a quarter -mile oval track, as grandstand and a large show building and a ticket of- fice, where Neil Bell's Shell service station now stands. The whole area was surrounded by a high board fence. Around the turn of the cen- tury, the exhibits' building at the Harpurhey location burned down under mysterious circum- stances, and the remaining structures were torn down and the area abandoned. The old ticket office was moved to the present location and used until about 10 years .ago. Operate I/4 -Mile' Track At the time the quarter -mile oval was in use in Harpurhey, the Turf Club operated a ,half - mile track on the Lapslie farm, just north of the town on the second field back from the road. This farm is now owned by Gordon Elliott. Following the abandoning of the Tuckersmith fair grounds,. the Agricultural Society bought land from William Duggan, on which was built the present roundhouse. this two-storey building; still in use,. is unique constructed,, being eight -sided with a dormer in each of the (Continued on Page, 12) Made in Seaforth The aforementioned articles were all manufactured in and about the .town at that time. It is recalled that..,two early lo- cal liarnessmakers — Gillespie and Mike Broderick—were keen competitors ' in the harness classes for many years, and their, well -made brass -mounted harness was always a special attraction. Classes in , ladies' work in- cluded: netting; embroidery in silk, wool, cotton and linen; table scarf; mantel drape; wall panel; fancy screen (folding or for a fireplace); picture throw;, crazy patchwork quilt; wax flowers and fruit; wool or fea- ther flowers; gent's fine • shirt, both hand and machine made, and rag carpet. In June, 1915, the covered grandstand at the present site was destroyed by fire on a Monday, from an unknown cause; and a temporary stand was rushed to completion for races held that same weekend: This wooden structure has with- stood the elements of weather, until now -49 years later, it has been torn down and is be- ing replaced for the present by steel and wooden bleachers, large enough to seat 250 per- sons. First in Harpurhey The first known site for the fall fair, sponsored by the Tuck- ersmith Agricultural Society; as it was then known, was in Har- purhey, with Knox's Hall (on land later owned by Joe ` Grum- mett and now by Frank Kling) —just' east of the Harpurhey cemetery—being used as the show -house. Across the road, a dirt street was used as a half - mile straight race track. This track is now, in part, used as CO-OP' S ' RVES YOU . BEST! Genesee Seed Wheat Still Available at Your Co-op Seaforth Farmers Co-operative Welcomes You to the Sealorth Fair, September 24th & 25th Watch for the Opening of Our New Store ,i. i ROBERT FOTHERINGHAM, RR 3, Seaforth, been chosen to Huron on a soil use tour. who has represent and land Name 4-H Member for Soil Tour Robert Fotheringham, RR 3, Seaforth, will represent Huron County on the Junior Farmers Soil and Land Use Tour, which begins Monday and continues for four days. With an excel- lent 4-H record, he is a leader of the Tuckersmith 4-H Corn Club and is currently second vice-president of the Huron County Junior Farmers. He is well known for his ability to –$eafortli Fairliar-had–an- out= standing record of successful shows. One of the these—the 70th—held in 1915 during the midst of World War I, is re- ported in The Expositor of that day:, "The annual fall fair of the Seaforth Agricultural $ociety, held on their spacious grounds here on Thursday and Friday last, was by far the most suc- cessful show held in the coun- ty this year, and one of the best in the history of the so- ciety. win championships at district seed fairs and as a judge of field crop competitions. On this tour, visits will be made to the University of Guelph, Soils Science Depart- ment, Research Plots, Dufferin, South Simcoe, Grey and Bruce Counties. Professor Tom Lane, of the OAC Soils Department, and representatives of other College departments, will ac- company the group of Junior Farmers representing most of the counties and districts in Ontario. The' tour will stress soil con- servation, Jland use, crop pro- duction, livestock production, machinery utilization - --"The--weather early "-VOW morning looked a little ,ti rA:11V ening, but before . noon it was bright and warm and continued.; perfect fair weather for the, afternoon, consequently there' was a tremendous crowd` in. town, many coming long dis- tances by auto. "The fair this year, both., in the indoor and outdoor depart- ments, was a splendid success. The agricultural hall was taxed to its capacity by the number of exhibits and the splendid displays made by a, number of the town merchants. Among these were exhibits of stoves; etc., by Mr. G. A. Sills; wall paper by Messrs. T. G. Scott and James Graves; harness and leather display by M. Broderick; pianos and furniture by W. J. Walker & Son; and a fine dis- play of Columbia graphonolas and records from Beattie Bros.' Variety Store, the local agents. These two latter displays pro- vided excellent music and a pleasing and varied program, both on Thursday evening and Friday, that was greatly enjoy- ed by an evenchanging audi- ence: "A special feature this year was the exhibit of war shells of different sizes and , stages of ,P)aptifaCtirra,,4101 made by The. R4bg�t'` klze & . Th'esiierq,x.. Made a: hne display: as WOL,, an ate e1Y tprestfng gple, in fact they attracted 'aq xianv that it was almost ,impossible to get neat' etloligl `to thea;.ti properly examine them "The other indoor depart- ments, with the exception of _ + fruit, were a little better than the average and considering the year there was even a good dis- play of that. Roots and vege- tables were good and the dis- play of flowers and plants was the finest in 'years. The flee arts, including a splendid' des - play - of photographs from l ell's Photo Studio, ' were well repre- sented, while 'the ladies' Work, as always, attracted a large share of attention, "In the livestock there was a very fine display iii all classes of horses and cattle, the latter making one of the best exhibits in years, while the sheep and hog classes were well repres- ented. In poultry there was an exceptionally fine exhibit, the new poultry shed being entire- ly inadequate to hold the large entry. "The gate receipts amounted to $600.00." SEAFORTH, ONTARIO, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 1964 Second Section, Pages 9 to 16. Seaforth's 1 -Stop Food Market TOMATOKS RSOUP 12.TINS �1 1 o.oz. TOP VALU RICE 3 2.L8. GAGS CONDENSED EVAPORATED TOP VALU MILK %1°E TINS ROYAlr6 FLAVORS JELLY POWDERS 12 PKGS. ST. WILLIAMS., RASPBERRY JAM ARMOUR'STAR . CORNED BEEF STUART HOUSE — 12" WIDE ROLL FOILWRAP SAICO BLENDED. JUICE FRESH—GRADE 'A' OVEN READY GOV'T. INSPECTED `areaeel. MILD CURED 2. 2•.OZ. JARS 2. 'TINS TINS 3 RO2S-LLSPT. 2.6TI1SZ.O. SMOKED PICNICS 4. .N L 8-0Z, PKG. AJAX HEAVY DUTY DETERGENT " KINT CHOICE APRICOT HALVES 28.02. 4 3 C TIN FLEECY LB. NEW ARRIVAL — DAGGIES CRUSH INTERNATIONAL CANNED SOFT DRINKS •• NO MUSS • NO FUSS • NO DEPOSIT OR BOTTLE RETURNS In All Ye•i• Fm -:rite FI..grs 12 TENS $1.00 MONARCH, POUCH PACK IMMEED=11111 ORi>,NGE JUICEMTCAMVS 3 6.. 1.00 GREEN PEASD°v ° 6: ee 4 k:. 1.00 GREEN 8EANS0%.=""s:'..:4 P4ge. 1.00 RUPERT SU.VERDRIGHT 12.0.,d SALMON STEAKS Pkg. 59 UPERT RAINBOW TROUT Phg. 59 R BAKERY SPECIALS ESTON'S FRUIT BAR COOKIES Phg. 35 SHIRLEY GAY — SAVE H e Fa,ni1T c RAISIN PIE S1.e 39 JELLYGROLLABPDERRY P4g 45C SHI CREAMSHIRLEY ROLLODLATg F.eh 49a FRUITSHIRLEY GLOAFGP WET 1.0, 39° NON-FOOD FEATURES. GIANT FIVE CELL FLASHLIGHT COMPLETE WITH RATTERIES ONLY $1 O DAVID'S• NEW 'CANADA MIS' BISCUITS PKG. OF 100 CAKE MIXES PLASTIC CUT CRYSTAL • SUTTER DISH YOUR • NAPKIN HOLDER $ 00 • SUGAR ROWL CHOICE N, • Reg. • . CREAMER 59e ea PLASTIC CUT CRYSTAL TUMBLERS 6.„$'.Re ]9e ee PLASTIC CUT CRYSTAL 2 -QT. PITCHER RVLCREEM — IFREE COMB GEALI HAIRDRESSING - ADAC SPECIAL ENO FRUIT SALTS VAN KIRK OHOCOLATE - k OFF SPECIAL CHOCOLATE CHIPITS IGA TEA BAGS IGA ' MORN COFFEE e.REv OLNN CARAMEL WAFERS KELLOGG'S [A $1.00 TUBE 59c 69a PRD 27c 7. 69' ,S+O LD 81' —29' CANADA PACKERS SP. HALVES 59 COTTAGE ROLLS Le 0 WHYTE5 RINDLESS SIDE BACON L. WHYTE'S SLICED BOLOGNA WHYTE'S SKINLESS WIENERS LB4PKG. 1c 9c TABLEFRESH PRODUCE ONTARIO NO, 1 NEW CROP POTATOES SOAG 1.1 9/ `tel ONT NO L — FIRM CPISP HEAD LETTUC E ONT. NO, I — WASHED S,Lg CARROTS SAG 5 LARGE 1 7 HEAD CALIFORNIA SUNKIST LARGE 1.0 SIZE LEMONS ONT. NO GRIE1,N — FIRM CABBAGE HALF DOZEN 29` 2HADS29` IMPORTED —. ASSORTED VARIETIES HOLLAND BULBS L PkG 59c . CORN FLAKES 7 DELICIOUS FLAVORS FANCY PEAS s 9.OZ. PKGS. 16.0Z. PKGS. • r 1 S.OZ. TINS Your Food Dollar Buys MoreAf YourIGA Store!