- Agriculture - Janesville Sesquicentennial
-
- [Photograph of J. A. CRAIG]
-
- Craig is father of 4-H Fair here
- Born in the Depression years, the Rock County 4-H Fair has
a blue-ribbon history that can be
- traced through financial foreclosure, a grandstand fire and
World War.
- But through the thick and thin of it all, this veritable
institution has remained staunchly dedicated to
- the county's young people - ever since it was the first 4-H
fair in the nation Aug. 20-22, 1930.
- The first combined county and state fair was held in Janesville
in 1851. Eventually another county
- fair was held in Evansville and the two fairs struggled for
survival, with the Evansville fair going out of existence.
- Soon after World War I, many rural youth took part in joint
learning efforts through livestock, crop,
- poultry and home economics clubs. In addition, they studied
vocational agriculture in school and displayed their accomplishments
at the local fair.
- These were the simple beginnings of the 4-H movement in Rock
County, one of the pioneer
- counties in the nation as 4-H emerged.
- As early as 1919, 60 Rock County youths in the pig club,
sponsored by the Janesville Gazette,
- exhibited their animals at the fair.
- Encouraging such young people with boundless energy was J.
A. CRAIG, an industrialist,
- philanthropist and nationally known figure for his youth
work, who history records as "almost single- handedly founding
the 4-H fair."
- In the early years of the 4-H movement, CRAIG often
spent several nights a week traveling
- around the county to personally appear at budding 4-H groups
in kerosene-lighted rural schools. He talked to the groups and
encouraged the organizing efforts.
- In 1917, Rock County hired its first UW-Extension "county
agent" to carry on an agricultural
- education program and to serve the rural youth through 4-H
club work. L. A. MARKHAM was the first, soon followed
by Roy T. GLASSCO in 1919. With the help of the county
YMCA and the Rock County Farm Bureau, four countywide 4-H corn,
dairy calf, sheep and baby beef clubs were organized.
- In 1927, district 4-H clubs were set up in Evansville, Milton,
Clinton and Newark. In 1928, town-
- ship 4-H clubs were organized. That year, membership in county
4-H clubs was more than 700 boys and girls and both 4-Hers and
vocational high school students were active in exhibiting at
the local and state fairs. And, Rock County 4-H clubs represented
the largest county membership in the state.
- In April 1930, 4-Hers and youth leaders applied for membership
in the Rock County 4-H Club
- Livestock Association, which in turn was designated to sponsor
the fair. Officers were J. A. CRAIG, president; Mrs. Marcus
KELLOGG, vice-president; R. T. GLASSCO, secretary;
J. W. WISEMAN, treasurer; and directors J. I. GREEN,
Ralph RYE, Mrs. Walter GODFREY, Mrs. Hugh ROBINSON,
Charles DAMROW, Mrs. M. S. KELLOGG, J. W. WISEMAN
and J. R. WILKINSON. Together, they adopted a $1,870 budget
for the first 4-H fair with a $1,500 grant from the county board.
- With 4-H membership at 803, they exhibited calves, pigs,
sheep, chickens, canned goods, baked
- goods, sewing and other farm products. According to a pamphlet
published for the 50th anniversary of the fair, entertainment
was directed by Ethel WALKER and consisted of help from
the American Legion, the SCHWARTZLOW family from west
of Janesville, the KATTERHENRY family of Beloit, the Luther
Valley Orchestra and the Gravel Hill School District.
- The fair was free, but it cost 25 cents to sit at the grandstand,
which included programs of kitten-
- ball games, pony races and a milking contest. With a profit
of $459.64, the first fair was considered a success.
- But, the business slump of the 1930 Depression brought some
tough times for the fairgrounds.
- With debts of about $35,000, the courts finally ordered a
sheriff's foreclosure sale. Efforts were made to get money from
the county, but supervisors voted against it amid heated arguments.
- On Sept. 17, 1931, the fairgrounds were sold at a sheriff's
sale for $33,570, and the new owner-
- ship was in the hands of J. A. CRAIG and John McCANN.Then
in 1937, CRAIG made a gift of the fairgrounds property
as a permanent site for the show. For the first years after buying
the property of the old Janesville fair, CRAIG turned
the grounds over to the 4-H for its use and then relinquished
all control to a trustee.
- Though he received many honors in connection with his youth
work, he continued to work person-
- ally with local leaders over the years. Annually, he supplied
the funds from which 4-H clubs were rewarded for achievement.
For many years, CRAIG played host to all 4-H officials
and leaders in the county at an annual banquet.
- His activities in 4-H won for him many awards and citations.
In 1950, he was one of nine people
- in the nation to receive the highest 4-H adult award, presented
by the National 4-H Club in Washington D.C. In June 1955, he
was one of four from Wisconsin cities at a Madison banquet for
"outstanding service to young people through the 4-H program."
- In 1938, young boys playing under the grandstand accidentally
set it on fire. Eventually, Rock
- County bought more than 18 acres of land to qualify to get
Works Program Administration labor to rebuild and relocate the
entire fair on the parcel. All buildings, including the new brick
stock pavilion with the exception of the farm crops building,
had to be moved.
- During World War II, fair organizers wondered about holding
the event while the nation was at
- war. However, by including exhibits of War Garden Contests
and Victory Garden Canning Exhibits, an annual program was built
around the world crisis.
- In 1954, the fair's silver anniversary was observed with
the theme "A Tribute to Leadership." And,
- in 1979, the event's golden anniversary was marked with the
logo, "Past Learning For Future Living."
- Through the years, improvements have been made on the grounds
and changes have occurred to
- reflect the times.
- Today the Rock County 4-H fair still boasts it is the first,
the largest and the best youth fair in the
- nation. And, records prove they are one of the top three
fairs in participation, attendance and facilities offered in
the state, including the combined open class fairs.
- Much of the fair's success during its 56 years is attributed
to the leadership, the unpaid volunteers,
- the cooperation of the 4-H Fair and county boards and the
many community groups and businesses operating in Rock County
who have offered a hand to make the event successful.
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