Highlights Archives
Collection Documents State Fair History
Cream puffs, blue-ribbon Holsteins, ferris wheels, Alice in Dairyland — and many other things that have made the Wisconsin State Fair so special — are documented in a huge collection of historical records now available for research at the Wisconsin Historical Society. The Society's archives has held these records for years, but only recently have archivists been able to process the collection and prepare a detailed inventory to make it easy for researchers to use.
The State Fair records at the Historical Society date from 1938 through 1969, and they fully document the development of the modern Wisconsin State Fair. The existence of earlier records is unknown, although the period from 1852, when the first Wisconsin State Fair was held in Janesville, through 1892, when the state took over fair management, is documented in printed reports available in the Historical Society library.
The records document the promotion of Wisconsin agriculture through horticultural and animal competitions, awards of special premiums by animal breed associations, selection of judges, and dealings with the state Department of Agriculture. Of special note is the promotion of the dairy industry through the development of the Alice in Dairyland program beginning in 1948.
Other records detail planning for attractions such as automobile, horse and motorcycle races; circus performances; stage shows; amusement rides; and celebrity appearances by the likes of Roy Rogers and Lawrence Welk. The records also trace development of special programs such as the Junior Fair, the 1948 centennial of Wisconsin statehood, the Century Farm program, and efforts such as spring flower shows to make year-round use of fairground facilities. The collection also documents such routine activities as fair publicity, interaction with civic groups in Milwaukee and West Allis, and the maintenance and construction of buildings and exhibits.
The general administrative records are catalogued as Series 757, the public relations files are catalogued as Series 2049, and the photographs are PH 4072.
:: Posted August 7, 2005
|
