Wyoming State Fair
An article in the June 29, 1920, issue of the Douglas Enterprise reads:
For the past 15 years, the annual state fair has been held in Douglas. The beautiful and well-kept fairgrounds are located on the edge of the city, and the Secretary of the Fair Commission is a resident and has offices on the fairgrounds.
To the outsider, it is evident there must be some reason for a state fair being held at one point for 15 years, and the erection of fine buildings on the grounds at an enormous expense.
There is a reason. Every man in Converse County can explain the question. In fact, every farmer in the state can tell you in a few words why, of all the cities in the state of Wyoming, Douglas was chosen as the home of the fairgrounds and for the holding of the annual exhibit of Wyoming products.
In the first place, Douglas is almost in the center of the state of Wyoming. This enables everyone in the state to visit the fair with the least expense.
Located on two main line railroads, Douglas offers rail facilities, which few other towns in the state can boast. These railroads each year offer rates to and from the state fair, thus enabling all to take advantage of the wonderful opportunity of visiting the exhibition grounds and seeing for themselves in what class Wyoming as an agricultural and livestock raising state belongs.
Douglas has an excellent highway leading into the city from every direction and connecting with all the main points in the state. The famous Yellowstone highway connects with Denver, Laramie, Cheyenne and Wheatland and offers visitors by motor from Evanston and the southern corner of state an excellent route along the Lincoln highway to the junction and then north on the beautiful Yellowstone highway.
From the east along the northwestern track bed, runs the Grant trail, famous and known through the state as one of the best kept and finest state highways. To the north comes the road from Newcastle, across the Cheyenne River and straight through.
This road at the present time is being worked to insure a large attendance from this section of the state and for other purposes, too. This route in Newcastle swings north through the Osage fields and draws the Sheridan County people over the good roads into the fair. Then to the northwest runs the Yellowstone highway, by way of which many from the Big Horn Basin can attend.
This year, the Board of State Fair Managers is arranging for free camping grounds. Anyone wishing to bring his own equipment will be assigned to a place on these grounds, and parties not having camp equipment will be furnished same at a nominal rate, provided the request is received by the secretary not later than Sept. 1. The grounds will be carefully policed day and night by trustworthy watchmen.
The excellent facilities of Douglas – hotels, restaurants and other places of comfort for the visitors, also, is considered and is one of the reasons why the fair is held in this section of the state.
The fair this year will be held Sept. 14-17. Held in the fall each year, it gives every farmer a chance to have his grain for exhibition on the ground with ample growth to make of it, a winner. Thus are the best grains of the country obtained and put on display, a crying slander to those who have said Wyoming could not become an agricultural center.
Annual exhibits of purebred livestock place the Wyoming State Fair in a class and on a par with any held in the nation. That Wyoming leads in the number of purebred animals is certain and exhibits of beautiful stock are to be seen.
Ever a source of enjoyment to young and old are the horse races which are held. Prize-winning horses from every section of the country, race strings of international note come to Douglas to try for some of the big purses which are offered.
An aeroplane circus this year will be attempted if plans now formulated by the Board of Managers carry. This will be a new thrill to many of the people of the state and will draw a large attendance from every corner of the state.
Graded stock, ever a source of keen pleasure to the stockmen and people of Wyoming will be in the gala day attire, slick and shining for the occasion. Gay, prancing horses, once the mainstay of the country for power, but now relegated to second place by the motor, will be at their best.
Cattle of every breed will be there to show their various merits to the visitors. Sheep of the kind that mean fortunes to their owners will prove Wyoming is still a sheep country.
In the beautiful agricultural building, a permanent structure of beauty to the city and the grounds, will be shown rare exhibits of almost everything attempted in Wyoming from first grade primmer work to hardy grains raised in the dry farming areas.
Prizes of substantial sums will be awarded for the winners of the exhibits.
Always a source of pride and anticipation, the Wyoming State Fair this year will by far eclipse anything before attempted in the line. Plan to leave the farm and come, September 14, 15, 16 and 17.
