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Source: 1879 History of Fulton County 

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Fulton County Agricultural Society 

Fulton County Fairground Association 

These two organizations are separate, yet closely allied to each other. The Fair Ground Association owns the grounds, while the Agricultural Society, or Board, conducts the fairs. Of the Agricultural Board, Inman Blakaby is President; C. A. Emry, Secretary; John R. Gardiner and S. S. Miller, General Superintendents, and James Donn, Superintendent of Floral Hall. Of the Fair Ground Association John A. Furry is President; J. R. Randolph, Secretary; H. J. Whitmore, Superintendent, and I. N. Leeper, Calvin Branson and L. F. Randolph, Directors. 

For the early history of the Fulton County Fairs we are indebted to Mr. Swan’s History of Canton. 

The first agricultural fair held in Fulton county was held at Canton, on the Hannan Farm, in the fall of 1852. At that time the Fulton County Agricultural Society had no existence. Some of the citizens of Canton determined to hold a fair on their own account. Meetings were accordingly held, ground selected, officers chosen, and all arrangements made. The county at large was invited to participate, and the result was quite a respectable exhibition. At this fair the Fulton County Agricultural Society was brought into existence. 

The second and several subsequent fairs were held first at Cuba, then at Lewistown, and at Vermont. 

In the fall of 1856, for the second time a fair was held at Canton—this time being the third annual fair of the Fulton County Agricultural Society. The fair ground on this occasion was located on South Main street, in what was then known as Wright’s pasture, near the Stroud place. This fair attracted a great crowd of people for that day, and was a complete success. No admittance fee was charged, and one enterprising politician improved the occasion to address the assembled multitude on political topics, much to the disgust of the party opposed to him in politics. A ladies equestrian display was the one memorable feature of the fair, and one of the fair riders, Miss Lydia Maria Attonetta Shepley, was thrown from her animal, but recovered her saddle almost instantly, without assistance, and before any of the gallants could reach her with their proffers of assistance, amid the cheers of the crowd. 

Between 1856 and 1866 the fairs of the Fulton County Agricultural Society had been held at Lewistown. These fairs had not been to any considerable extent successful, and in consequence the society was in a languishing condition. In 1866, the members of the Society, feeling a determination to make their fairs more successful, elected a new board of officers and voted to remove the fairs to Canton. 

The citizens of Canton at once took a deep and active interest in the Society, and set to work in the most praiseworthy manner to make the fairs not only successful, but to place them in the very front rank among the county fairs of the United States. A joint stock company was accordingly formed, which purchased twenty five acres of the Anderson farm, lying in the southeastern angle formed by the intersection of the branch of the C., B. & Q with the T., P. & W. Railroad. The site selected is on a high level prairie, commanding a view of a considerable portion of the city, and was a most admirable selection of ground for the purpose. This ground was purchased independent of the Society, but the grounds were donated to the Society free of rent for the term of ninety nine years. The citizens of Canton and vicinity now subscribed $5,000 for the purpose of fencing and the erection of the necessary buildings, stock stalls, etc. 

The Directors of the Society, recognizing the spirit of liberal enterprise thus manifested by the citizens of Canton, appointed an executive committee consisting of five persons, residents of Canton, to superintend the erection of buildings, fencing, and making all necessary arrangements for the fair. This committee consisted of Messrs. J. H. McCall, A. B. Hulit, A. C.Babcock, D. W.Vittum, Jr., and Townsend Atwater. It proceeded at once to business, and erected a large substantial and convenient hall, fifty by one hundred feet; an amphitheater capable of seating 1,000 persons, with booths for the sale of refreshments underneath; with all the necessary offices, stables, stock pens, a fine judges’ stand, and prepared a half mile track for exhibition purposes. 

The Society furnished $5,000, and the whole amount was judiciously expended in preparing these grounds. 

From the fair of this year (1866) $4,000 were realized, and thus the Society was placed upon a sound financial basis, and Canton fairs from that time began to be famous. 

In 1867 the Society realized $6,000 from its fair; in 1868, over $7,000; in 1869, nearly $9,000. In 1868 another amphitheater was added, with a large dining hall and kitchen attached; additional sheds for carriages, implements and tools were erected, and large additions made to the number of stalls and stock pens. In 1869 the number of entries had reached 2,300, and the fair was one of the most successful ever held by any county in the West; while that of 1870 was even more successful, being in close competition with the State fair. 

The Society got in debt largely and to overcome this a grand effort was put forth in 1871. Everything was bright and promising up to the very commencement of the fair when that appalling Chicago calamity, the greatest conflagration of the age, entirely frustrated the plans of the Society and in spite of the desperate effort put forth the loss was $5,000. The Society found itself in debt, owing $13,000. 

The grounds and fairs are now under the able management of the gentlemen first mentioned, is in a prosperous condition and regaining its former prestige.