Tag Archives: tippecanoe

Indiana county fairs – Early fairs of the 1800s

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Not everyone lives close enough to come to the one state fair in their state, which is why county fairs are so important. They’re a feasible way to bring local people together for an exchange of ideas, foods, farming and fun. Though the first Indiana State Fair occurred in 1852, the idea of the county fair was one that had been tried by local agricultural associations in Indiana since the 1830s.1 2 Sensing a need for a way for farming families to come together, the agricultural associations came up with the idea of a county fair so that these farming communities could exchange agricultural methods, personally developed farming implements, homemade culinary ideas and more. Though the idea was widespread, the passion for these events from the locals themselves just wasn’t there and most of these early fairs folded before the 1850s. However, with the emergence of the Indiana State Fair, and the continued success that it maintained, many smaller agricultural associations decided it would be worth the risk to try again and bring back their smaller county fairs. Only this time, the concept stuck, and enjoyment of the county fair would be something that the people from the 1850s and the Hoosiers of today still have in common.

Premium cover of the 1871 Tippecanoe County Fair.

The draws for many to come to these county fairs wasn’t to relax, but to compete. When many of the county fairs came back, they came back with a draw for the farming families in the area. Premiums, or monetary rewards for winning different types of competitions, were offered for all sorts of different types of contests. The earliest Premium List that we have at the Indiana State Library comes from the Tippecanoe County Fair in 1871 and has a listed $3,500 in premiums being given out, slightly more than $87,000 today.3 Showing how much some of these fairs were growing, just a decade later the Tippecanoe County Fair would be giving out over $7,000 in prizes, more than $223,000 today. Entry tickets back then were actual paper tags that were tied in a visible spot on the fair patron’s clothing or wrist. Prices were usually 25 cents throughout the 1800s and it was typically another 10 cents to stable or tie up your horse and carriage. Animal showing competitions, which are still a staple in many county fairs today, were by far the biggest draw in terms of different types of animals to show and prizes received.

Animal competition during the 1871 Tippecanoe County Fair.

Horse racing competitions were an early staple of the fair throughout the state and premiums were extremely high for these no matter the county. There were also early competitions in fabric making, artistry, farm implement craftmanship, artisanship, cooking, clothes crafting and more. The competitions would change depending on the materials of the local communities.

Women’s competitions during the 1881 Tippecanoe County Fair.

Culinary competitions of the 1885 Vigo County Fair.

The list of the premiums would be sent out as a flyer before the fair containing the competitions available, rules and regulations of the fair and competitions, the prizes for each, and of course, tons of advertising. These advertisements in the Premium Lists are incredibly diverse. Ranging from boots, embalming services and animal feed to clocks, jewelry and fine glassware; the advertisements can tell us a lot about what the people of the times, needed or were interested in. And when it came to trying to make sure interest was always high, more and varying types of competitions and sideshow attractions were brought to the county fairs. Ladies’ Work, the categories of competition being stereotypically limited by their times, became popularized throughout the 1870s. The Ladies’ Work events were mostly linked to competing in arenas such as embroidery and needlework, flower arrangement, wig and hair work, women’s clothing and small furniture making. Though most of these competitions would only be giving out diplomas of victory to the women, not actual premiums until the 1880s. Competitions were specifically put in place so that children could have an arena of their own to show off their young skills. During the 1890s, musical acts or performers became a common event during the fair days.

Greensburg County Fair flyer.

County fairs in Indiana would continue to adapt and connect their local communities throughout the 1900s following their reemergence in the 1850s. They would adapt technology to bring tractor pulls, stock car races and carnival rides to the scene, a far cry from the early trading of farming implements.4 Performers from across the country would soon be paid to come and play at these local venues, giving Hoosiers a taste of the wider entertainment scene. Almost 170 years later, the tradition of the county fair is something that every single one of the 92 counties in Indiana offer to everyone.5 They occur mostly in June or July, though Lake and Dekalb counties have theirs in August and September respectively. Click here to see the 2023 Indiana county fair dates.

So, with a bit of history narrated, it’s now time to go out this summer and experience a slice of a local Indiana community by visiting one of our many wonderful county fairs in Indiana!

This blog post was written by Rare Books and Manuscripts program coordinator A.J. Chrapliwy.

1.Jackson, Steven. (2010, July 03). “In History: Madison County’s legacy of fairs.” The Herald Bulletin. Retrieved on May 15, 2023, from In History: Madison County’s legacy of fairs | MAD Life | heraldbulletin.com.

2.Hale, Michelle. (1994) “Marion County Fair.” Indyencyclopedia. Retrieved on May 15, 2023, from Marion County Fair – indyencyclopedia.org.

3.Webster, Ian. (2023, May 17) “Inflation Calculator.” Official Inflation Data, Alioth Finance. Retrieved on May 15, 2023, from U.S. Inflation Calculator: 1635→2023, Department of Labor data (officialdata.org).

4.Conybeare, Brian. (2018, July 20) “History of the Elkhart County 4-H Fair.” ABC57. Retrieved on May 15 2023, from History of the Elkhart County 4-H Fair (abc57.com).

5.“Indiana Association of Fairs and Festivals.” (2023) 2023 4-H County Fair Dates. Indiana Fairs and Festivals. Retrieved on May 15, 2023, from 2023 4-H County Fair Dates (indianafairsandfestivals.org).

The library as an incubator

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There may have been a time when some might have scoffed at the idea of a library as a creator and not simply a neutral curator. Thankfully, that time is long past and one can take a look at public libraries across Indiana and see the visible change.

The most noticeable change in libraries has been physical. Many libraries across the state have already begun to renovate their spaces to accommodate more small meeting space and multi-use public space. Technology and electronic resources have also had a visible impact on these newly renovated physical spaces that serve not only as locations for learning and creative expression, but also as co-working spaces which blend commercial and creative output.

Here are just a few of the Hoosier public libraries who are promoting library creation and innovation:

Studio 304 Digital Media Lab | St. Joseph Co. Public Library

Studio 304 is equipped with tools and technology to create and produce in print, video and audio formats. The studio is designed for patrons 14 and older to inspire digital creativity.  The space features audio and video recording booths, as well as software and equipment for video and audio editing. The library even offers AV recording equipment for check-out for off-site use. Since opening, the space has been used to record a full length album and audio book. It’s relaxed atmosphere also makes it an ideal location for small meetings.

Digital Underground | Bartholomew County Public Library

The Digital Underground has given patrons access to a wide variety of digital creativity tools; tools that empower patrons to express their creativity in many different ways.  Record a song using the digital recording studio, create some album art using Adobe Photoshop or Illustrator and finish up by recording a music video using the green screen.  The sky is the limit as far as what you can do with the space and tools provided.

Level Up | Monroe County Public Library

Level Up is an all ages space that includes a video production studio with green screen, two audio production studios and digital creativity workstations for design, coding and editing. Level Up is a place for video and music production, graphic and web design and coding and game creation.

TekVenture | Allen County Public Library

TekVenture is somewhat special in that it was an independent organization before the Allen County Public Library gave it space to operate in a trailer, known as Maker Station, located across the street from the main library. Through this partnership, the makerspace was given a home to store equipment and tinker, and the library was provided access to members’ expertise and willingness to assist with programs. As this partnership grew, so did the organization and, even though their partnership continues to influence libraries across the globe, the organization has been housed in their own permanent downtown facility since 2015. When TekVenture was able to move to their own facility, Allen County Public Library was able to launch their own Maker Lab which is housed at the downtown branch. They also offer a satellite location at the Georgetown branch.

Haute Create | Vigo County Public Library

Haute Create is a dedicated space that offers access to state of the art technologies and innovative tools at the main branch of the Vigo County Public Library.

The space includes access to 3-D printers and a 3-D scanner; a wide-format printer; equipment for electronics and robotics work; a 75-inch SmartTV that allows for computers and software instruction for up to 12 people and other hardware and software tools which customers can use to create and explore.

The Portal | Tippecanoe County Public Library

Opened in 2012, Tippecanoe County Library’s Portal is a technology-rich center for learning, research, training, collaboration and content production. Visitors enjoy open space equipped with a combination of PCs, laptops and tablets. Patrons can use the space for digital creativity, or even as a co-working space.

The space also includes an audio/video conference suite, video recording equipment with green screen technology and equipment that allows one to preserve slides. Additionally, the Portal contains a language learning suite equipped with headphones and microphones for learning, listening and practicing foreign languages such as French, German and Japanese.

As libraries continue this trend, they will become synonymous with creation and innovation and not just curation. Indiana libraries are already well on their way.

This blog post was written by Amber Painter, southwest regional coordinator. For more information, contact the Professional Development Office (PDO) at (317) 232-3697 or via email.