A look at Fairbury Fair history

A concert is shown during the 2024 Fairbury Fair at the grandstand. File photo.

The first Fairbury Fair was held in 1876, so the year 2026 marks the 150th Anniversary of the Fairbury Fair.

This article is the first in a series examining the history of the long-running Fairbury Fair.

Fairbury was founded in 1857 when the Peoria & Oquawka Railroad laid its tracks from Peoria to Indiana. In the 1860 U.S. Census, Fairbury only had a population of 269. Over the next two decades, Fairbury experienced rapid population growth, rising from 1,493 in 1870 to 2,140 in 1880.

As Fairbury entered the 1870s, agriculture was the primary industry in this area. Farmers needed horses to farm, so several firms were established to sell them to farmers. John Virgin (1838-1900) set up a firm that imported Percheron draft horses from France and sold them to Fairbury-area farmers. John Virgin also designed and built his unique "Horse Palace" just south of where the Walton Center is today.

The first fairs in Livingston County began about 1850 and were held on the courthouse square. The primary force in organizing these early fairs was Mr. Samuel Ladd. But only a few articles were exhibited, and at the close of the day's entertainment, a hat was passed to raise money to defray expenses. These primitive fairs generally went by the name of "rope fairs" because a rope was stretched around the articles being exhibited.

A permanent organization was created in early 1856. A Constitution was developed and approved for the Livingston County Agricultural Society. The first Livingston County Fair was held in the Fall of 1856, in the courthouse square in Pontiac. No admission fee was charged, and a minimal list of premiums was offered.

In 1865, the Livingston County Agricultural Society purchased the old fairgrounds, south of the Vermilion River in Pontiac, which they furnished with buildings, stalls, and a sound half-mile track, and which were occupied until 1878.

In 1872, the Illinois Legislature passed a law changing the State Agricultural Society to the State Agricultural Board, and gave it certain privileges. The same act provided that any County Agricultural Society forming an organization in compliance with this law would be entitled to $100 each season a fair was held.

To comply with the new State law, the Livingston County Agricultural Society changed its name to the Livingston County Agricultural Board.

There were likely two drivers behind Fairbury starting the Fairbury Fair in 1876. The first driver was the 1872 Illinois State Law, which promoted the formation of fairs and offered to contribute $100 to any fair that held one each season. This state funding would be equivalent to $2,664 in today's dollars.

John Virgin was the second primary driver in establishing the Fairbury Fair. He was nationally known for his Percheron breeding business. John Virgin could promote his horse business by making entries in the Fairbury Fair and other Fairs in the Midwest.

1876 was a terrible year for Livingston County farmers due to excessive rainfall and flooding. The Livingston County Agricultural Board recounted that "owing to the unfortunate condition of the county from the long continual rains, and consequent failure of crops, there was no fair held by this Society in 1876."

The men organizing the Fairbury Fair decided to go ahead and hold the first Fairbury Fair in 1876, even though the Pontiac folks canceled their fair.

Unfortunately, we have no copies of the Fairbury Blade available before 1882. The Illinois Department of Agriculture published annual reports that included information about fairs. The 1878 book, which reported on the 1877 Fair, covers the second year of the Fairbury Fair.

This book reported that the Fairbury Union Agricultural Board had an organizational founding date of March 25, 1876, and a date of incorporation of April 4, 1876. John Virgin was President, John G. Steers was Vice-President, Ed Annable was Secretary, and C. C. Bartlett was the Treasurer.

About 200 members or shareholders each contributed $25 for the one share of stock they were issued. This financing structure raised $10,000 and would be equivalent to $300,000 in today's dollars. This book reports that the 2^nd annual Fairbury Fair was held on September 11, 12, 13, and 14.

The Fairbury Fair had 13 different departments. The most popular department in terms of entries was the Horses Department with 334 entries. The second-most popular was the Horticulture and Floriculture Department, with 291 entries. The third most popular was the Farm Products department, which had 284 entries.

In total, the Fairbury Fair had 1,748 total entries and paid total premiums of $2,134. These total premiums would be equivalent to $64,000 in today’s dollars.

Ed Annable, Secretary, noted in the annual report to the State of Illinois, “We have made considerable improvements on our grounds this year, having set out quite a number of trees, built a number of new stalls and pens and numerous improvement which make a fair ground attractive, which we expect to continue improving from year to year, as occasion may require.

Mr. Annable closed out his annual report saying, “The Success of the past two years has given the Fairbury Fair a splendid reputation and placed it among the established fairs of the State, thereby giving it a start that I can see nothing to hinder making the third annual fair more successful than either of the two past.”

In retrospect, it took great courage to launch the first Fairbury Fair amid a year of terrible weather for agriculture. The Livingston County Fair, which had been going on for 20 years, decided to cancel its 1876 Fair. John Virgin was a leading businessman and later became involved with the Fairbury Fair, the Illinois State Fair, and the 1893 Columbian Exposition (Chicago World's Fair). He was a visionary and a leader, and likely one of the main reasons the Fairbury Fair launched in 1876.

(Dale Maley's weekly article on Fairbury News is sponsored by Dr. Charlene Aaron)