This is just the beginning! Our collection holds over 300 years of history, including rare newspapers, obituaries, marriage records, birth records, and so much more—most of which you won’t find anywhere else!
Origins of Iowa county fairs tracing roots to 1841 and 1807
The Gazette outlines how county fairs began in Iowa with the 1841 Lee County Agricultural Society in West Point and links broader fair culture to Berkshire Massachusetts beginnings in 1807. It notes early laws, 4-H’s rise, and figures like Jessie Field Shambaugh, highlighting how fairs evolved from livestock shows to youth agricultural education and community bonds.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Iowa
Leo Landis
State Historical Society of Iowa
Lee County Agricultural Society
West Point
Berkshire
Mass
Elkanah Watson
Park Square
Watson
Berkshire Agricultural Society
Landis
the Gazette
Lee Landis
Society of Iowa
Johnson County Agricultural Mechanical Society
Capital Square
Pentacrest
Linn County
Linn County Agricultural Society
Cedar Rapids
Marion
Fair Board
Luther Brewer
Barthinius L. Wick
Iowa Farmer
Scott County Agricultural Society
4-H
America
Theodore Roosevelt
Country Life Commission
Roosevelt
Jessie Field Shambaugh
Clarinda
Shambaugh
FFA
Mike
Max Petzenhauser
Roland
Story County
Washington County Fair
Max
Petzenhausers
State Historical Society
Iowa City