WillimanticFair Problems - 2 by Pete Zizka 4-13-2024

<<HOME>>                    <<back to Historical Articles index>>

The directors of the Willimantic Fair Association had a hard decision to make at their January, 1895 meeting. The cattle exhibits were popular but the premiums paid out were more that the money taken in. The directors had to juggle several facts. The Fair had been intended more to, “induce people in the surrounding country to come to Willimantic and make it their business center” rather than to be a money-maker. The directors acknowledged that the premiums paid in the cattle judging area were mainly going to “towns quite remote from (Windham) and a large part of poultry premiums go out of state”. Evidently several livestock-owning groups were making the rounds of country fairs and “scooping up the premiums” because local farmers couldn’t compete. In 1894, the stock premiums were $800 and, including other expenses, stock judging cost $1200. The gate sales on stock day amounted to $289.45 and more than half of that amount had been taken in after the cattle had been driven back in. With several cattle owners attending the meeting, the vote was unanimous to stop premiums from being paid in the livestock and poultry exhibitions and to, at least for 1895, remove the cattle day exhibition entirely from the program. In deference to the increased interest in horse racing, however, the directors voted to have an increased number of colt races. And, to make the Fair more attractive to more patrons in 1895, the directors made a special effort to get more exhibitions and attractions and that would include shows and a balloon ascension each day. For the next nine years, small yearly improvements continued to be made to the grounds and more attractions were added. At the same time, though, many members of the Fair Association , “had become tired of carrying on the work as a labor of love. In late 1901 and early 1902, The Association sold its interests to a newly formed “Horseshoe Park Agricultural Association”. The new membership and Board built a grandstand which could accommodate 2,000 spectators and wasted no time in proposing to make the Fair, “one for the farmers and the horsemen and the exhibition of cattle, farm stock and produce”. The “cattle days” returned and the number of racing contests was increased. So too was there an increase in the number of amusements and other attractions. Accounts of the Fair from 1904 through its last year in 1913 showed a yearly increase in attendance that reached 14-15 thousand by 1913. Despite the Fair’s popularity and overall success, there were a few issues which developed and began to cause problems that were partially the reason for Mayor Dunn’s banning of the “dancing girls” in 1909. Almost any fair attracted what were known as “fakirs”, which were game operators and others ready to take advantage of the gullible. “Jingle board men, pickpockets and slot machine operators” had become more numerous and finally, after years, arrests were made. In 1896 , there were complaints about “games of a gambling character” and about some “immoral dancing”. A Christian group which proclaimed itself as “The Law and Order League” reported that some of its members had attended the fair and had seen many “gambling operations which were fleecing people without hindrance”. They also reported seeing what they called, “men only” shows. After these complaints were published, the Fair Committee asked the League to be in charge of the Fair’s “moral standing”. Because of the complaints, the Fair Association nearly lost its State Appropriation. Ultimately and ironically, however,  it was the Fair’s biggest attraction that led to its demise. A week before the 1913 Fair began, the National Trotting Association banned the Horseshowe Park Association from holding trotting races. The vice president of the Association, Truman R.  Sadd, a well-known local businessman, had raced a champion trotter, Billiken, under a  false name during the 1911 fair  meeting. The NTA disallowed trotting in Willimantic until  Sadd returned the purse money  won by his “ringer.” Sadd subsequently resigned and the fair went on. But the American Thread Co. was displeased with the publicity and, informed the Association  that it  intended to develop the area as  a recreational park for their employees. After 37 years, there would be no more fairs. Todays photo was taken at the 1907 Fair.