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