The Mid-South Fair: Celebrating 150 Years

By Robert W. Dye and Mid-South Fair Historical Committee

Established in 1856 by the Shelby County Agricultural Society, the Mid-South Fair celebrates its 150th anniversary in 2006. Memphis, known as the cotton capital of the South, depended on agriculture for much of the 19th century, and the fair offered farmers and the general public a venue to learn of new products and to compete with others from the region. Through the Civil War, yellow fever epidemics, and two world wars, the fair has prevailed to become one of the largest in the nation. It has been a part of many lives and formed many memories of rides and rodeos, cotton candy and pronto pups, and that first big drop on the roller coaster. The Mid-South Fair: Celebrating 150 Years brings back those memories through words and photographs, taking the reader back to a time when excitement was only a ride away on an old wooden roller coaster.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Arcadia Publishing
• Release date: Aug 7, 2006
• ISBN: 9781439633502

Robert W. Dye

Robert W. Dye is a lifelong Memphian who has worked to document the visual history of Memphis and the surrounding area. Author of Then & Now: Memphis and Images of America: Shelby County, Mr. Dye is currently the chairman of the Mid-South Fair Historical Committee and a member of the Shelby County Historical Commission.

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INTRODUCTION

The year 2006 marks the 150th anniversary of the year the Shelby County Agricultural Society held its first fair. The event was small and only lasted two days, but that fair started something that has carried on till this day—tradition. For 150 years, the Mid-South has come together for one week to enjoy the food, the rides, and the exhibits. For 150 years, armies of volunteers have worked to show the country what Memphis has to offer by bringing in the best music, food, exhibits, and livestock.

The first fair was located on Poplar Avenue near Decatur Street, just east of downtown Memphis. At the time, the fair was held in a serene grove of trees and was attended by over 6,000 fairgoers. The sponsor of the first fair was the Shelby County Agricultural Society, having been formed a few years earlier. The society was created out of the formation of the State Agricultural Bureau, established in 1854 to promote agricultural, mechanical, and industrial interests. The roller coaster did not exist, nor did the carousel or the rodeo, but it was a fair. Competitions were held in baking, sewing, and farm produce. Over the next few years, events more familiar to the modern fair became commonplace, including a queen of love and beauty contest, a forerunner to the Miss Mid-South Fair, harness racing, cooking contests, and entertainment, which was usually a politician giving what was to become known as a stump speech. The gate fee for the 1859 fair was 25¢, and even back then there was a price to pay for parking. Carriages were 50¢, and single buggies were 25¢. If open buggies were not your thing, the Memphis and Ohio Railroad offered transportation for half fare, 10¢ each way.

In 1857, the fair moved a bit north of the Poplar Avenue location to Jackson Avenue. The agricultural society signed a 10-year lease on 10 acres, which included a floral hall and amphitheater. The new fair struggled for the first few years to gain the support of the public. The local newspapers ran articles regarding the success of fairs in St. Louis, a major rival to Memphis in the mid-19th century. And if seeing the latest sewing machines and who had the largest hog was not enough, one writer to the newspaper noted, Young gentlemen, this is the place you may expect to find the one you adore above all others. Old bachelors, this is the place, most probable, you will find the one suited to your mind, and perchance, the means by which your wilderness in life might be speedily curtailed.

Just as the fair was gaining attendance and exhibitors, the effects of the Civil War reached Memphis. The fairgrounds were used as a Confederate campground, and no fairs were held until 1868. Attendance, partially due to bad weather, was very low, with as few as 200 persons turning out the first day. A new location was sought for the fair that would draw more visitors. In 1853, the New Memphis Jockey Club purchased land from the Deaderick family for a horse racing track. The Agricultural Society purchased additional land and with the Jockey Club created new building and exhibit spaces. The first fair at the new location was held in 1869; this is the same location the present-day fair is held. Total premiums for the 1869 fair totaled $10,000, with $500 going for the best single bale of cotton. The year 1870 marked the first school day at the fair, with the Memphis mayor allowing all schools to be let out for the day. A baby contest was also held with 27 entries. The winner was wheeled around the grounds in a decorated buggy. For the next decade, the fair saw success. In 1882, Henry Montgomery and a group of prominent businessmen purchased the New Memphis Jockey Club and invested in new grandstands, buildings, and grounds. Renamed Montgomery Park, the facility was one of the best in the South, attracting the best in Thoroughbred racing. Races such as the Peabody Derby and the Gayoso Derby routinely attracted over 8,000 spectators. The mile-long track stretched from Southern Avenue on the south to just south of Central Avenue on the north. Stables and boarding rooms were built on the east side, near the present-day Mid-South Coliseum. In 1905, the days of grand derbies and vast crowds cheering on their winners had come to an end. The Tennessee legislature outlawed pari-mutuel betting, thus ending over 50 years of professional racing in Memphis.

In 1908, the Tri-State Fair was organized by local businessmen wanting to promote the agricultural interests of the area. Frederick Orgill was elected its first president, and over $100,000 in stocks were sold to local businesses. New structures were built to house exhibitors, and general improvements were made to the entire area. The Commercial Appeal newspaper described it as "the most complete fairgrounds ever built in the