The Boonville-Oneida County Fair has been in existence for over 110 years now! It is a great and proud accomplishment to organize such an event for so long.

Originally, county fairs of yesteryear were created with the mindset of showing off the latest in farm equipment, comparing different garden bounties, displaying area farm animal exhibits, attend items of interest and entertainment, and provide a social gathering for the community.

The following is a timeline of the history of the fair.

February 3, 1887
The Boonville Herald urged everyone within twenty miles to attend an organizational meeting to form and agricultural fair. The published notice read:

Everybody come. Don't wait for a personal invitation, but get there and be ready with practical hints and suggestions.

The businessmen and agriculturalists who gathered for this meeting were the founders of the Boonville Fair Association and formed a subscription committee to raise $7,000 to cover the cost of land and buildings for a fair.

The Boonville Driving Park, situated at the western end of Schuyler Street, was selected as the location for the first fair to be held in September of 1888. This park contained seventeen acres of land and included a racing track. This track was an attempt by village fathers to keep the young men of the area from racing their horses on village streets.

During 1888, the Boonville Fair Association was incorporated and $2,000 of capital stock was authorized at $10.00 per share. The Driving Assocation leased their park to the Fair Assocation at the cost of $200.00 for the first year. The leasing arrangement continued until 1905 when the park was purchased by the Fair Assocation.

September 1888...
maked the beginning of over a century of fairs in Boonville. The featured speaker at the first fair was Mrs. Belva Lockwood, a champion of equal civil and political rights for women and who had been a candidate for President on the National Equal Rights Party.

While viewing exhibits at the fair the next day, she christened a colt, "Belva". Later in the afternoon, Mrs. Lockwood addressed a large crowd at the grandstand on the topic of "Tendencies of Parties and Government." She began her hour and fifteen minute speech with:

We're half the wealth bestowed on camps and courts, given to redeem the human mind from error, we would have no need for arsenals and forts.

Some of the town's ladies attending the speech noted Mrs. Lockwood wore neither a corset nor bustle.

The major attraction at the fair was a ballon ascension attended by 8,000 spectators. After a 4:30 lift-off, the balloon rose more than a mile, drifted eastward, and landed thirteen minutes later on a farm in Forestport.

1889
Citizens attending the second fair were treated to a free ox roast and three hundred loaves of bread.

Unusual entertainment featured "Lion", a St. Bernard dog who made a balloon ascension and then leaped to earth with a parachute.

1890-1899
Attractions of 1890 were Sautelle's Circus and the "New Sky Bicycle", a combination of balloon, air-ship, bicycle, and gas kite. Attendance continued to grow during these years and by 1894, 1,000 season tickets were sold.

No gambling games were allowed on the grounds and alcoholic beverages were also prohibited. The local Womens Christian Temperance Union served refreshments in the floral hall..

By 1896, fair week was also known as Old Home Week with former residents returning to the area to visit family and friends and to attend the fair. The Fair Board had arranged for special trains to come to Boonville and the admissions price to the fair was included in the train ticket.

The 10th annual event was written about "Best of All" and featured the Ilion Military Band. Baseball games between area community teams had become very popular. The attendance on the third day of the 1898 fair was recorded at 6,000 people.

Rainy weather plagued the 1899 fair and resulted in a deficiency of funds. The shareholders were assessed on their holdings for additional revenue.