The Storied and Tenured History of the Fair Grounds
St. Francois Agricultural and Mechanical Association
The St. Francois Agricultural and Mechanical Association incorporated in January 1872. Among it’s earliest officers were J.C. Alexander, F.M. Carter, Reinhardt Lang, A.J. Leathers and Thomas H. Stamm. One of the first orders of business was to establish fairgrounds on a twenty-acre site west of the town of Farmington.
1908 parade at old fairgrounds
Old Fairgrounds, destroyed by the 1912 cyclone
Construction soon Began
Construction soon began on a racetrack, amphitheater, pagoda, floral hall, and ladies’ rooms and the fairs became annual events. The original fair was a four-day event, which was predominantly devoted to horse racing. Other events included ladies’ equestrianship and showings of Jersey and short horn cattle, draft horses, and mules.