 In
the mid-1800's (following a little skullduggery) a final decision was made
locating the county seat in Pittsfield. Because of the railroad which ran
through Griggsville (the primary means of 'commuting' in those days)
the Fair was located in on it's present site. In 1888, we opened with the
name of The Illinois Valley Fair.
People would come on the train in droves (that's
a lot!) to see the harness races and sulky ridden horses which were the main
event. Griggsville had the nicest track in Illinois at the time, and people
came from other states to participate. Visitors would bring picnic lunches
and stay for the day till the train came back to get them that evening.
It was the largest event in Pike County.
Harness Racing continues as a Griggsville
tradition to this day. Because of the limited number of spectators able to
visit the Fair on a Wednesday afternoon, we moved the harness racing to the
evening, allowing many more visitors to experience the races.
Starting with the 2002 fair season "new blood"
in the Board of Directors undertook the challenge of revitalizing the fair.
Thanks to the efforts of President Rob Webel, support of the public and
untold thousands of hours of volunteer labor, the fair is financially
solvent once again. Better events and increasing numbers of attendants
have both allowed us to make drastic improvements in the fair grounds, and
attract higher quality events and sponsors, making us one of the premier
events in the area.
Many of the improvements are unnoticed by the
public. Lighting and electrical distribution are necessary items that most
don't consider, but were one of our major headaches. Buildings and
grounds are being remodeled, and several new permanent event areas have been
built.
Motocross racing was added in 2003, and the wild
success of that first year prompted us to to build a permanent Motocross
track for the 2004 season. However, as our events needs changed, we
converted the hills and valleys of the track to allow for more spectator
viewing areas.
2003 also was the first year for our school bus
demolition derby, and event that continues to grow in popularity both among
spectators and participants. Bus Derby Night continues to be our single
biggest event for good reason!
2004 brought the first Mud Bog to the fair. We
anticipated 20-25 entries, and were delighted by the response of over 75
participants making 400 runs through our bog. '14 was also the first year of
many technical improvements; most of these will go un-noticed by attendees,
but from our side of the counter we can't believe how much better things
are.
For 2005, we performed a MAJOR renovation to our
quaint, aging "turn of the century" grandstand. While keeping the
traditional roofline (and shelter from sun and rain) we installed new
aluminum bleachers. We also broke with tradition and moved the harness
racing to Wednesday Evening. For the first time in 117 years, horses raced
under the lights. This was so well received by participants and spectators
alike we have decided to keep this as an evening event.
2006 saw the return of the popular Mud Bog
event, with more than double the expected participants running through the
muck.
Tractor Pulls have always been a staple item at
fairs, and in recent years, we have 'promoted' our tractor pulls to
grandstand events.
In 2007, the City of Griggsville voted to
abolish their prohibition laws. For the first time in almost a
century, the 2007 Fair will feature controlled alcohol. Let's face
the facts: for years the consumption of alcohol has been a common feature of
the evening activities, often with uncontrolled and unpredictable results.
With the new system in place, the Fair Board of Directors now able to
strictly control the consumption of alcohol. We feel that the Future
Fairs will be a safer and better policed events.
The availability of alcohol also means that we
can now bring back the popular band events.
2009 marked the passing of long-time Fair
Secretary, Norma Connour. Although Norma's heath prevented her from being on
the grounds for the past few years, her behind the scenes for decades helped
make the Western Illinois Fair a success.
Also in 2009, we lost our long time President
and Fearless Leader, Rod Webel, in an accident that was both tragic and so
fitting of Rod's caring nature. Rod's leadership and gentle demeanor
will be missed and his passing is a great loss to the world, but we intend
to carry on his vision.
Back for 2011, we are pleased to announce the
return of the Western Illinois Fair Queen Pageant. Unlike a county fair, we
are a regional fair, which allows us to choose our queen from contestants
hailing from Pike, Adams, Brown, Calhoun, Morgan, Scott and other counties.
The Pageant will be held in the Grandstand on Thursday night.
On behalf of the Staff and Sponsors, THANK
YOU! |
