Monroe County Fair 1997

OK we have a nice little say a few words for Martha how are you today. I'm fine and what makes them and you know all these years. Reading. I think the 4H fair is so special because of all the people involved from children to adults. The whole community gets to come out and enjoy the fair. It's a lot of work for us to put on the fair but when we see the results and how happy people are that makes it all worthwhile. And some people may think the fair starts. Just the week of the fair that we start planning the fairs. The minute it's over for next year and then the week before the fair is the hardest week because we set everything up and get it ready and judged. And it's more fun to watch the little kids come out to see their exhibits to see what they've won or to see showing their animals or to watch the kids grow up and see how they've developed over the years from a little shy 10 year old to a very poised mature young adult. And you meet so many people that that's has always been the most important part to me because I love people all

cods. We get good ones bad ones but there's always something good about everybody. And to me it's the most special time of the year to come out to the fair and see all your friends. Tell me about your early days at the fair Obviously this wasn't here back when the Ferris drove it back in 1950 something covered up with your fare in Monroe County started way before that. It started out here in the 50s when I was showing up projects. We were in the old GM on what's set now seminaries where after that we went to the field house. And I you and then we moved out here. Completely Bare ground nothing here. We started out exhibiting in tents and then as we got a little bit of money we started building buildings and you see what we have now. And every year we try to do something new and special for the fair. We just keep improving all the time and we compare with any fare in the state. What about your involvement with the forage you're going to go to.

I started out in the same club that I'm leading the leader's mother got sick and she came down to ask if I would take it over and that started it all. So. I've been waiting ever since. Well 50 years and. I've worked with the county offices I've had worked with the state I've gone to regional things I've gone to national and done just about everything that's offered. MARTIN If you hear one thing to improve if you have enough money to do what Probably we'd like to build a new amphitheater that's enclose an airconditioned so that we can put on good shows and people to come out and enjoy. Life a hell of a lot of your heavenly County for counter-terror County were technically legally search and subtile but you know what does it mean is it will just look and see takes care of all of the records collects all the support

dispersed. All right you know the girl so sorry to get into this story here in the spirit of money will come in the spirit of fear. I mean in your estimation then what is so special about them. I think that's probably the most special thing to me about are monotonic parents are you going to have a chance to have the opportunity to show off the work that you have done. And to learn. And I think the primary. Thing and for the support of the heads of us now. When I talk about the fact that we get you know sometimes 100000 people in a fair way. What what brings it up. Well I think we have such a diverse community and we as a peer Borg try to have a lot of diverse things happening here I think for everybody. We have animals we have. We have payment of all kinds and I

think that you know County Fair is a place that people come to meet friends. Now obviously the other fare is going up the same time but don't have the same size. You know a lot of audiences that we have here you know the Lawrence County Fair Green County Fair MORE got a fear that they're going to know what makes this so special and different. Well I think our fair market has worked very hard to have a very attractive fairgrounds and to have a diverse amount of things for people to come to see. Let's go back now because of a day of talk about the history of the fair itself. Well in the early 1950s I never really got together and decided to create an association and to have a fairgrounds and to get some facilities some number of facilities for that it had been at Indiana University and also prior to that is going I think on the streets in downtown blooming. And that there felt like a need. For a.

Family is certainly growing. And we just felt that there. Was there for. A good seller when we first started out here the sellers have a new building have a new laptop. We didn't have a rabbit the first fire we had. Was all done in their hand. And we had a terrific rainstorm but we thought that was a fun time. I get by the next year living anywhere trying to get some money. To. Build start building built and sold shares in order to build our first unit and from then on it just must escalate. Domino whatever you want to say and I'm like animal groups got together and then worked on the barns and just worked gradually to build one.

Now if you said you want to wish fulfilled. Money wasn't an object what would you complete your. Well I think we need an inside auditorium where we have something. Activity that the people can hear on the outside something they can manage. Comfortably and be entertained. Certainly. I mean that was. Almost. Our. All right activities I'M ALMOST OUT ON OUR me so I think that's another we're going to work on and worse each year we try to do pretty much all that we possibly can. Talk about the money that's spent on the fair sort of financial. Well the county gives the fair board one cent tax levy that money can only be spammed on happen with most insurance of anything on the grounds it cannot. These Not one penny of that has spanned

towards putting on their parents health plans to be self-supporting. That's all that's why we have a dollar car parking concession stands a percentage of our economy. And from the. Money we make. Something. Better. Now imagine the pretty substantial moment. Where. Sometimes your entertainment doesn't come out quite as much as you'd like for it to be six years ago. We were able to purchase the association itself were able to purchase a joint. Effort otherwise we would have already known. This part. That. We. Can. Get there. Early.

Fine job that's wonderful. This county fair so very special compared to the Morgan fear of Lawrence County. Well I don't believe we can take away from them no. Morgan County very own county fair and believe we have a cross section of people the very unique state of Indiana. We're an agricultural community somewhat yet still we have a major one of the major universities in the nation right here in Bloomington and we do it and it goes that way we have a lot of manufacturing and different things that makes a cross-section that one can. Martin still doesn't have a morning Danny. So I think this is something that really helps us promote the fair. And gets this cross-section right on our board right now. We have I think it's five I'm just thinking the question ask me because five people that work for in the anniversary that are on the fingerboard not necessarily like myself which I do but the culture in the forests the mayor is concerned some of the other and otherwise so I think this is why we're a unique family and in a situation that.

Helps us. Bring more work and put on a better show time put on a better show for people. That everybody can get a little bit of something that they enjoy and that's what we want we want everybody to be happy. There's things that we do with some of our shows that we cater them towards agriculture and maybe that's because some of us that are on the board all have that in the back of our mind are maybe frustrated agriculture people that would rather do that I don't say I would but there's a lot of people very interested in and still I thank them that's one thing we fought so long here to get our agriculture display up on the Hill. It's not a heavy agriculture but I think city people enjoy it as much as we do because it's something they don't get to see every day. And that's what we're looking. For. Think new ideas were always open to listen to someone with a new idea to do something. I'm not saying we're going to do it every time or get it in the first year but we'll certainly talk about it.

And that's why we meet 12 times a year. The fair go or the next meeting so the first week of September we do cancel in August and take time out for the state fair. But all this will start again getting ready for 1998 and. With that attitude and with the turnover people on the board I think we've created the situation our board is getting larger. We have over 40 members at this time which sometimes can get a little unruly but we still work together and get the things done that we need to do. We know that the glacier stopped in all the great soil is in Morgan counties in the northeast here are no counties in that class with the best agriculture. Browning soiled in the entire state. This fear is very very big. Time. For the amount of. Gold farming. I think one of the causes is that one time this area was far as the cattle industry was one of the heavy cattle registered cattle didn't end in the old county and the surrounding counties

to them enough wipeout like Owen canning Green County Lawrence County. Some of the best cattle land in the state of Indiana is located within 40 miles of where we're sitting right now because of the rolling hills water available. And cover and so forth they could stay in the severe climate in the winter is a little better than it is in the northern prairie. So I think that's one of the reasons you have a. The background. Of Agriculture people that have remained in Syria. And. A lot of them are probably have two jobs. Culture is you know is big can't become a large industry a business of large businesses doing a lot of agriculture reducing the number of Agriculture people in this part of the country that would be hard to do to have a corporation coming in and farm 10000 acres like you do out West. But here we still got the roots are agriculture a lot of generations of people who are working. What I would call if you can call a public worker working in another businesses or main in the still agriculture something to do even if it's part time.

They keep it in their mind to stay in the flow. And they really think agriculture people. And that's the way they think and I think it helps them with their work whether it's a day in the first day or RCA or a General Electric or wherever it might be. I think this attitude helps and that's another reason they make a lot of new things come to Bloomington. But all over work. We've got a cross section of the. Hard to find. As you will know when we got travel a lot nine states for the university and this is a cross section. I'm prejudiced. It's a good place to come from. I was all over the place to come back to the cause of the cross-section of people and things you can do within 50 miles of Bloomington Indiana. In this area. So our agriculture affair are failing our history. Amir is back. Of all the families of the dissipate nice facility right now. Still the deep roots are probably egg based and the ones over here on the fairground and talk about the fear of family you know your family goes back a long long time at the county fair here.

Talk about the development of the beef industry and to be firing in relationship to the Beard family. Back in the early years my father was one of the first members on the fair board when it was restarted really after World War 2. He was involved in as a manager the player back when we used to have it on the campus and in the universe to the old field and when they started at the gym and then in 1955 they moved in still is resetting. This was the second building resetting in front of now was built on the ferry was a sign behind me that shows up which I just had repaint was a gift to the player. Couple weeks ago because they these people 80 percent were going in. But they built this with the labor or once the sand any money went into the nations on the board right behind me. They were people that were my brother was president three different times. I've been involved with that since for 25 years in. The military and flying and so forth I went involved back when I first came back to Bloomington but I got involved

All My Children of Sean Carroll right here so it's a family affair and I'm not the only family on this fair board. There are many many families that have the same thing as I have been to them the same from them. I sit in front of a group last night to say the Sears family. Well is like a famer You know I think I counted one time or 17 some related the serious band with it which that's great. That's what makes it a fun very fun group of people to be with. So these are some of the rage. But those family things is what's built this county. They are much more the way as other players where there's a low population. And I think at times they have a little problem. But if you get the family involved going to get something done. Wonderful DIC that was great when. I was. There. He. Did. Meet. Their. Maker. It's. Painful for. A fractured

family we're now. Learning. About. Him. What. Are. You. Getting. Get your. Money.

Back over here make it. Right over here by you know I'm going to be here now you watch if I do this. OK. But. I think we better make a propeller on this don't you. OK. You hold a propeller. And I want to go back we got a picture. Did you hear the coulée say. Maybe. It's me. There there's a propeller. Now we've got a plane John it just comply. What's your name. Oh that's a good name. Might want to change. Oh OK. OK Rob here comes your point. Catch up catch up catch on. Oh Robert let's where there's a backpack. Then you can fly a little bit OK. OK

OK. Do you like this in flight. OK I love you come on over here beautiful girls would YOU are a cowboy. You may want to just get along fine. What should. What you. Are. Such a bush. Like. Well. The coal mine. OK. Sounds. Cool flowers. If you don't want to know what. Put a flower on your watch. You want to blow. Up the. World get a.

Grip. With. What we're showing put on your hands look gorgeous today. Still just also heard a little bit. More Here's one for each of. The. Grandchildren. OK. Oh boy. Come over here give me what you are going to change or scared. You. Don't scare me yet. OK. Now. What.

Now now.

Now now. Now now I'm no. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. Oh whoa. The biggest winner of it. That's what. You. Don't know. So here. We. Go here. Oh whoa. Whoa whoa.

Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh.

Oh. So. Now. So. Ram. Oh.

Sure. Let's. Say. Eat.

Your. Meat. Nobody can see the. Little. One. You. Can. Get. A. Seat. OK.