In some form, the Southwest Washington Fair existed even before Washington became a state. In 1877, the Lewis County Agricultural Association formed and was incorporated under Washington territorial law to advance agriculture and develop Lewis County’s agricultural resources. Citizens raised $5000 by purchasing shares at $5 each, and in September of 1877 saw the First Annual Agricultural Exhibition. A Washington Standard article released on October 6, 1877: “Some came half expecting to see a failure, or at least a meager showing of fruits and vegetables, and found the halls filled to overflowing with everything produced in the field, garden and orchard that would have done credit to an old settled community…”
Occupying six acres on East Market Street, this first fair used the schoolhouse as the Agricultural Hall, two rooms in the courthouse for women’s exhibits, and a stock enclosure created in the open area between the two buildings for livestock. Located between the railroad track and State Street and North Street, the 1877 exhibition seems tiny compared to today’s standards.
The agricultural offerings included about 25 horses, (including two draught teams), a cattle exhibition, a pen of Berkshire hogs, samples of spring and winter wheat, and fruits like grapes, peaches and nectarines — proving wrong those who thought such crops wouldn’t grow here. Other attractions included an address on the science of agriculture, a “book printed in 1631”, wood carvings, cheese of fine flavor, wax leaves and a bedspread for which the cotton was picked, carded, spun, and woven by the exhibitor. This first fair closed with a ball, enjoyed by about 45 couples.
In the early 1900s, George Walker, a horse breeder, and Dr. Truesdell, a local dentist and harness horse racer, met several times with Governor Hartley to advocate for legislative creation of a Lewis County fair. In 1908, the legislature created the event with the stipulation that it serve six counties — Lewis, Thurston, Mason, Grays Harbor, Cowlitz, and Pacific — and be located between Chehalis and Centralia. Once the citizens purchased a tract of land, the State Treasury supplied $15,000 for construction. The Southwest Washington Fair debuted in 1909 and extended from the Agricultural Exhibition’s three days to six. It also expanded from six to thirty acres and the buildings at that time were: a Floral Hall, a Machinery Hall, four stables with a total of 80 stalls, a 400-head capacity cattle barn, and a 4000-seat grandstand.
Through the Southwest Washington Fair, Lewis County became known for excellence in agriculture and in breeding quality dairy and beef cattle. The “best in the region,” half-mile oval racetrack attracted competitors from all over. Not only did the races and exhibits provide entertainment, but the “friendly competition” also inspired participants to improve yearly.
Hiccups along the way included suspending the fair’s operation from the late-1920s to 1935, and its forced closure during WWII. With the official Southwest Washington Fair silenced, its spirit stayed alive through Adna’s Nelson Back who, from 1942-1946, held the Annual 4-H Fair on the grounds.
The late 1950s and early 1960s saw much promotion of the fairgrounds as a location for off-season events. The Friendly Fair theme and Little Miss Friendly started here and quickly became trademarks. Community interest groups constructed new buildings and big name entertainers, rodeos, and car shows debuted during this period and gained instant popularity. They are now expected each year.
In 1976 (our nation’s 200th birthday) Chehalis was named an official Bicentennial city, and the fair’s theme was “Bicentennial Bonanza.” Also, Olde Towne made its first appearance as eight storefronts depicting typical life in 1900.
From its start on six acres to the currently inhabited 77 acres, the Southwest Washington Fair has gone through many changes. Consider this — into the late 1930s, all of the exhibits and livestock traveled to the grounds by rail and fairgoers came by horse and buggy, or on the “Tooneville Trolley,” a Chehalis-Centralia streetcar. The parking lot and carnival grounds weren’t paved until the late 1970s. This year, while on your way to get an elephant ear or to see the carnival, take a moment to look around at the incredible journey our local fair has traveled.
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Andy Skinner, interim director for the Lewis County Historical Museum, is working to create rotating exhibits that are enticing for current museum patrons as well as fresh faces. The WSU alumnus lives in Chehalis.
