The Scott County Fair: An Old Institution

Written by Marge McNeil

Fairs have been held in Shakopee since 1857 when an agricultural society was organized by Major R. G. Murphey and D. L. Howe. It was under the auspices of this society that the fair was held in 1857. It is recorded that some fine samples of produce, wheat and corn were exhibited and that the fine hogs show caused recently arrived immigrants to marvel at the possibilities of the new land.

Trapeze artist at the Shakopee Fair, 1905. Photo from the SCHS collections.

In 1872 the Scott County Agricultural Society was organized. Fairs were held annually by this society until 1898. In the 1870s few farmers in Scott County were able to produce anything worthy of exhibition purposes, as they were lucky to raise enough to eke out an existence for themselves and their families. Everybody could raise giant pumpkins though, and there was considerable rivalry among farmers in this respect. Horse racing was then the sport of kings and no county fair was complete or of any consequence without a racing card. Among the amusement features of these early fairs were balloon ascents, tent vaudeville shows, and magic acts.

Trapeze artist at the Shakopee Fair, 1905. Photo from the SCHS collections.

In September of 1912 three days of fun, frolic and frivolity marked Scott County’s Agricultural Fair and Street Carnival. Shakopee was the lotus for thousands of pleasure seekers after progress in agriculture. Domestic arts, fine arts, music, dancing, free shows and carnival antics were presented creating an atmosphere of neighborly good fellowship. The Shakopee Street Fair and Carnival offered two open air exhibition stages, one at Lewis and Holmes and the other at Bridge Square. Adding to the festivities were ballgames, dancing until 3am, and of course…politicians.

In 1915 a decision was made that a County Fair would be held in Jordan in September to replace the mid-winter fair that had been held annually for a number of years. The acreage known as Schultz & Hilgers park was leased for a term of years to serve as the fairgrounds. The crowd for the three-day event was estimated to be seven thousand and it was considered to be successful. Entries in the agricultural department totaled 355. Friday’s livestock parade was the hit of the fair. For the second year of the fair a new women’s building was built. Attendance was estimated at 21,000 with 1607 exhibits in all departments. Entertainment included band concerts in the afternoon and evening, trained animal acts, entertainers, free movies, parades and a Grand Ball with two orchestras.

Livestock auction at the Scott County Fair, 1955. Photo from the SCHS Collections

There were several other fairs of note.  The 1927 fair was a record breaker in the department of 4-H club work, which was growing in importance throughout the county. Sadly, no fair was held in 1947 because of September’s rampant polio epidemic. Finally the Sunday afternoon parade was canceled in 1962 when the cost of engaging parade units became higher then the county merchants could support.

During the 1960s the fair board began to feature more local talent for the grandstand entertainment rather than pay professional acts. Tug-of-war contests were scheduled with teams made up from people from throughout the county, tractor pulls became popular, and in the 1970s demolition derbies were featured which are still a main grandstand attraction today. For fifty-seven years the fair was successfully staged in the park in Jordan

Demolition derby, Scott County Fair, 1980

In 1970s, the Fair Board purchased 80 acres in St Lawrence Township as a site for the future fairgrounds. New buildings were erected with additional ones added each year for several years. For three generations the residents of Scott County have enjoyed an annual fair. This gala event has brought competitive exhibits, thrills, entertainment and recreational activities, along with ever-present food. Who, young or old, doesn’t have great memories of the fair?

Originally published in the Scott County Scene, summer 2018

Creameries Around Every Corner

Scott County has a long agricultural history, as does much of the Minnesota River Valley area. When most people think agriculture, the first idea they have is of farming but agriculture as an industry is more than crops and cattle. When farmers harvest their yields, the next step of the process begins, turning that raw good into a finished product. A major industries that sprang up on the late 19th and early 20th century in Scott County was creameries which did just that.

Creameries could be found in every township, and nearly every major town had one. Most of these creameries started as Co-Ops, businesses that were founded and owned by the local farmers that made use of the business. While the list of creameries in the county is long, a look at three will help illustrate their impact on agriculture in the county: Joel, Blakeley, and Marystown.

Joel Creamery Building in 2006

The Joel Creamery was a small one man operation, and produced primarily butter. This creamery served the local farmers in Joel, but also had buyers in Belle Plaine Township. Butter is a staple of creamery production, and most every creamery produced it in some quantity. The Joel Creamery opened its doors in 1893 and remained in operation for 24 years, owned and operated by A.C. Schmit. Upon its closing, Schmit thanked his patrons for their support. For many in the early 20th century, local creameries were the primary way that people acquired dairy products.

 Marystown Creamery was opened in the early 1900s and, like Joel, produced mainly butter. However Marystown specialized in sweet cream products. The creamery turned out several thousand pounds of butter.

Marystown Co-Operative Creamery Stock

By 1924, the Marystown Co-Operative Creamery had been leased out to the Redman Ice Cream Company, producing the cream that would go into their Ice Cream though not actually producing the desert itself. In 1925, the creamery became a depository for local farmers to drop off their milk and cream. In 1927, however, the creamery closed and the building was torn down not long after.

Lydia Co-Operative Creamery Calendar

 Perhaps the longest running of the small town creameries was that of Blakeley. Beginning operations in 1917, the creamery quickly boomed in business as local farmer bought in. On its first day in operation it is reported that it churned 1000lbs. of butter. In 1928 it produced 399,170 pounds of butter. By 1933, the Blakeley community was receiving $160833, or over $3 million dollars today, in revenue from the creamery. The average patron received about $22, or $426 today, annually. Rather a substantial profit considering they were in the height of the great depression. Blakeley creamery continued to operate until 1970.

Creameries were a means of production in the agriculture industry, but more than that they provide for their community. Goods coming out of the churns were bought by locals who couldn’t easily travel to larger towns, and farmers received dividends on the cream and milk they brought into the businesses. For many farmers, the creameries became a nucleus of farming in their area along with the feed mills, and grain mills. Creameries today are not as abundant as they once were, and few Co-Op creameries still exist at all. These business remind us of the larger impact agriculture has on our communities and ways in which people survived and prospered in decades past.

Written by Dave Nichols, Curator