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In 1884 and 1885 Alderson a large but
far from prosperous Fair. greenbrier County records disclose a few
meager facts and the Greenbrier Independent recounts a few more.
The Greenbrier Valley Industrial Exposition Association was know simply as
the "Alderson Fair." The records show the Association bought 16
acres of land along the Greenbrier River where Camp Greenbrier is now
located, in June 1884, from Rufus Alderson. A high board
fence was built around
the tract. (Rufus Alderson reserved the right for his family and the
family of Thomas H. Alderson to walk through the property by a path
through licked gates.) An old road up the river was changed from
going through the fair grounds to skirt them to the north. The
President of the Association was James Mann and the Directors were William
L. McNeel, Austin Handley, Samuel G. Briggs, M. P. Farrier, Caleb E.
Johnson, W. W. Pence, John W. Johnson John G. Crockett and Frank
Follansbee. The first Fair
in October, 1884, lasted a week and there were scores of prizes for
everything from cattle to wine, horses to French embroidery, flour to
apples. Among the winners were Lewisburg Independent Band and
Lewisburg Baseball Team both winning first prizes.
The second year, and the last, the Fair was held October
13 through 16, 1885. That year a race track had been built and there
were trotting, pacing and running horse races.
Although there was a large attendance evidently it could
not support such a sizeable venture at that time. The Greenbrier
Valley Industrial Exposition Association went out of business and the
property was sold in November, 1885, to satisfy bonds of $1215.00.
For more on Alderson's Fair and other W. Va. fairs
see this link.
Next:
Camp Greenbrier
The contents contained in this series is copyrighted
and the sole property of
The Greenbrier
Historical Society - Lewisburg, WV
Used by permission - November 18, 2008 |
