History of the Fairgrounds
and the Agricultural Society of Montgomery County
The first attempts at the formation of
agricultural societies were in 1845. The first fairs were held in the
wagon yard in the rear of and belonging to Swaynie's Hotel, East First
Street, Dayton. The stabling and sheds furnished ample accommodations
for the cattle and other stock on exhibition. Fairs were held there for
two or three years.
In 1853, the Ohio State Fair was held
in the bottoms of Washington Street. The county fair was held at the
same place in October.
In 1855, the membership of the
association numbered 1,000, and the fair was a success. In that year ten
acres of the present grounds were purchased and in 1856 the Fair was
held on the new site. Owing to the purchase of additional grounds, bad
weather and nonattendance of citizens, the association struggled with
indebtedness for several decades. The Ohio State Fair was held in Dayton
again in 1860, 1861, 1866 and 1867, affecting support for the county
exhibitions.
The original Montgomery County
Agricultural Association held its final fair in 1873. The following year
an organization named The Southern Ohio Fair
Association was incorporated, and its maiden fair was deemed a huge
success with admission receipts in excess of $23,600. It was for this
fair that the "Round House", a unique three-storied structure was built.
This building housed and continues to be used for the display of
domestic arts, farm and garden produce, and some commercial exhibits.
Other improvements at the time included an enlarged race track, a new
amphitheater, and various other new structures.
Since the turn of the 20th century
Montgomery County's fairs have experienced much success. A new coliseum
was built in the 1920's and in the 30's electric lights were installed
around the race track. It was the first fair in Ohio to hold night
harness racing.
In the mid-50's, the Dayton Home Show
was held on the grounds, and the manufacturer of Gold Medallion Homes
built a new house thereon, which the fair board purchased for use as the
fair office until the present office complex was built in 1959. The
Grounds superintendent now claims this house as residence.
The largest crowd of over 100,000 in
attendance for any fair session was when President Lyndon Johnson
visited the Montgomery County Fair in the 1960's. The Montgomery County
Fair Board was the first county to build and house the OSU Cooperative
Extension Service on their grounds.
The historic "Round House" Octagon Building located on
the fairgrounds is listed on the National Register of historic places,
and the entire Montgomery County fairgrounds facility is a beautiful
reminder of the quieter and simpler times of years past.
The Montgomery County Fairgrounds
further serves its community by basing a helicopter refueling station
for the adjacently located Miami Valley Hospital.
Today, the Montgomery County
fairgrounds serves as host to the Annual Montgomery County Fair, an
event enjoyed by many throughout the entire Montgomery County area.
The fairgrounds also hosts a number of exciting events each year, from
motorcycle racing to antique shows and craft fairs.
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