First State Fair: Iowa Time Machine October 27, 1854

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On October 27, 1854, the first-ever Iowa State Fair ended in Fairfield. From a three-day event only a few years after statehood to one of Iowa’s fondest traditions, the Iowa State Fair continues to draw visitors for a variety of displays, activities, and other opportunities to celebrate all things Iowa.

In 1853, two eastern Iowa men, Thomas Clagett of Keokuk and Fairfield’s J.M. Schaffer sought to bring together local and county agricultural associations from across the state to form a broader organization unified by common interests. Meeting in Fairfield in December 1853, the Iowa State Agricultural Society drew attendees from only five counties.

Although Clagett and Schaffer's initial meeting drew less interest than they had hoped, the group started preparations for an agricultural fair in Fairfield to be held the following October. With a budget of $323, the group planned an event featuring livestock, crops, fruits, vegetables, farm implements, machinery, and other oddities spread over six acres.

In 1855, Fairfield again hosted the fair before organizers developed a rotating schedule to allow access for those who couldn’t travel. Muscatine, Oskaloosa, Iowa City, Dubuque, Burlington, Clinton, Keokuk, and Cedar Rapids all played host to the Iowa State Fair before it moved permanently to Des Moines in 1878. The current fairgrounds on the East Side of Iowa’s Capital City first hosted the fair starting in 1886. #IowaHistoryDaily #IowaOTD #IowaHistoryCalendar