100 yrs The Tradition Lives on

History

The first talk of having a Greenlee County Fair was in the spring of 1916, but no one wanted to bother with it, even though several men thought it would be a good idea to have a fair.  In the spring of 1918, the Greenlee County Fair was brought up again, but because of WWI the idea was shot down for a second time.  However, because of a persistent county agent and supportive community members, the first Greenlee County Fair was held on October 25, 1919.  The Fair was located at the Union High School and lasted only one day.  It is believed that there were approximately two to three thousand attendants who viewed the exhibits and attended the sporting events.  A few examples of the exhibits that could be seen at the first Greenlee County Fair were corn, fruit, and chrysanthemums. 

By 1922, a piece of land consisting of 40 1/2 acres was purchased for the location of the Greenlee County Fair.  The land had been cleared and leveled, two exhibition buildings constructed, 55 standard poultry coops obtained, as well as numerous other improvements.  Each year, the County Fair continued to grow.  According to the 1925 County Extension Agent, Jean Miller, “The Greenlee County Fair is recognized as the biggest and most beneficial celebration we have…” (Greenlee County Agents Annual Reports.  1916-1932, U of A).