1889 Alabama State Fair
The 1889 Alabama State Fair was a State Fair held in October to November 2, 1889 at the Alabama State Fairgrounds in Birmingham. I. F. Culver was president of the fair, which was sponsored by the stockholders of the Birmingham Fair Association.
The fair featured five agricultural exhibits. One each came from Madison County, from the Madison County Central Club, from the Oswichee Alliance, from J. P. McLoudon of Montgomery, and from the state of Kansas. Bessemer, Fort Payne and Talladega contributed exhibits of minerals. The Louisville & Nashville Railroad put up an exhibit which included newly-commissioned photographs of Sand Mountain taken by John Horgan.
Wednesday, October 30 was "School Day". Birmingham City Schools superintendent John Phillips declared a holiday and issued coupons allowing students and faculty to ride the Bessemer Dummy Line for a 10-cent round-trip fare and to be admitted to the fair grounds for 15 cents. Military veterans were given similar accommodations on the same day. Friday November 1 was "Farmer's Day", with most railroads offering special fares of 1 cent per mile. The Tennessee Coal, Iron and Railroad Company also made that day a holiday for its workers.
A major draw for the fair was afternoon horse races, both trotting and running. Special exhibitions included a combined balloon ascent and parachute jump. Visitors were also treated to musical performances and extensive side shows.
References
- "The State Fair in Full Blast and Big Crowds Here" (October 30, 1889) The Weekly Age-Herald, p. 5 - via Birmingham Public Library Digital Collections