Tuesday, Sept. 3, 1901: State Fair
Posted on August 24th, 2005 – 3:45 PMBy Ben Welter
What was the Great Minnesota Get-Together like in 1901, the year that Vice President Theodore Roosevelt delivered his “Speak softly and carry a big stick” speech before an appreciative throng at the grandstand? Food was popular, of course, though there were no reports of anything on a stick. Livestock was big back then, along with arts and crafts and farm machinery. And of course there was Roosevelt’s really long speech, excerpts of which follow these vignettes of the 42nd Minnesota State Fair, as reported in the Minneapolis Tribune:
IMMENSE CROWD HELPS
TO OPEN STATE FAIR
Records Fail to Show a Duplicate of the Attend-
ance on Any Previous
Opening Day.
Exhibits Are All in Position, and a Big Majority
Are More Elaborate Than Has Ever
Before Been Attempted
Minnesota.
No Longer the Gopher state.
The Bread and Butter state now.
So Gov. Van Sant, following the Pan-American suggestion, christened it at the grounds of the State Agricultural Society yesterday on the occasion of the opening of the forty-second annual state fair.
But the governor might have gone much farther, for the exhibits gathered within the vast enclosure show that not only in bread and butter, in grain and dairy, do we now excel, but in manufacturing, in poultry raising, in mining and in hundreds of other directions.
There was the biggest Monday crowd in state fair history. They were strolling leisurely about the grounds and through the buildings when “Boom” thundered a gun. “The band began to play” and everyone knew that Roosevelt had arrived. From that time until the formal opening exercises were over even the barkers in the midway found only a few people to shout at, and so by common consent business was abandoned until exercises in front of the grand stand were over.
Then it began as if bedlam had been let loose. “The original streets of Cairo,” the French theater, the handsome fat woman and all the other attractions of the Midway were active bidders for trade, and all did a good business until the afternoon attractions on the race track.
SHOWS ON THE MIDWAY.
“Step right in; you’ll never regret it as long as you live. It’s the only good show on the grounds, and you see it all for only –”
The Midway, with all the world’s fair embellishments, from the Hulu Hulu dancers to the Ferris wheel, is in full blast at the grounds. The show which has the best and loudest barker gets the business, regardless of what there is to see inside.
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| A barker on the Midway, circa 1900, featuring palm readers and Hulu Hulu dancers. (Minneapolis Journal photo) |
One does not need a catalogue to get information on the Midway. He need only stand a few moments in the street and keep his ears open, and if he happens to be gifted with about three more than the regulation six senses, he may be able to absorb all the information at once.
Every show on the Midway has some kind of an attraction on the outside, and by going from one tent to another one sees a pretty fair vaudeville show, and saves the price of admission. One will have a ventriloquist upon a high box talking and disputing with a wooden dummy, a sleight–of-hand performer amuses and mystifies the throng at another place, a negro sings melodies here, a girl in brilliant costume dances there, the entire company of performers does a stunt on a platform in front of this tent, while a man with a thousand faces portrays great men in front of that one.
Then, as if the elements had broken loose in every language, attention is called in another direction by a commotion which fairly shakes the earth. The crowds turn to look, and are met with a megaphone announcement to the effect that a show is to commence inside another tent in just so many minutes.
The midway is manifestly among the necessities.
MANY OTHER ATTRACTIONS.
Outside the Midway, and scattered here and there over the grounds, are many other attractions. At one tent a huge sign notifies the public that all kinds of battles are shown on canvas, and then, as if by way of a joker a card announces that Carrie Nation is also included.
At another place Wirtensohn, of Minneapolis, has a tent in which he has constructed what he claims to be the smallest bicycle track in the world. It is at an angle of 45 degrees, and here at each hour Drehmel, Farnsworth, Lisette and Christie give break-neck exhibitions.
At one place on the Midway is a group of minstrels, and the barker assures the public that he lives in the Twin Cities – which one he very discreetly omits to mention – “and gentlemen and ladies,” he goes on, “I assure you that living here as I do, I would not lie to you for the paltry sum of a dime, ten cents; walk right in; the show is about to begin.”
A tent and awning man has opened an outdoor “furnished rooms for light housekeeping” department, and while the tents are being well filled, a series of preliminary questions gives the attendants a chance to feel perfectly conscientious in the matter of earning their salaries.
The most common among the queries is the one concerning the rights of an individual who rents a tent. The invariably want to know whether or not, by reason of the fact that they sleep in the grounds, they will be required to pay and extra admission for each day.
The answer, instead of turning away wrath, turns away about half of the applicants. It is to be the effect that the fair grounds management has carefully considered that question, and have accordingly caused to be issued weekly tickets which are sold for the insignificant sum of $2. This ticket is punched about 6 o’clock every morning. If an occupant of a tent happens to overlook the little matter of purchasing a ticket, he can avoid being escorted outside the gates by a special officer by forking over 50 cents.
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| The State Fair’s Ferris wheel, shown here in 1902, did brisk business during the 1901 fair. (Photo courtesy Minnesota Historical Society) |
CHURCHES MAKE MONEY.
The churches which have established dining halls inside the grounds did a big business yesterday. Fifty cents was the uniform price of a meal, and some of the church tents were crowded all day long. At one place the sign was taken down by the middle of the afternoon because of the lack of supplies, and it happened to be the one where the committee in charge had been worrying during the morning because so much had been put in.
The hundreds of coffee and sandwich stands were surrounded all day by customers. Moderate prices prevailed, and the throng seemed to patronize the places well by way of approval.
THE MANY EXHIBITORS.
Nearly all of yesterday was occupied in getting things in place in the main building, although most of the exhibitors were ready early in the day. By night, however, everything was in place. The S.E. Olson Co., Donaldson & Co., the Mannheimer Bros. and Schunemann & Evans occupy the four corners at the intersection of the four aisles of the main building.
In the north aisle, the first attraction after one leaves the center is the exhibit of the North Star Woolen mills, which show some of their handsome goods in a glass case, while on a table on one side is another display of their blankets, etc.
The other exhibitors in this end of the building are the White Enamel Refrigerator Co., the Home Sewing Machine Co., the American Desk Co., the Twin City Telephone Co., Lennon & Gibbons, Albrecht & Son, Towle’s Log Cabin Syrup, H.S. Cleveland, stoves, and the Central Gas Fixtures Co.
In the south aisle are Dyer & Bro. and the Metropolitan music companies, Northwestern Hide and Fur Co., Hallwood Cash Register and a bunch of hardware men, including Justus and Adam Decker, of St. Paul, and the Lane Co., and Grienhagen Bros., of Minneapolis. Here also is the exhibit of the state training school.
The east wing is devoted entirely to the exhibit of the state fish and game commission. There are 32 tanks, in which are to be found every variety of fish shown at the state hatchery as well as many not found there, including eels, bullsheads a la Waterville (which is one of [Fish and Game Commissioner] Sam Fullerton’s jokes), and other varieties of common fish. Stuffed specimens of birds and animals are also shown.
IN THE WEST WING.
In the west wing are Sharood & Crooks, foot wear, the National Cash Register, the St. Paul Roofing Co. and Gribben & Sextou, St. Paul hardware. In this wing is also the exhibit of the state prison, and the state reformatory, which, taken in connection with the exhibits from the state training school and the school for defectives, makes a splendid showing for Minnesota.
The state prison exhibit shows figures clad in the three grades of uniform worn by prisoners, beside a big display of Manila, sisal and mixed binding twines, with a package of hemp as received from Manila, and in addition a fine display of the manufactured articles made by inmates of the prison.
In the St. Cloud reformatory department are shown shoes, tinware and other articles made at the prison, as well as samples of dressed granite.
In the exhibit of the Faribault school for defectives are shown baby dresses made by blind people and made so artistically that they would shame the handiwork of half the people who can see, and other artistic needlework is shown some beautiful sloyd work, a couple of chests, beautifully inlaid, a handsome china closet and beautiful and artistic work in other directions.
THE WOMAN’S BUILDING.
In this building are huddled 1,115 exhibits in a space which is not sufficient to attractively display much more than half that number. In such a display wall space is requisite, and it is impossible to properly show the work without it. There is certainly a crying need for a larger building, and the next legislature will be ask to make an appropriation for it.
The display is the largest ever made at the fair. There are some beautiful tapestries, embroideries, laces and all the other things that go to make up dainty work of artistic women. Of the tapestries the “Lion’s Bride” is the most fascinating. “The Oriental Dancer” is another attractive work.
Some pretty work is shown in the section devoted to the Old Ladies. Among other interesting exhibits is a silk quilt made by Mary Hole, in her 85th year.
MACHINERY EXHIBIT.
The machinery department is popular. The buildings are all comfortably filled with the latest types of various kinds of machinery, much of which is kept in motion by gasoline engine and other power. Practical demonstrations with different kinds of farming implements goes on all the time.
A corn planter, operated by a belt, drops just three grains of corn at a stroke; a cleaner separates oats from wheat after the grain has been thoroughly mixed by an attendant; hay is scattered on the ground and a hay-stacker puts it up in little round piles; corn by the bushel is shelled, and feed is ground, just to show that the machines will do all that is claimed for them.
STATE FAIR NOTES.
The special policemen were kept busy watching the outer fences. Whenever one turned his back to see the sights for a few moments he put in the following half hour chasing boys who had admitted themselves on French tickets.
The Maple Leaf eating tent caught fire on Sunday night, and the fire department had an opportunity to show what it could do in case of an emergency. It made an excellent stop of the fire.
The phonograph squeaks and grinds in every direction, and old songs long tabooed and outlawed are inflicted upon the passing throngs.
2 Responses to "Tuesday, Sept. 3, 1901: State Fair"
I have a book on the state fair which was published in 1964. It says the receipts for the 1901 fair were $132,121 and disbursements were $94,517. The original agricultural/horticultural building was opened that year. Also, the first state fair post office opened that year and water was supplied, permanently, to the fair, by hooking up to the St. Paul City Water Works in 1901.
Thanks for your post, Ruth. I’m hoping this blog will generate a lot of responses. Readers are encouraged to share their reactions, pose questions and, as you’ve done, add interesting background information.
