Polk County Fair History
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1913 | Sale of stock, $1 per share, sold to build fairgrounds in Dallas. |
| 1924 | Dallas donated land, a pavilion and stock shed were built. |
| 1934 | County used building for storage, Fair held at Dallas Armory. |
| 1938 | Fair moved to Monmouth, held in a tent next to City Hall. |
| 1940 | Fair moved to Grandstand at Oregon State College of Education, Fair held there until 1952. |
| 1949 | Present 20 acre site purchased from H.A. Dempsey and George Esau. |
| 1953 | Main exhibit building and first barn built, Fair held in August. |
| 1955 | Second barn built. |
| 1956 | Home and Garden Building constructed. |
| 1958 | Dining room and kitchen added to Main Building. |
| 1959 | Cattle barn built. |
| 1960 | Horticulture area constructed. Midway Association Booths built. Polk County Saddle-ite Horse Club organized. |
| 1962 | Completion of Horticulture area. |
| 1963 | South addition to Main Building. |
| 1964 | Arts and Crafts Building constructed, barn addition. |
| 1965 | Heating System Installed in Main Building. |
| 1966 | New Food Booth and Covered area in midway added, plus play ground equipment and tables and benches. Loading ramp built, mobile home purchased for caretakers. |
| 1967 | Livestock building constructed. |
| 1968 | Covered eating area built, developed winter parking area. |
| 1969 | Constructed 10 booth spaces on west side of Arts and Crafts Building. 12 horseshoe pits built for the first State Doubles Tournament. Concrete floor installed for covered eating area, beef wash rack built. New PA system installed. |
| 1970 | Completed first phase of doubling size of kitchen and dining area. |
| 1971 | Completed final phase of doubling kitchen and dining area. Installed underground electrical service to Main Building. Built 40’ x 120’ Horse Barn with 48 tie stalls. Country Garden Club donated funds for drinking fountain at rear of 4-H Building. |
| 1972 | Installed $10,000 lighting system in arena. Perrydale Goodwill Club and Perrydale Farmers Union donated funds for two drinking fountains. |
| 1973 | First phase of 120’ x 200’ Multipurpose Building constructed, cost of $25,750. New heating system in Main Building ($4,149). Country Garden Club and Polk County Extension Alumni donated funds for indoor-outdoor carpeting in lobby of Main Building. Henthorne Family donated funds in memory of Everett Henthorne to install refrigerated drinking fountain in Main Building. |
| 1974 | New shelves purchased for Foods Division and racks for Textile Division. Graveled 20,000 sq. ft. of parking area. |
| 1975 | Resurfaced front parking lot and other areas around the Main Building. Donations of $1,000 from Cascade Farm Service, Rickreall, and Dow Chemical Co. used to install brick pillars topped with entrance lights at the main gate. |
| 1976 | Installed 5,000 ft. of drainage tile in parking lot ($11,000). |
| 1977 | Partially paved area between Main Building and Arts and Crafts Building. New fence around arena, rebuilt announcers stand. Installed singular lighting in playground. |
| 1978 | Show arena fenced, constructed midway booths, installed arena lighting, added pegboard walls of Main Building (funds donated by Extension Alumni). |
| 1979 | Installed light between Arts and Crafts Building and 4-H Building, new 6” water lines, graveled section of parking lot, built goat arena. |
| 1980 | New siding on west and south ends of the Multi-Purpose Building. Concrete around three midway booths, between Main Building and Midway. Kitchen added in 4-H Building, new grill in Hamburger Heaven. |
| 1981 | Re-roofed half of the Main Building, remodeled horse stalls. |
| 1982 | Built walk-in cooler/freezer, installed stainless-steel sink unit in Main Kitchen. Repainted, installed florescent lighting in Horticulture area. Installed flourescent lighting in 4-H and Arts/Crafts Building. Purchased three bleachers and lecture speakers. New water line installed in front of Main Building. |
| 1983 | Paved area between Arts/Crafts Building and Main Building. Extension Alumni donated funds to build 18 tables and 3 pegboard display racks. |
| 1984 | Re-roofed cow barns, added thermal pane windows, insulation, aluminum roof, gutters and paint to the 4-H Building. |
| 1985 | Re-roofed Textile Room and front area of Main Building. Extension Alumni donated $975 to construct three sets of bleachers. Arena Association donated sand for Outdoor Arena. New speakers system installed with donation from the Arena Trust Fund. 17,739 sq. ft. of asphalt installed. Box Stalls built in horse barn, donations from the community and Los Caballeros Horse Club. Mistletoe donation to re-roof dining room area. |
| 1986 | Sheridan FFA constructed one bleacher. Concrete poured in barns. Sand donated for Arena by Sheriff Posse and Valley Concrete. County Committee donated fiberboard for the 4-H Building; Mistletoe Extension donated water lines and faucets for Multi-Purpose Building; Extension Study Group donated railings for the Show Arena. Saddle-ites donated clock for Small Meeting Room. Pat Adams donated microwave oven for 4-H Building. |
| 1987 | Polk County Sheriff’s Posse, 4-H Horse Leaders and Saddle-ites donated sand for the Outdoor Arena. Extension Alumni donated funds to build 16 display racks. Remodeled main office. Lottery Grant to remodel Arts and Crafts Building (adding showers, restrooms, kitchen, wood dance floor). Independence Wagon Wheelers donated kitchen cabinets, stove, refrigerator, and dishwasher plus labor to install wood dance floor in the Arts and Crafts Building. |
| 1988 | Polk County Extension Alumni donated $1,000 for improvements in the main kitchen (added doorway, counter and top, breakfast cart).
Polk County Master Gardeners constructed a gazebo in the garden area with the help of donations from local businesses and organizations. Areas landscaped and planted by Master Gardeners. Completion of Arts and Crafts remodeling project. Insulation and ceiling improvements in the Small Meeting Room, improvements for entry are in Main Building. |
| 1989 | Polk County Extension Alumni donated $1,000 to purchase new chairs for Small Meeting Room and new tables, also donated $1,800 for lighting on signboard. Re-roofed dome area of Main Building, added new entry doors. Purchased ovens for main kitchen, rebuilt cattle wash rack, materials donated by Welliver Metal Production, Ram Steel and Steel Co; labor donated by Bill Norfleet and Family and other 4-H & FFA members and parents. New electrical service to 4-H Building, Arts and Crafts Building, playground, game booth, barns. |
| 1990 | Installed new electrical system to main parking lot, enlarged parking area to the east side of fairgrounds, added ditching and drainage system, graveled all of main parking area. Polk County Extension Alumni donated funds to purchase new chairs and chair carts. Painted inside of 4-H Building. |
| 1991 | Main Building, Arts and Crafts Building and 4-H Building painted outside. Monmouth Garden Club plantings/landscaping around the Fair sign board. Small Kubota garden tractor donated to fairgrounds. Wainscoting in Main Room of Main Building. Air conditioning installed in the Arts and Crafts Building, funds donated from the Independence Wagon Wheelers and matched by the Polk County 500 Club. Polk County Extension Alumni donated funds to purchase chair carts and folding chairs. |
| 1992 | Exterior of Cattle Barn Painted. Replacement of grill and cook-top in the Main kitchen. Dining Rooms and Textile Room Wainscot to match the Main Room. Memorial Garden area begun, flag pole and paving stones installed, plantings. Trees and rhododendrons donated for front entrance of the fairgrounds. |
| 1993 | Repainted interior of the Arts and Crafts Building. Paving stones installed at the Main Ticket Booth area, contributed by Stone Man Paving. Entry overhangs constructed on the Arts and Crafts Building and the south entry of the Main Building. Wash rack installed in Sheep Barn. Tie downs in roofing system at the Beef Barn. Fund raising effort started for New Animal Building. |
| 1994 | First phase of the new 80’ x 200’ exhibit building started, using all volunteer labor and donated materials and funds. A new activity of the Fair was the Polk County Store featuring products manufactured and produced in Polk County. |
| 1995 | The Fair was awarded a grant to make the fairgrounds more accessible to handicapped patrons; improvements will include paving of parking lots, cement paving stones in the Floriculture area, modification to restrooms. R.V Dump Station was installed with the cooperative effort by the Oregon Good Sam’s & Bruce Johnson Construction Co. The Polk County Store continued to be successful during the Fair. The Polk County Heritage Era was added this year, educating the public to little known facts of the County and providing demonstrations. |
| 1996 | Polk County Fair Improvement Association was established to organize and operate an annual fundraiser dinner and auction. Funds generated from the dinner and auction were used to make improvements on the Fairgrounds, mostly to the new exhibit building. ADA grant project was completed, paving of the parking lots and remodeling of rest rooms for handicap accessibility |
| 1997 | Concrete floors were poured in Building C and in the Swine Barn; a concrete walkway was poured on the north end of the Swine Barn; asphalt overlay placed on the south end and along the east side of the swine barn; storm drain system installed in barn area. Funding to make improvements was generated by the Polk County Fair Improvement Dinner and Auction. |
| 1998 | Horse arena and livestock show arena fencing were replaced with new vinyl fencing. Improvements were made to the announcer’s stand in the horse arena. Funds to make improvements were generated by the Polk County Fair Improvement Dinner and Auction. |
| 1999 | Improvements made to RV area, painted Main Building, Shop, First Aid Booth, Bingo Booth, Dairy Booth, BBQ Booth, 4-H Building, and 4-H restrooms. Electrical outlets were checked and new gutters and down spouts were installed in the Beef, Dairy, Goat, Sheep, and Swine Barns. Repaired roof on Arts and Crafts Building. |
| 2000 | Swine Pens were purchased with funds generated by the Polk County Fair Improvement Dinner and Auction. Improvements were made to the beef barn. |
| 2001 | New wall for the east side of the sheep barn was put up, dust control in the sheep barn, new sheep pens built, metal fence constructed on north side of beef barns with funds generated by the Polk County Fair Improvement Dinner and Auction, and manure ramps constructed by Aqriweld. |
| 2002 | Goat panels built by volunteers, portable horse stalls purchased, and used at fair time with funds generated by the Polk County Fair Improvement Dinner and Auction. 4 Portable P.A. systems were purchased with money donated by the OSU Extension Alumni. Rolling carts were constructed by Frank Muno for easier transport of the P.A. systems to different barns. |
| 2003 | 50 new rabbit cages and updates to the electrical system in the arena dog house we done with funds generated from the Polk County Fair Improvement Association dinner auction. A carpet cleaner was purchased with funds from the Craft Festival door donations. A new front flower and plant bed was put together by the Master Gardeners. 18 loads of sand were donated for the arena by John Fowler Sand & Gravel and the trucking of the sand was paid for by the 4-H Horse Leaders Association. |
| 2004 | A new 8,092 sq. ft. floral building was constructed. This was the first major construction on the fairgrounds in 10 years. The old floral building was tore down and hauled away by volunteers from the Polk Soil & Water Conservation District. The gazebo constructed by the Master Gardeners in 1988 was removed. Money for this project came from grants from the Spirit Mt. Community Fund, the Rural Development Fund and the Polk County General Fund. The funds from the Polk County Fair Improvement Association were used to put lights in the small show arena, lumber to redo the 4-H stage and purchase a new livestock scale. A fax machine for the main office and a roaster oven for the main kitchen were donated. The main office and both meeting rooms were repainted by a volunteer from Inter-stone Paving. |
| 2005 | Building C was acclimatized, the sheep panels were rebuilt and repainted and the septic system in the main building was replaced. Money was raised to buy a new PA system for the main building and put on hold to use as a matching fund for a grant to put a PA system throughout the entire fairgrounds. |
| 2006 | Electrical upgrades were done to the beef and swine barns with money raised by the Polk County Fair Improvement Association. Master Gardeners donated money to put in a man door and an exhaust fan in the floral building. Stairs were replaced at the dog house in the arena. We removed the Ham Shack to allow for more RV parking with volunteers from the HALO program. |
| 2007 | Replaced the septic tank and drain lines to the caretaker’s residence. Concrete was poured around building C, pervious up front and regular around the sides, donated by Scott Erickson of Quality Concrete, work done by Ritchter Concrete Construction. New drains were installed throughout the grounds, new concrete was poured in front of Market Office and Swine Barn, labor was donated by Scott Andersen. A new tractor was purchased from Brim Tractor. New arena poles and lights were put up. Poles donated by Commissioner Mike Propes, labor and equipment to put poles in the ground was donated by John Strader and Bill White of PP&L. A new PA system was installed throughout the grounds, system and technical support done by Larry Aiken of North West Staged Events Ltd. dba Sounthbound Sound electric for system was donated by DC Electric, all labor for the project was donated by Scott Andersen, Mark Humphries and Mark Andersen. Paid for through a RDF grant, PCFIA and the Fair Foundation. |
| 2008 | Central FFA made metal table carts. Central High School wood shop made 20 new tables and the Independence Wagon Wheelers put the legs on them. The bleachers to the west of the arena were covered with a wood structure, funds provided by the Polk County Fair Improvement Association, Polk County Fair Foundation and Polk County General fund.The patio behind the 4-H building and a walkway from the patio of the main building to the new patio at the 4-H building was put in, ground work done by donated equipment from Bob Eagon Excavating and donated labor by Bob Eagon, Scott and Mark Andersen. Sand donated by Grossman & Wesson Gravel. Gravel provided at a discount price by Valley Concrete. Pavers furnished at a discount price from Western Interlock and installation of the pavers provided at a discount by Pavers Inc. Funds for this project we provided by the Warner Waddell Trust. |
| 2009 | Enclosed the kitchen in the main building with fund from a Rural Development Grant and PCFIA. Replaced 6 manure bins, labor by Haight fabrication, funds from PCFIA. New beef and swine barn doors were built by Central FFA. |
| 2010 | Replace grease trap in main kitchen work done by Garber Excavating. Replaced carpet in Main entry – labor donated by Valley Flooring Center of West Salem. Put water filter system in Swine barn. Replaced carpet in Caretaker’s bedrooms – carpet donated by Valley Flooring Center of West Salem. Purchase new riding lawn mower (Huskavarna) from L & L Equipment. Purchase brush mower for New Holland tractor from Rickreall Farm Supply. Purchased a Kawasaki Mule from Ag West. Planted 20 trees throughout grounds, trees donated by Meyers Nursery, equipment donated by Eagon Excavating, planted with donated labor. Trees delivered by volunteer Linda Lambert and holes dug by volunteer Scott Andersen. Dog house stairs replaced by volunteers from the Bus N USA RV Rally, lumber donated by Independence Wagon Wheelers. Dog house door and window revamped by Fair Board members Dean Anderson and Keith Harris. |
| 2011 | 30 trees were donated by Meyers Nursery and planted by volunteers from 4-H and FFA, equipment donated by Bob Eagon Excavation and Rickreall Farm Supply. Mulch for the project was donated by Grossman & Weston Gravel. 10 picnic tables were built by the HALO program members, funding for this project came from the Polk County Fair Improvement and the Dallas Community Foundation. The drain system for the swine barn was completely redone, rock was donated by Grossman & Weston Gravel and labor was donated by Scott Andersen. The bus stop was put in at the front of the fairgrounds for Salem Transit (Cherriots) with a grant from ODOT. 10 loads of gravel were dug out of the bus stop area and put back onto the parking lot equipment donated by Polk County Public Works and labor donated by Scott Andersen. |
| 2012 | The Polk County Fair Improvement Association started the first phase of the remodel of the 4-H bathrooms; 2 new showers were added to each bathroom and upgrade of the water heater. Replaced old wooden sign board with new electronic sign. Upgraded the electric in 4-H building. Upgraded the lights in Main, 4-H, A/C and Swine barn. Put the first set of bricks in the main entry of main building. Put roll up doors on the floral building. Replaced two sets of doors in the 4-H building and put in new outside lights on the 4-H building. Replaced 2 stoves and a microwave in the 4-H building with help from Keizer Appliance. |
| 2013 | Framed in new roll up doors on the floral building with donated labor from Scott Andersen. County donated dirt to bring up horse barn floor. Replaced pegboard in textile room. Insulated the doors in building C. Replaced both sets of doors on East side of main building. Replaced lighting on front of main building. Replaced counter tops in A/C building. The Polk County Fair Foundation through a capital campaign raised $120,000.00 and purchased 16 acres to the East for the fairgrounds. |
| 2014 | Polk County Fair Improvement Association started 2nd phase of 4-H bathrooms, replaced sinks, toilets, counters and heater. Front piece of fairgrounds got WIFI. 3 Security cameras were installed. |
| 2015 | Large speakers at arena were installed and hooked up. Water main replaced. Front entry of grounds remodeled. Fair Office remodeled. 3 Security gates put in Main Building. Demolished dairy & bingo booths. Fixed septic pipe at south end of Main Building. New doors on south end of Main Building. Put pocket door from Main to Textile Room. |
| 2016 | Remodeled Board Room. Old concrete removed, rock and pavers put in for new patio with donated labor from Russ Brown Excavating and Scott Andersen. |
| 2017 | Back up generator for Main Building installed. New Caretakers home put in at front of Fairgrounds. 2 maple trees donated by Mark Fancy and planted at the North end of the beef barn. Barn bathrooms pressure washed, scraped and repainted as an Eagle Scout project done by Christian Sarvila. Put safety gates in between barn and show ring. New barn doors for North end of beef barn built by Central FFA. Replaced 2 gas fryers in the kitchen. |
| 2018 | Take out old BBA booth and concrete, replace with pavers and added electric and water for food truck hook ups. Put in new walkway with pavers at Floral building. Had all 20 of our portable stage pieces taken apart and remodled with new tops and hardware as an Eagle Scout project by Samuel Noack. |
| 2019 | Replaced sinks & counter tops in Arts & Craft building restrooms, added a 750 gallon fuel tank for back up generator from Emergency Management grants obtained by Polk County Emergency Manager Dean Bender. Replace front doors on A/C building. County replaced old tractor for the fairgrounds. Replaced office equipment & display cases, donated by Red Cross. Replaced lights in barns, bldg. C, parking lot, lights on grounds and out buildings with a grant from the Energy Trust of Oregon. |
