(By the way, P.L. (Pleasant Luther) DOW 2nd place winner of "Early Potatoes" was my great-grand uncle. Les)

September 30, 1904

TAMPICO HAS BIG A FAIR

Farmer's Have a Big Exhibition of Products in Boyer & Kendall's Big Lumber Shed.

Tampico had a big fair last Saturday and although there was no horse racing, no balloon ascension or side shows, just a good old fashioned display of what the farmers are raising year after year, the town was crowded all day long and the fair was a great big success. The fair was held in BOYER and KENDALL's large new lumber shed and no admission what ever was charged, the firm going down in their pockets to pay the $150 worth of premiums offered. It was planned and engineered by H.B. BOYER of the firm and was principally held to call the farmers attention to the firms facility for handling lumber.

The display of plump, smooth, potatoes, mammoth pumpkins, big squashes, handsome apples and highly bred corn, and many other vegetables with the cakes, biscuits and bread would have shamed this year's fairs both at Sterling and Morrison as the people who visited all three said the collection of here beat the county fairs by a wide margin. A walk down the broad driveway of the shed made one appreciate what a good place this is to live and created a wonderful impression on the many strangers who came from long distances.

Crowds of farmers gathered in and near the big shed all day, discussing the different products, exchanging ideas and visiting. The fair with its big display was one of the principal things talked about and has been the talk of the farmers and everybody in this vicinity since. The fair was the biggest and best thing that was ever held here and while it advertised BOYER & KENDALL it was a windfall for the other business houses.

There was a hot game of base ball in the forenoon between north side and south side farmer teams. The south side best 6 to 4.

William SHERE brought in the biggest beet shown. Jas STRUM had an exhibit of Texas grown stuff which attached much notice. Henry OLDS exhibited some 1903 potatoes that looked good enough for a hungry man, they must be good keepers. C.D. JOHNSON's big water melons were a temptation to the small boys. Fred SCOTT exhibited 41 varieties of fruit, all of the fine.

Many strange freaks were shown and there was much that was interesting to see besides the exhibit. John HELLIERS' four legged chicken attracted much attention. Many of the oldest inhabitants say the fair attracted the biggest crowd ever seen in Tampico. The afternoon ball game attracted a very large crowd and was full of interest from start to finish, had not METCALF been shut in by the spectators so that he could not get to a foul ball, the game would probably been 0 to 0 at the end of the ninth inning.

C.W. BLACKBURN had a whole section for a display of products from his farm. He had small bales of hay, fodder, clover, etc and a steers head made of muslin stuffed with two large long curly beets for horns and sunflowers for eyes.

Premiums Awarded

Farm Products

Exhibit                   1st Prize                             2nd Prize

Yellow corn            B.J. MILLER                       J.H. PLUMLEY

White corn             Will RUCK                          Fred SCOTT

Best hill "               P. LAUDENBERG              H. HERRINGTON

" red corn              H. HERRINGTON                H. STOFFREGAN

" pop "                  Earl DARNELL                    Frank WEST

" sweet "               Sam MEEK                         L. WHEELOCK

" early potatoes     J.G. PLUMLEY                    P.L. DOW

" late "                  Frank WEST                       Geo. FORWARD

" mix oats            John CORDES                     E. McCRACKEN

" white "               Frank LEE                           Oscar WETZELL

" rye                    Henry LAUFF

" beets                Mrs. J. PLUMLEY                A. NELSON

" tomatoes          Geo. FORWARD                  Sam MEEK

" onions              Walter YOUNG                    Walt'r YOUNG

" cabbages         John LAUFF                        M. POLLOCK

" beans              Walter YOUNG                     same

" buck wheat      Otto NELSON                      B. POTTER