From fair horses to war horses

It added new meeting to the term draft horses, as local horses were sent to battle even as politicians in the United States debated whether the nation should enter World War I.

On Aug. 29, 1916, The Glens Falls Times and Messenger reported that Plattsburgh livestock dealer J. L. Ollivetti & Son, acting as an agent of the French government, was seeking to purchase 2,000 horses across a five-county region, including Warren and Washington counties, to ship to Europe to become French Army cavalry horses.

“From all accounts, good prices are to be paid and the commission men state that the majority of their purchases will be made at the various county fairs which are to be held throughout the next few weeks.”

Following are more agricultural fair anecdotes collected from historic newspapers of the region.

• A sprinkling of rain did not mar the opening day of The Washington County Fair in 1885.

“The Washington County Fair had an auspicious opening yesterday. The sky was almost cloudless and old sol put on his brightest smile to the eminent delight of the management,” The Morning Star reported on Sept. 2, 1885. “Late in the afternoon, however, dark clouds gathered and a drizzling rain for a few moments’ duration followed. The slight sprinkle of rain did not materially interfere with the progress of the fair, or the enjoyment of those present.

• On Oct. 10, 1874, the Ticonderoga Sentinel reported that Evan T. Sprague, “not yet 12 years old,” won 13 of the 38 premiums at the Vermont State Fair.
• On Aug. 22, 1890, The Morning Star reported that a “genuine Coney Island clam bake” would be served at he Sandy Hill fairgrounds each day of the Washington County Fair Sept. 8–12.
• On Aug. 30, 1919, The Post-Star reported that 10,000 people attended the Washington County Fair the previous day on an almost perfect closing day.

“There was but one thing which marred the enjoyment of many of those in attendance. Two officials from the state Department of Agriculture arrived at the grounds yesterday and, after inspecting the various concessions, decided that the fair grounds were no place for them, and, consequently, all games of chance, such as ringing canes, bowling for prizes, rolling and throwing baseballs for prizes and other such games were put out of commission.”

• Maggie Johnson, a farmer’s daughter, with a time of 51 seconds, won the prize at the Green County Fair for the person who could harness and unharness a horse the fastest, The Morning Star reported on Oct. 3, 1887
• The Saratoga County Fair in 1888 paid out $1,387.75 in prize money — — the equivalent of $42,233 in 2022 dollars — to 180 contestants. Prizes ranged from 25 cents to $91, The Morning Star reported on Sept. 22, 1888
• The Morning Star on Oct. 1, 1888, republished a Fort Edward Advertiser report about attendance at The Washington County Fair.

“The citizens of Glens Falls, loveliest go-ahead town in northern New York, must have appreciated our fair, judging from the number of tickets sold there.”