Alderson's Fair

In 1884 and 1885 Alderson a large but far from prosperous Fair.  greenbrier County records disclose a few meager facts and the Greenbrier Independent recounts a few more.  The Greenbrier Valley Industrial Exposition Association was know simply as the "Alderson Fair."  The records show the Association bought 16 acres of land along the Greenbrier River where Camp Greenbrier is now located, in June 1884, from Rufus Alderson.  A high board fence was built around the tract.  (Rufus Alderson reserved the right for his family and the family of Thomas H. Alderson to walk through the property by a path through licked gates.)  An old road up the river was changed from going through the fair grounds to skirt them to the north.  The President of the Association was James Mann and the Directors were William L. McNeel, Austin Handley, Samuel G. Briggs, M. P. Farrier, Caleb E. Johnson, W. W. Pence, John W. Johnson John G. Crockett and Frank Follansbee.

The first Fair in October, 1884, lasted a week and there were scores of prizes for everything from cattle to wine, horses to French embroidery, flour to apples.  Among the winners were Lewisburg Independent Band and Lewisburg Baseball Team both winning first prizes.

The second year, and the last, the Fair was held October 13 through 16, 1885.  That year a race track had been built and there were trotting, pacing and running horse races.

Although there was a large attendance evidently it could not support such a sizeable venture at that time.  The Greenbrier Valley Industrial Exposition Association went out of business and the property was sold in November, 1885, to satisfy bonds of $1215.00.

For more on Alderson's Fair and other W. Va.  fairs see this link.

Next: Camp Greenbrier

The contents contained in this series is copyrighted and the sole property of The Greenbrier Historical Society - Lewisburg, WV
Used by permission - November 18, 2008