Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 19, 1976)
THE CAZETTK-TtMKS. Ileppner. OR, Thursday. August 19. 1978. Page THE OLD WEST LIVES OVER AGAIN EACH YEAR AT HEPPNER . . , , . . .. : .fx. il I Cri w- - - - Seen. . S.-D.y Mee, E.cH Y..r, . Annua. Even, to. A - and Con.oun, TTTT O n JtlllS' ttoiry fair run k in 19.3. briar. W Sherman's parent, were evea "JSrJ; lir go. its Mart. The original location of the fair was where Cal s Areo is today IIS and rodeo have gone .hrough plenty of changes since that beginning 63 year At ,,. star, the fair took place where Ca.'s is and stayed there for about seven years. M. . . . used to buck horses in open . If they got loose , you just hoped to hell you could catch 'em." accord,ng to Floyd Jones, rode, board member from .952 .904 and fair board member from .964 to today and still gomg wherethe library and "S,SeTl.S fair mcludcd such items a. home --n fruit, ud vegetables. Mo.1 of the exhibit, were ZfZr.. In .... There w.s some livestock "h'bits m loc catue a P there were about 200 entriM .nd no premiums to worn ior. 4H ers involved than total entries back ghow Entertainment back then cant match next week ; M.ny enjoyed battles of tug of war ft races, hem II In .914. horses entered the fair. An maae , inubl)edi 8addied and and buggies In . circle. The horse, were brough t inM , the c w . then ridden. Some rmle until the time wm "P-JJ " off the best he could. When the horse broke out of the makeshift jfi , m the fair From .9.8 through 1919. there was no fair because of World war resumed with the addition of a carnival. wrestling matches In 192.. the fair moved to the f0 ,ha. pitted local talent .gainst the carnlv a pro. i lo (hp in .92.. rod event, were added and Union .KH k corral, near Pettyjohns. Jones said. The maKcn.u makeshift. . , you jU8t hoped to hell you They used to buck h.es In the open Jf they J hor9e riding effort. Co Arco Heppner Rodeo Association owned a portion of the stock J" dlonn atunragt.s.r;hey do today, started helping with the fair -ound 19m They took theS ! putUng an the fair. The county court appointed a three-member board to X'tfeclrnival was located behind what is now the Wagon W:.tlwr. hardware store. The hardware store caught fire and burned the entire carnival to the 87nThe depression years, from 1930 to 1940. the fair managed to continue .nd I ribbon, were awarded in place o." premium.. THe location of the event, remained the same and stock was still furnished by locals. A trade of land between city and county took place in 1940. We library site was traded for the present fair site. There were several CCC buildings on the new s.te and coIZ.Towrmerchant, underwrote the rodeo stock and in the event of . 'rTfewfs dUuPr!nhg WWII, the fair fizzled to a close. It wasn't until 19 that the state oXizZ .rac 4 funds and allotted each county an equal port.on to help pay for cash premium. The foreman got drunk so the black men carried him outside, locked the doors and got the job finished. In .950. the present fair and exhibit building was built wuh donated labor, cost ng S3 wo The only paid personcl were a foreman and five black men who finished he cement So? foreman go. drunk so the black men carried him outside, locked the door and got the Job finished. The first 411 and FFA fat stock auction wa. held in 1948 under the d.rection of Harold orVrtSSil in .953 and buck.roo .tands followed the next year. The dormitory building went up In 1963 and the Indoor arena in 1965. me Sowing year, the Vat. and bleacher, went up. In 1968. the fireproof grln2!3nl S The rest room, and snack shack were added In .970 and in 197.. well and sprinkler, were Installed. The fair ha. continued much the ame way for the last few year.. Jones says. Ust year talking to the Chamber of Commerce. Jone. .aid the Bicentenr Lb! produce the biggest and best fair and rodeo in the history of the fair. Is every body ready?
