Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 8, 1990)
Page 6 - Morrow County Fair & Rodeo - August 8, 1990 Diversity of fair showcases Morrow Co. 4-H enrollment remains high pride, productivity So far 141 project members have enrolled in Home Economics; 59 in Creative Arts; 199 in Livestock and Horse; and 20 in Games. Hor ticulture. Mechanical Science, Natural Resources and Small Animal project members will also participate in the 1990 Morrow County Fair. 4-H project members enrolled by June 1, 1990 are able to participate in fair 4-H events and contests. By Merlyn Robinson Fairs showcase an area’s produc tivity. Along with agriculture and forestry products, exhibits also display the diverse talents of its residents. Morrow County’s fair dates back to 1912. And county pride is the motivation for the volunteer efforts that continue to make each county fair a memorable event. The first fair in Heppner was held on north Main Street where the city park, library and museum building now are located. Records show there were 200 entries and no premium money was paid. A large round fair pavilion at this location was built by ranchers and other volunteers. When the fair was not in progress, the building was us ed for dances and roller skating. The present site of the fairgrounds on Hinton Creek became a perma nent facility in 1939. It was then that that county traded the former city il7«7i7t 106 E May Ave. 676-9961 block on Main Street to the city of Heppner in exchange for the former Civilian Conservation Corps head quarters adjacent to the rodeo field. Old barracks buildings were con verted into exhibit halls. But through the years, permanent buildings and barns replaced these wooden structures. In 1952, a large cinder-block building was constructed, to be known as the pavilion. The adjoin ing annex building and the dormitory building were built later. Before the construction of the steel livestock bam in 1965, the existing open shed livestock bams caught fire and were reconstructed by volunteers just two weeks prior to fair. In the late 60s the wooden grands tand adjacent to the highway was replaced with a steel and concrete structure. Other additions were horse box stalls, cyclone fencing and the drilling of a well. From 1923 through 1930, the Morrow County Extension agent Sharon Dawn to emcee talent contest « ...... § Your complete hardware store and home products center. "Welcome Fair and Rodeo Fans!" Cliff & Cindy Creen YOUR ONE-STOP BRAND CENTER 1990 Morrow County Fair & Rodeo Kit & Shirley George Your Catalog Sales Merchant HEPPNER 676-9006 zz -*•** JV »** G i ■>i-- a »» ■ ten’s Processing I Enjoy the Fair & Rodeo & Support the Livestock Sale ,> Have your animal sent back to us. We will deliver it to you cut, 4 wrapped, and frozen. 676-5150 Len Ray & Pat Schwarz Master of Ceremonies for the 1990 Morrow County Fair and Rodeo Amateur Talent Show will once again be Sharon Dawn of Milton-Freewater, emcee for last year’s contest. The talent show will be held Thursday, August 16 at 7 p.m. En try deadline is August 14. Entry forms should be returned to the Mor row County Fair, P.O. Box 464, Heppner or dropped by the fair office. Cash prizes will be awarded for the first three places in each category—six and under; 7-12; 13-17; and 18 and over. There are also special categories for small groups and out-of-county contests. Acts may be individuals or small groups and are limited to six minutes or less. A pre-audition may be held prior to Aug. 14. Winner of the talent show will perform at the Oregon State Fair Aug. 25. Judges are the Morrow County Fair and Rodeo Queen and Court. Almost anything goes as far as talent is concerned—musical numbers, dance routines, tumbling or lip sync numbers, just to name a few. Fair secretary Darlene Scrog gins says that some entries are in, but more are needed, so dust off those blue jeans and shine those boots and we’ll see you on center stage. took responsibility for putting on the fair. County agent Nels Anderson, now retired, served many years in this capacity. Under mandate of legislation, the county court ap pointed a three-person Fair Board. The Fair Board was later expanded to five people, with Jane Rawlins, Heppner, being the first woman to serve on the board. The funding of a fair and the year- around operation of the grounds is now supported by revenues from racing receipts. State legislation came about in 1933. The apportion ment of revenues has fluctuated ac cording to racing funds received. The base amount for each fair and festival was set at $22,000 in 1969. Additional racing funds are now distributed to approved fairs under the merit rating system County Fair Commission members evaluate each . fair. Money is awarded to each fair according to that fair’s rating through a point system. While space is limited for expan- • sion of the Morrow County Fairgrounds and there is a growing demand for multiple usage each fair somehow accommodates an enlarg ed amount of exhibits. Open class exhibits from homemaker skills to crafts and flowers, along with 4-H and FFA exhibits, are an integral part of Mor row County’s annual fair. Julie VAN MARTER & KAHL INSURANCE ^====IHC. Cindy HAVE FUJf AT THE FAIR! PO BOX 755 • 187 NORTH MAIN STREET • HEPPNER OREGON 97836 • 676-9113 Come see us after the fair Experienced in Farm Equipment Repair i | LEXINGTON MACHINE WORKS b 405 W. Main Street Lexington, Oregon 97839 i x (503) 989-8505 or after hours (503) 989-8132
