Special Edition • Morrow County Fair and Rodeo • Heppner Gazette-Times. Wednesday. August 8, 2012 - Page 27
The Morrow County Fair through time
The Morrow County Fair is now celebrating its 99th birthday, with the first fair held in 1913. Other interesting facts belo
notation o f a three year-cancellation o f the fair during World War II.
1913
1915
1918
1919
1920
First Morrow County
Fair held in the area of
what is now the park
and museum on Main
Street. There were 200
entries o f livestock
and land products, no
premiums were paid.
Paid out $ 1,500 in pre
mium money. Fair held
in early September.
In January the first
Oregon State Extension
Office was established
in Heppner. The 4-H
program began in the
early 1900s under the
supervision of the Ex
tension Service. Lucy
Rogers, then school
superintendent, was
instrumental in helping
to activate the county’s
4-H program.
County-wide par
ticipation was noted
as Irrigon won first in
community exhibits,
and Boardman was
awarded the best school
exhibit.
Boardman had its first
commercial fair in
September; exhibits
were then sent express
1922
1923-
1930
1937
to Salem for the State
Fair. It was the only
county fair that year.
Fairs in the south end
of the county were held
intermittently for a
number o f years.
Rodeo area was
established when L.V.
Gentry donated that
site for rodeos. The
adjoining fairgrounds
accommodations came
about when the county
traded the block on
Main Street to the city
of Heppner in exchange
for the disbanded Civil
ian Conservation Corps
site (workers had been
housed in barracks
buildings).
County Extension
agent and volunteers
stage the fair. County
court then appointed a
three-person fair board
to oversee activities.
Beginning o f FFA
(Future Farmers of
America). The program
became an integral part
o f rural county fairs.
Participation included
1939
1942-
1945
1946
1949
1952
R e a lly ?
O ur partner agencies receive every
penny of every dollar you contribute
through the United Way!
1954
U nited
Way
L IK E
us on
facebook
U m a tilla & M o rro w
C o u n tie s
w » w.u m u tillu m o rn m u n ilid w ay.org
1955
livestock and shop
projects, judging con
tests, demonstrations
and tractor driving
contests. Pole building
sheds were erected to
accommodate live
stock exhibits for both
open class and youth.
Volunteer labor was
contributed by ranchers
and farmers.
County fair in Heppner
became an annual event
after it was relocated to
the present day rodeo/
fair site. Old wooden
buildings from the
CCC site were convert
ed into space for fair
exhibits and became
the permanent site.
1961
1965
1968
No Fair was held for
three years during
World War II.
A wooden bam build
ing became the site
of the newly formed
Wrangler Riding Club;
the club managed a
horse show in conjunc
tion with the fair activi
ties.
Beef and Sheep Build
ing built.
Brought about better
exhibit space, construc
tion of a large cinder-
block building, (pavil
ion). A wooden dance
floor was also installed
for rodeo dances,
community events and
other activities through
out the year. Expanded
areas of interest, in
addition to home eco
nomics, land products
and livestock classes,
flower crafts, arts and
hobby interests were
added. Restrooms and
dressing rooms built,
used during football
and baseball seasons, as
well as rodeo and fair.
Fairs in the north end
o f the county were
discontinued when
it became a state law
limiting one fair per
county.
Dormitory built for
overnight accommoda
tions for those youth
exhibitors living some
distance from the fair.
1975
1983
1985
1996
1997
4-H snack shack was
built on the grounds
to provide meals for
fairgoers and a source
of revenue for 4-H
programs by using
volunteer labor.
More livestock exhibit
space was needed; a
steel enclosed bam
building was erected.
1998
Bleachers seats inside
were added in 1966.
Though limited in
space this bam build
ing has accommodated
numerous horse-related
events, including cow
cutting and other events
throughout the years.
Additional outside
1999
show rings were added.
A south grandstand
was built to replace an
old wooden structure.
A large portion o f the
rodeo area was seeded
to grass, thus accom
modating school sports,
summer baseball and
other events. 1986 re-
2001
carpeted.
Building converted
2005
from Wrangler Riding
Club to house a col-
2007
lection of antique farm
equipment donated to
the county by Harold
Peck. It is now by the
Farm Museum.
Fair growth necessitat
ed installation of sewer
lines; by hooking up to
the city sewer system
outdated septic tanks
2008
were eliminated.
Trailer house donated
by county court to help
with overcrowding.
2009
A five member fair
board was expanded to
2010
seven members, as fair
interest continued to
grow.
Installation o f new
water mains throughout
Fair complex and new
water lines to all build
ings.
2011
Building and moving
o f rodeo area to smaller
profession size rodeo
arena and permanent
steel spectator seating
was added, instigated
by the rodeo com
mittee. Community
support and volunteer
labor helped fin a n c e ..................
include
new lighting for the
grounds to provide
illumination for night
time rodeo events and
football games. Ad
ditional parking areas
for the rodeo were ac
complished by filling in
an area adjoining those
grounds.
Installation of new
bathrooms in Fair
pavilion.
New eight-inch water
main-line from grade
school to Fair entrance
to accommodate fire
protection for the
Wilkinson Arena and
all out-buildings.
Through many vol
unteer hours and fund
raising, the Wilkinson
Arena was built to be
used for 4-H and open
class livestock exhibits.
Other times of the year
it is available to the
public for barrel racing,
roping or just riding.
FFA discontinued in the
county
FFA started again in
Irrigon and Boardman
FFA started again in
Heppner.
Old dormitory remod
eled, new floors, show
ers installed in outside
restrooms.
New floors installed in
inside bathrooms.
Replaced pavilion roof
with tin.
Small animals area
built, now a storage
area
Fair buildings painted.
4-H kitchen extended/
remodeled
Eric Chick painted and
carpeted football
bleachers as a scouting
project.
High school built a new
snack shack and re
modeled the restrooms
on football field.
4-H annex roof re-
placed/repaired.
Ticket booth painted.
Grounds flooded on
June 2.
Fire by fair office on
Monday, August 15
(fair week).