482 

 EATON COUNTY FAIR. 



The first Annual Fair of the Eaton County Agricultural Society, 

 was held at Charlotte, October the 11th and 12th, A. D. 1855. 



First Day — The weather, though not so pleasant as could be wished, 

 was a decided improvement on what we had for several weeks previous, 

 and was much better than was feared. 



A chilly north-wester prevailed most of the day, which made stand- 

 ing out somewhat uncomfortable ; yet many other county and several 

 State Fairs have this fall been held during drenching rains. 



Considering the muddy roads, and above all, the sickness, which, this 

 season, has thrown a damper on everything but doctoring, the attend- 

 ance was large ; distant parts of the county were well represented. The 

 solid men of the agricultural class were on the sod, with their ladies 

 «nd Hve stock. In cattle and horses Eaton county shows up well; 

 much better than any one dared to expect. There were some of the 

 finest looking horses on the ground that we have ever seen, and from 

 the admiration expressed by the crowds that constantly surrounded them, 

 we felt satisfied that we were not alone in our ideas of the model 

 horse. 



The vegetable kingdom this year sent its royal families of squashes, 

 pumpkins, potatoes and onions. One squash weighed 90 and another 98 

 lbs.,measuring nearly C feet in circumference, and all their brethren of the 

 garden and field were in proportionate keeping. There were apples 

 that tried hard to represent the old fashioned size of pumpkins, one 

 measuring 17 inches in circumference, weighing If lbs. — and peaches 

 that took the place of what used to be called large apples. 



In the departments of domestic manufactures and fancy articles, the 

 specimens showed that the ladies of the county are with the Society, 

 heart and hand, and that artistic taste and skill reigns in our woodlands. 

 There were drawings and paintings, and splendid fabrications from the 

 humblest materials, with silk, worsted and cambric embroideries, bed quilts 

 wrought into flower gardens — many of those articles, products of the 

 skill and industry of girls very young — that show a wealth of female 

 accomplishments, and native genius, that all must have felt proud of. 



Second Day. — On this day the attendance was very large, and 

 though the air was rather cool, the sky was clear. The plowing match, 



