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Fairgrounds Friday, 1701 South Jackson Street, Frankfort, IN (2026)

07/31/2026

Its ”Fairgrounds Friday”! I am now working with Mr. Jamie Reeder at the Indiana Department of Natural Resources. Mr. Reeder is guiding me through the steps necessary to have the Administration Building at the Clinton County Fairgrounds declared a historic site, here and across the nation.
This morning I made my first submission, 19 photographs of the Administration Building’s exterior, interior and arches and the boundary surrounding the structure.
Coming up next: captions for each photo.
Still much to do.
Skip Davis
Clinton County Fairgrounds History Project

07/16/2026

It’s “fairgrounds Friday”, and a big “THANK YOU” to Mr. Mike Clossin for this contribution to the Clinton County Fairgrounds History Project. This is the picture side of a “picture postcard”. The display is of the Frankfort Bottling Works and may have been a feature of an early Clinton County Fair. This postcard has no writing on it and is in pristine condition. The sign is right, “IT HITS THE SPOT.”

With the help of AI I found this on the web. “The historic Frankfort Bottle Works (originally operating as the Frankfort Bottling Works) was a local bottling plant located in Frankfort, Indiana, known for producing and distributing regional sodas, mineral waters, and carbonated beverages during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.”

So, maybe this photo could have been taken as early as 1873, when the fair resumed. What do you think?
Skip Davis

06/26/2026

It’s “Fairgrounds Friday”. About a dozen youth participated in Wednesday’s training event at the Clinton County Fairgrounds. Sponsored by Harness Horse Youth Foundation, participants were presented with the opportunity to sharpen their skills in horse grooming, placing harness gear on their horses, safe driving skills and other facets necessary to becoming a good horse trainer, driver or owner. I observed the program throughout the morning and saw many outstanding young people grow their knowledge base. Then, in the afternoon each student joined their adult trainer in the sulky behind their horse and took to the fairgrounds track to gain some practical experience. I commend the adult program leaders and trainers. And thanks to Cheryl and Steve who provided barn space, and to members of Clinton County Extension Homemakers who provided lunch.
Skip Davis

05/15/2026

It’s Fairgrounds Friday!”
Through the years the Clinton County Fair has been among the strongest fairs in Indiana. When others faltered Clinton County stood strong.

On Saturday, August 21, 1920, the Frankfort Crescent-News reported the following:

”Throughout the state, and in fact, throughout the country, many fairs are passing out of existance, due to the lack of information injected into them by the officers of the organization. The county fairs are one of the great institutions of every county. The Clinton County fair association is each year injecting new life into the annual events and each fair is growing larger and larger. Today, the Clinton county fair is in reality a joint fair for Clinton, Boone, Howard and Carroll counties.” (used with permission.)

That was the year 1920. Today, those responsible for operations at the Clinton County Fairgrounds are working hard to keep programs alive and well. They keep their doors open to other organizations.

As an example of this cooperation I point to the year 2020. The year of Covid. That was the year Clinton County hosted the Boone County 4-H Fair immediately following the Clinton County 4-H Fair. A shining example of neighbors working together.
Skip Davis

04/17/2026

It’s “Fairgrounds Friday”. As I worked my way through stories published by The Frankfort Morning Times on September 11. 1930, I found a portion of one story to be pointed firmly toward myself and others living and working during our times. The story addressed the closing of the first Clinton county centennial celebration held that year. (This excerpt is used with permission.)

“When the plans began to take form Mrs. Claire Morrison started a scrapbook of the stories printed, advertising used and other details in connection with the big event. Since she had had too many duties in connection with staging the celebration to keep it up to date, Miss Edith Thompson, the city librarian has offered to assist in the completion of the book. When completed, this with a detailed financial report, and other interesting details will be filed in the library for future reference. So those who stage the second centennial celebration in Clinton county will have some interesting details for reference and may be able to sidestep a few “pitfalls.”

This hit me right in the gut. Yes, I am working to make stories of the county fairgrounds generally available to future readers. And, maybe this will get the attention of future centennial celebration planners. (Hint: 2030.)
Skip Davis

03/28/2026

It’s “Fairgrounds Friday.” (Just a little late.) This story from the Frankfort Evening Crescent newspaper was published on Saturday, July 5, 1902. (Used with permission.)
Farmer’s Experience Who Speculated
In Side Show With Sure-Thing Man
It is reported by people who attended the side show with the Robison circus yesterday that the sure thing men were making desperate efforts to separate the unwary from their money, but did not find many suckers. One instance is related, however, of a Michigan township farmer who made an easy wining of five dollars but failed to get out of the ten with the money. He was shown an easy way of winning the five by the investment of a quarter of a dollar and being of a speculative turn of mind consented to take a chance. The grafter very obligingly allowed him to win and handed over the fiver with a smile of delight an accompliment to the farmer on his wisdom at beating another man’s game. The farmer made a wad of the bill and locking it in the palm of his h***y hand turned to leave the game and take a peep at the side show attractions. But the grafter wasn’t thorough with him yet and insisted that he remain and play the game out.
“The game is out now, as far as I’m concerned, replied the man of broad acres, taking a firmer hold on the five and a step in the direction of the “lady” who toys with the big snakes.
“But don’t you understand,” explained the man behind the sure thing “you have only put up one installment and are not entitled to any dividends until all assessments are paid It would be little short of larceny for you to walk off with that five dollars which was given to you as an evidence of good faith.”
“Good faith fiddlesticks,” retorted the farmer, in a tone of voice that woke up the lazy animals in the menagerie tent and caused the “razor backs” to grab for stakes and listen for the “hey rube” signal “ don’t talk to me about assessments and dividends and don’t give me none of your dad binged confidence clatter. I ain’t been connected with the Clinton county fair association thirty years for nothin’. I’ve seed more of you kind of fellers than could stand in my barn lot and I know all your tricks and manners. I may have hay seed in my hair, but misser, you’ll have to put on green goggles to see anything of an emerald hue about me, and don’t you forget it. I’ve been to town before.”
The grafter next tried to compromise and offered to return the farmer his quarter if he would yield up the five dollar bill, but the offer was spurned and the victim again turned to walk away, taking a still firmer grasp on the long green which represented a net profit of four seventy-five. He was at that moment given the last degree in the game. Three cappers and the operator of the game seized him and wile two held him the other pair wrenched the bill from his hand which was closed like a vise. Instead of going out and getting an officer and having the gang of robbers pulled he simply backed up against a pole and “chawed” and was at it when the crowd came out of the big tent.
Moral: Twenty-five cents in your pocket is worth more than a five dollar bill in your hand when you are trying to make large profits off of a man who is in the profit business himself and operating in a side show tent.

03/06/2026

It’s “Fairgrounds Friday”. The Daily Crescent newspaper published the following story on Saturday, August 28, 1897. (Published with permission.)
“The Clinton County fair association which yesterday closed its 26th annual exhibit, made money this year. Its old indebtedness was wiped out, and the purses for racing were all paid in full. The remainder in the treasury will pay the premiums in full. Whether there will be a balance after all expenses are paid is a matter which cannot be told at present. Whilst the fair was a financial success, there were several features in which it did not come up to the standard. The failure to pay premiums in full here, heretofore doubtless was the cause of slim exhibits in some of the departments this year. The racing was good, and the horsemen, who were a little rebellious at first left well pleased. The wide open character of the fair has brought the wrath of the good people on the head of the association. The dissatisfaction on this score is by no means small, and may result in the breaking up of the association. Some positively say that this will wind up the, old association. Many of the members will withdraw, glad to have an excuse after the association’s liabilities have been wiped out. Others say that in the event of the dissolution of the old association another will be organized that will do away with the old logic ideas which have been detrimental to fairs for years past. One of the oldest and most prominent members of the association said today, “You, I expect the fair will go under, and if it is held next year it will be by the race horse gang.“: President Hedgecock said ; ”I think we will have a fair next year, but it is very probable that it will be under a new organization.”

02/13/2026

This story was published in the Frankfort Times newspaper on Saturday, September 1, 1888. (Used with permission.)
“THE BALLOON AND PARACHUTE.”
“The great feature of the fair, and one never before produced here, was the balloon ascension and parachute descension, by Prof. John Manley. This is a novel and the most hazardous of all aerial navigations yet practiced. Unusual interest was taken in the first performance from the fact that although Mr. Manley had made 87 ordinary balloon ascensions, he had never before attempted a descent by means of a parachute. The first, ascent took place Wednesday at 1:30 p.m. The day was fair and the atmosphere almost perfectly still. When all was in readiness, the mammoth air ship, with parachute all arranged, bounded majestically heavenward with Prof. Manley dangling from the bottom and performing all sorts of gymnastic feats on the trapeze bar. At the height of about 2,500 feet, Manley pulled in the bottom ring of the parachute, grasped it with one hand, swung off turning the balloon topsy-turvy, then reaching up with the other hand, he pulled the trigger rope and began the descent. The parachute dropped about 75 feet before opening, and then the wind unfolded it and the rest of the downward trip was as graceful as the gentle descent of a bird. The extreme stillness of the air can be judged when It is known that the balloon, parachute and all, came down within a square of the starting point.”
“It was probably as fine a performance of this kind as ever was or ever will be witnessed. The people on the grounds had a splendid opportunity of seeing the start, the loosening of the parachute, the descent and the alighting all complete. Manly was greatly pleased with this his first and highly successful venture with the parachute. Great numbers of people reached the spot as he touched ground and extended their hands with congratulations on his safe trip.”

02/06/2026

We owe a lot to our forefathers. Their families worked hard to feed the world. The Frankfort Saturday Banner newspaper on Saturday, August 22, 1885 published a speech given by Judge A. E. Page, an officer of the ”Old Settlers” during the organization’s 11th annual meeting held at the Clinton County fairgrounds on Saturday, August 15th, 1885. A portion of that speech follows:

“Fifty years ago who would have dreamed that the wheat crop of Indiana would have averaged at this time upwards of 40,000,000 bushels annually and the corn crop about 80,000,000 bushels per annum, the wheat crop of a single year being almost as valuable as the products of all the gold and silver mines of the United States. How pleasant to contemplate, fabulous as it may appear, that our state possesses a gold mine in the golden grain of the field that is richer and more bountiful than all the gold and silver mines of the land combined; and it has been said by one who has given the matter careful consideration that the multiplied resources of our State are capable of sustaining a population of more than 40,000,000 of people.” (Used with perission.)

01/30/2026

In last week’s posting I featured a story published in the September 17, 1879 Frankfort Crescent newspaper that pointed out some person or persons had entered work in the Clinton county fair’s Children’s Corner exhibition. According to the Crescent, those exhibits looked “made by adults who were experienced artists”.
In last week’s posting I redacted the names of the three counties they came from. This week I reveal who they are. According to the same Frankfort Crescent story they are: Johnson, Shelby and Brown counties. It is unknown why this happened as the local show was meant to focus on l ocal youth. Those three counties had conducted their own fairs for several years.
(published with permission.)

Fairgrounds Friday

07/31/2026

07/16/2026

06/26/2026

05/15/2026

04/17/2026

03/28/2026

03/06/2026

02/13/2026

02/06/2026

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