Clay County Fair: History of the Fair and Museum

Timeline:

1917 - The Clay County Fair Association was organized.

April 3, 1918 - an article in the Spencer Daily Reporter stated that preparations for the upcoming fair were being made with the race track being nearly completed The same article included the fact that soon work would start on the two ornamental entrance ways to the fair grounds. The entrance ways were to be built in the shape of an arch with towers at each side. Ticket booths were to be built in connection.

September 24 to 27, 1918 - The first modern Clay County Fair was held. This was just six weeks before the Armistice of World War I. 

The Clay County Fair was the largest county fair held in Iowa that year, drawing more than 30,000 people and taking in a total gate receipt of $16,000.

November 1918 - The Clay County Fair Association wasn't asking if they could offer a fair as good as the one just completed, but rather was making plans for a bigger and better county fair.

1919 - Secretary M.E. Bacon urged farmers to exhibit more. They responded as there were 1,200 exhibiting pork producers, 450 more than any other county fair in the state. Because of good weather, exhibits and entertainment, the four day attendance for the 1919 fair was estimated at 48,500.

The founding fathers of the Clay County Fair Association never dreamed they were establishing an institution that would involve the efforts, energy and ingenuity of not only Spencer, but the entire county.

1920 - Only the third year of the fair, the press was already calling it “Iowa’s Greatest County Fair.”

1923 - The claim, "Iowa's Greatest County Fair", was officially printed on the premium book.a

1928 - The claim/boast of "Iowa's Greatest County Fair" was changed to "Worlds Greatest County Fair" after a madly enthusiastic crowd of over 110,000 people attended the fair. All official references since that time have carried the slogan.

1931 - It was felt that a new Grandstand was needed to replace the original, as there was not enough seating capacity to accommodate the thousands who daily flocked to see acts, stage shows, horse and car races. A new, all steel and concrete Grandstand was built at a cost of $45,000, which would seat 5,000 people comfortably. It was felt that the new Grandstand, still being used today, represented one of the most ambitious undertakings ever attempted by a county fair in the nation.

1932 - Leo Dailey, secretary from 1927 to 1937, stated that the slogan "Worlds Greatest County Fair" was taken when statistics proved the Clay County Fair to be the largest in the United States.

There were several other changes and additions to the fairgrounds over the years.

1954 - The Commercial Exhibits building was constructed at a cost of $174,498. The 208′ x 136′ building was built without pillar or support in the center in order to make the space adaptable for many uses throughout the year.

2003 - The Clay County Regional Events Center was opened on the fairgrounds adding over 30,000 square feet of meeting and exhibit space.

Present Day - The Clay County Fair is accepted not only as one of the largest county fairs in America, but has the added honor of being considered as one of the most rural-oriented fairs still in operation. The enlargement of the agribusiness/farm machinery display area to thirty-five acres made it the largest such display of any fair in the United States or Canada.  Altogether, there are more 2500 fairs operating in the US and Canada, and the Clay County Fair ranks in the top 100 in attendance annually.

Clay County Fair
History of Clay County Fair

South City City Hall

Completed and opened in 2003 the new South Sioux City City Hall building, located at 1615 1st Avenue South Sioux City, NE, stands as a beautiful example of Prairie School Architecture used in the 21st Century.

Photos:

North Sioux City City Hall

After dealing with an inadequate city hall building the North Sioux City Council decided to build a new one. The new North Sioux City City Hall is a modern Prairie School Architecture design with large murals on the left and right face of the building depicting the history from both long ago and more recent. There is a large clock hanging at the entrance to the portico and the classic low pitch hip roof design.

The new city hall building houses the North Sioux City government offices, the local public library and some State of south Dakota offices that serve the people of southern Union County.


Project Portfolio:
North Sioux City Project Portfolio

Photos:

Sioux City Fire Rescue: Fire Stations

Since 1886 Sioux City Iowa has had several different types and styles of buildings to house the equipment, trucks, men and women so the department is always at the ready when they are needed to respond to a call. Some of these buildings were hose houses with tall towers used to dry the old style canvas material hoses, others had facilities for the care and feeding of the horses when the department used horse drawn pumpers while others were and are large garage style buildings to house the fire trucks and other vehicles needed. Today they are simply called fire stations.

Here is the timeline of Sioux City's fire stations:

 Hose House:
1886 -  417 W 7th Street.

Fire Station #1:
1889 to 1922 - 408 Water Street. Formerly the Fire Department Headquarters.

 

1925 to 1986 - 513 Water Street. Formerly the Fire Department Headquarters. Building no longer standing.

Photo of building location on Sanborn Fire Map from Sioux City Public Museum research Center


1986 to Present - 315 9th Street. Houses the Assistant Fire Chief, Engine Co. #1, Truck Co. #1 and the Fire Department Mechanic. Also houses the police/fire command vehicle.

Fire Station #2:

1889 to 1890 - 417 W 7th Street. Building no longer standing.

1890 to 1929 - 419 W 7th Street.

1982 - 5821 Mitchell, near the airport.
Fire Station #2 is no longer in operation.

 Fire Station #3:
1888 to 1929 - 1211 5th Street.
1923 to 1929 - Fire Station #3 was the Fire Department Headquarters.

2002 to Present - 2630 3rd Street. Houses Engine Co. #3 and Truck Co. #3. Also, houses the Training Officer, grass fire rig, and has state of the art training room. Has the City Emergency Management Communications Center.

Fire Station #4:
1891 to 1960 - 1414 Nebraska Street.
1981 to 1913 - Chemical Co. #2 was located in station #4.
1905 to 1924 - Hose and Ladder #2 was located in station #4.
1924 to 1969 -Hose Co. #4 was located in station #4.

1960 to 2012 - 3109 Dearborn.

2012 to Present - New Fire Station #4 building is built and former building torn down at 3109 Dearborn. Hazardous Material Emergency Response, or HAMER #13 is located in station #4.

Fire Station #5:
1894 to 1959 - 408 S. Chambers. Building no longer standing.
1894 to 1911 - Hose Co. #4 was located in station #5.
1912 to 1954 - Hose Co. #5 was located in station #5

1959 to 2002 - 200 Fairmont.

2002 to Present - 4729 Southern Hills Dr. Houses Engine Co. #5. Was built for the expansion of the City to the South.

Fire Station #6:
1902 to 1915 Peters Park. Building no longer standing.

1916 to 1918 - 4110 Morningside Ave. Building no longer standing.

1917 to Present - 4203 Morningside Ave. Houses Engine Co. #6. Building was expanded in 2002.

Fire Station #7:
1895 to 1915 - 816 Floyd Blvd. Chemical Co. #3 and Volunteer Co were located in station #7.
1915 to 1937 - 4016 Floyd Blvd. The station address became 4016 in 1915 when the new Sioux City address listings replaced the former Leeds address listings.

Photo of building location on Sanborn Fire Map from Sioux City Public Museum research Center

Photo courtesy of Sioux City Public Museum Research Center

1937 to 1980 - 4014 Floyd Blvd.

Photo of building location on Sanborn Fire Map from Sioux City Public Museum research Center

Photo courtesy of Sioux city Public Museum Research Center

1980 to Present - 3252 Floyd Blvd. Houses Engine Co. #7.

Fire Station #8:
1925 to 1928 - 2001 Riverside Blvd. Building no longer standing.

1929 to 1985 - 1909 Riverside Blvd.

1984 to Present - 3829 W. 19th St. Houses Engine Co. #8 and HAMER 12.

Fire Station #9:
1960 to 1969 - 3109 Dearborn. substation until 1979 when it became Station #4.

1969 to 1975 - 1828 27th St.

Fire Station #9 is no longer in operation.

Fire Department Headquarters Building:
1985 to Present - 6th and Douglas Streets downtown Sioux City.