Echoes from The Fair - Detailed History
Early History - 1800's
Rosa Mickey had been married to young businessman Henry E. Fries only 14 months when she began looking around for a way to get involved in community service. At the same time, community leaders began looking for someone who could direct a new agricultural exhibit they felt would enhance Forsyth County's farm image. The year was 1882. Mrs. Fries volunteered her services. As it turned out, she became the general chairperson of the project.
That first Fair was held on the floor of Brown's Warehouse at the corner of Main and Fifth Streets, where the Reynolds Plaza is now located. Although tobacco was rapidly growing in importance here, that fair was dedicated to the growing of grains, particularly wheat, and the expanding businesses that produced flour. Grains were important in Forsyth County in the 1880's. They grew well, sold well and the fact that virtually every community in the county had a flour mill showed how important they were.
There were crowds all week for this first event, and Mrs. Fries and her associates had already made the decision to hold another one. Almost immediately the people who raised cattle in the area saw the opportunity for expanding the exhibit ... or the Fair, as it became known.
The second Fair was held in August of 1883, partly indoors and partly outdoors. The exact site is not recorded, but it is believed to again have been Brown's Warehouse and the area surrounding it. Governor T.J. Jarvis spoke at the opening ceremony and toured the exhibits with Mrs. Fries and members of her committee. The fair expanded year by year, and in 1897, became known as the Piedmont Tobacco Fair.
The Fair remained at the site for two years.
1899 through mid 1900's
In 1899, a major event occurred which would change the complexity of the Fair forever. The Piedmont Park Company was chartered by the state of North Carolina on April 6 of that year. This association not only dealt with the task of melding the two Fairs, but it also brought under its wing several smaller exhibitions which had been held throughout the year. These exhibitions dealt with the new field of photography and various hobby collections.
The first capital stock for the Piedmont Park Company was an authorize issue of $5,000.00 making 500 shares at the par value of $10.00 each. Mr. James F. Allen purchased the first shares of stock, Certificate No. 1 for 2 1/2 shares dated September 1, 1889. Existing records indicate that at least 300 shares were sold on the opening day of the stock sale.
The next location of the Fair was on Patterson Avenue near where Woodland Cemetery is now located. Mr. George Hauser and Mr. C.G. Hunter continued to serve as Fair officers. Mr. Hunter was also in charge of the Agricultural Department. Miss Julia Jones was later put in charge of the Women's Department.
Each year the Fair grew bigger, and it became necessary to build a new Fairground. On May 8, 1908, the stockholders passed a resolution to purchase 28.53 acres of land, known as the Wilson tract on Germanton Road (now North Liberty Street) owned by the Virginia-Carolina Chemical Company. Piedmont Park Company traded its present property, plus 1500 shares of stock for said property. The selection of this site proved wise. It provided the Fair with a permanent location for almost half a century.
Another resolution was adopted to increase the Capital Stock of the Piedmont Park Company to an authorized issue of $100,000.00. The Board of Directors accepted the proposition of the Fries Manufacturing & Power Company, on May 29, 1908, to construct a street car line from the present terminus of the Liberty Street line to a point opposite the proposed new park beyond Ziglar's Livery Stable.
In the month of July, 1928, another tract of land adjoining the property of the company waspurchased from the Virgina-Carolina Chemical Company and its present owner, Mr. R. J. Reynolds. At the Board of Directors meeting held November 6, 1928, it was approved to hire T.N. Spencer as the new General Manager of the Fair, beginning January 1, 1929 at a salary of $125.00 per month. Mr. William N. Reynolds helped the Fair expand rapidly in the 1920's and 1930's. Mr. Reynolds loved racing, particularly harness racing, and he chose the Fair to close out the season every year. His dedicated promotion and development of agriculture and his services in connection with the Fair were invaluable and unexcelled. (His death occurred in 1951 prior to the first Winston-Salem Fair being held on the present Fairgrounds).
On August 28, 1942, the Board of Directors approved a resolution that "the net proceeds from the operation of the 1942 Fair be turned over to the Clyde Bolling post #55, American Legion, for the benefit of the Army & Navy Emergency Relief Fund, and other war relief purposes.
The Winston-Salem (Fair) Foundation was established by Mr. W.N. Reynolds on November 7, 1944 with Wachovia Bank & Trust Co. as the trustee. Mr. Reynolds donated 1,294 shares of Piedmont Park Company stock which he owned or had control.
Mr. Charles H. Babcock appeared before the Board of Directors on November 7, 1949 to offer without cost grounds for a new Fairgrounds on the property adjoining Cherry Street Extension and facing partly on 30th Street. The very generous offer of Mr. and Mrs. Babcock was accepted by unanimous vote.
On November 7, 1949, a committee consisting of R.E. Lassiter, T. Holt Haywood, C.H. Babcock, C.E. Norfleet, and L.D. Long was appointed to make and carry out plans for construction of buildings and improving the new grounds. A special meeting of the stockholders was held on December 30, 1949. It was resolved that the Piedmont Park Company be declared dissolved. The name of the Fair was changed to the Fair of Winston-Salem in 1950. (This was the last Fair to be held at the Piedmont Park Company location. The last order of business was completed upon transfer of the last outstanding stock shares of the Piedmont Park Company to the Winston-Salem Foundation on December 18, 1950.
The name Dixie Classic Fair for Northwest North Carolina came into being in 1956. Neil Bolton was manager of the Fair from 1956 until his death in August 1972, W.B. Austin, Jr., became manager from 1972 until retirement in 1993. David L. Sparks is current Fair director.