THE BALLOON MAN

State Fair's move was return to roots

Published: Tuesday, December 14, 2010
The Nebraska State Fair, with roots dating back to the late 1850s, has a long, rich history and tradition in the state.

But, according to James McKee, historian, publisher and co-owner of Lee Booksellers in Lincoln, the Nebraska State Fair is still as relevant as when it started as a territorial fair in Omaha nearly a decade before Nebraska became the 37th state on March 1, 1867.

McKee was the guest speaker on Tuesday at the noon Rotary Club meeting in Grand Island. He gave a slide presentation of the history of the State Fair.

While the State Fair had a number of homes, including Nebraska City, Brownville, Lincoln and Omaha, it wasn’t until 1901 that the Legislature selected the Lancaster County Fairgrounds as home to the State Fair. There it remained until 2010, when it moved west to Grand Island.

But while the State Fair has gone through many changes over the years, it has remained true to its original mission in the late 1850s to foster, encourage and develop agriculture in Nebraska, he said.

http://www.theindependent.com/articles/2010/12/14/news/local/12741531.txt
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