It can be stated without too much fear of contradiction that Niagara County residents enjoy their annual county fair. Today’s nearly weeklong event attracts thousands of wide- eyed children and adults, alike. The many county 4-H Clubs use this event to showcase their handcrafts and animal husbandry and area merchants and civic organizations proudly display their own goods and services.

The forerunner for the Niagara County fair was a joint Erie County-Niagara County fair held in 1821 that took place in Lewiston. This event had special meaning that particular year because April 2, 1821 was when Erie County was geographically split off from a larger Niagara County to form the present configuration of the two counties. A few unusual items of interest from the first fairs would have been hemp, flax and yoked oxen.

The first “official” Niagara County Fair took place on October 1, 1841 and was located at the Lockport Public Square, which later became the site of the Niagara County Courthouse. Fairgoers during that period would have seen a display of silk worms presented by Lyman Spalding of Lockport. Spalding was a devotee of the silk craft and had planted numerous mulberry trees around the village to serve as “refreshments” for his silk worms.

By 1854, the county fair had grown to feature lacrosse matches between two Native American teams, with the Tuscarora usually competing against the Seneca. This sport became a staple of the fair for another 50 years.

The Niagara County Fair moved off the Public Square site in 1858 when a newly incorporated Niagara County Agricultural Society bought 20 acres of land in Lockport that included much of Washburn, Willow, Beattie and Grant Streets. During the time that the fair was held at that site, it often featured balloon ascensions, baseball games, horse, foot and bicycle races, as well as a host of other athletic events.

In 1922, another county fair site was secured, this time at its present location on Lake Avenue, north of the city. This larger 45-acre venue became known simply as “The Fairgrounds.” It included a large grandstand and quarter-mile horseracing track. The county fair was stopped for several years during World War II and the event fell on hard times that resulted in the property being sold in 1947. After a five-year hiatus, the Niagara County Cooperative Extension Service purchased the property in 1952 and went on to revive the much enjoyed annual fair, now called Niagara County Farm and Home Days.

Douglas Farley, Director
Erie Canal Discover Center
24 Church St.
Lockport NY 14094
716.439.0431
CanalDiscovery@aol.com
www.NiagaraHistory.org