“It has been said that the life of a county fair does not exceed 15 years, as a rule …” wrote a news reporter about the second Madison County Fair in 1884.
Both open class and 4-H livestock shows were held outside in makeshift pens until after the McLeb Building was dedicated in 1983.
This List of Premiums from 1884 detailed the prizes that could be earned by the top exhibitors at the fair.
Bob Nelson shows one of his hogs as an intermediate showman outdoors at the Madison County Fair in the 1970s.
A crowd gathers in the wooden grandstand at the Madison County fairgrounds. The date is unknown but has to be 1912 or after because there are 48 stars on the flags.
People are also reading…
Wooden buildings housed livestock, as well as the race horses, at the Madison County Fair. One horse barn remains.
The Octagon Building at the Madison County Fairgrounds is “phenomenally, historically significant.”
The Madison County Fair and Rodeo is celebrating its 150th year July 11-16.
Reporter Kristen Sindelar has deep ties to the Madison County Fair and Rodeo. She spent nearly 25 years preparing for the fair year-round, first as an 4-H exhibitor and later as 4-H staff support for Nebraska Extension in Madison County. Now she’s a 4-H superintendent and excited for the next generation of her family to be getting involved in the fair as 4-H Cloverbuds this year. Reach her at Kristen.Sindelar@midwestmessenger.com
Kristen Sindelar
Agriculture Reporter
