Article #24-4H and County Fairs

I pledge my Head to clearer thinking, my Heart to greater loyalty, my Hands to larger service and my Health to better living. That was the motto of a 4-H sponsored sewing club I joined with other young girls in the rural mining town of Eureka, Utah. We had a volunteer leader from our community who tried to prepare us to become better future homemakers by improving our sewing skills. 

The majority of 4-H youth groups were involved in agricultural projects initially. Started in 1898 in Illinois as a way to reach rural adults through their children, the first group was a boys corn club focused on learning the best way to grow better corn. Brought to Utah in 1912 by the Utah State Agricultural College’s Extension Division in Logan, their first project was to get boys to grow potatoes throughout Utah. Other types of 4-H clubs developed for boys and girls were: market gardens, growing apples and sugar beets, and raising poultry. Volunteer leaders came from businesses and local farms. 

One popular project for youth was raising a calf, lamb or piglet to show at the county fair in the fall where prizes were awarded which included ribbons and cash. It was very competitive as all 4-H projects were displayed. The county fair was something everyone looked forward to all year. Even parents could enter to see who brought home a red ribbon or first place prize for the largest pumpkin grown in the county or the best needlework project or the perfect jar of home canned peaches. 

My grandmother in the 1920s won a prize for her beautiful flowers grown in her small yard. The womenfolk had contests for home produced products: pies of all kinds, unique cakes, tasty homemade bread, intricate quilts, and a variety of meticulous handiwork were displayed and judged.

Other county fair activities included royalty and Farm Bureau talent contests featuring local amateur entertainment ranging from barbershop quartets to cowboy poets. There was always an exciting rodeo and contests for horseback riders: barrel races, lassoing, team roping, and penning. A livestock auction gave 4-H participants an opportunity to sell their carefully raised animals. Food booths including Dutch oven cookoffs were well attended, as were the commercial displays and fun carnival rides. The day ended with an open air dance and fireworks. County fairs were important occasions that still bring communities together to celebrate the individual’s accomplishments.