By TIM ALEXANDER
Illinois Correspondent

HENRY, Ill. — The Marshall-Putnam County Fair, held annually the second weekend of July in Henry, will mark 90 years in operation when the Illinois fairground’s gates open from July 6-10.

The fair’s roots, however, can actually be traced back as far as 1855, said Marshall-Putnam fair board President Jovonna Kocher. Kocher cited a 1995 written history of the fair which reveals the event was originally referred to as the Farmers and Mechanics Institute, as far back as the mid-1800s.

The current location for the fair – just off Illinois State Route 29 – was decided around 1855 when a competition was held among several Marshall County burgs to see which could raise the most money for a new countywide fair. Henry bested nearby Lacon with $2,600, compared to Lacon’s $2,100, and by 1858 the original 30 acres of fairgrounds had been purchased by the village at a cost of $2,500. The fairgrounds now encompass 73 acres.

The early fair lost money and eventually went broke, Kocher said. But when a new bridge was constructed spanning the Illinois River from Henry to the east into Putnam County, fair-minded residents and officials on both sides of the river decided to put their heads together.

“There were a lot of granges and institutes in a lot of the little towns in both counties. All of these little fairs merged into the current Marshall-Putnam County Fair in 1922,” said Kocher.

The fair continues to thrive under the direction of Kocher, office manager Susie Allen and a volunteer board of 25 individuals who perform tasks such as mowing, painting and other chores many county fair boards contract out.
“We have the ‘three Cs’- community, commitment and cooperation,” said Kocher. “It is the volunteer spirit that has helped this fair sustain itself through tough economic times.”

County fairs are having a rough go of it in Illinois, in part because of the method by which they are funded, Kocher explained. While county fairs were formerly funded through revenue collected by the state from pari-mutuel gambling, today they are funded through money petitioned by legislators from the state’s General Fund.

“Current economic conditions mean that the funding in support of county fairs is becoming less,” Kocher said. “Our board was proactive in looking at our current programs and making hard decisions on cutbacks. We looked at where we could make cuts and still keep the spirit of our fair intact.”
Allen said the board strives to use its limited funds to produce a quality family event.

“As a small county fair, it has been difficult to do at times,” said Allen, who will retire after 18 years as the fair’s business manager following this year’s event.
“We try to have as many activities as we can that are geared towards families. We are fortunate to have very generous local supporters that help by donating and sponsoring events. Between the community and the volunteer board, we have stayed afloat.”

She added that renting the fairgrounds for vehicle storage, camping and other uses when the fair season ends helps the board meet expenses.
A national championship-level modified tractor pull, a farm stock tractor pull, livestock and poultry judging, an antique tractor show, a demolition derby and harness racing are among the mainstays of the Marshall-Putnam Fair, with fans from across the United States traveling to Henry for the national tractor pull (to be held this year on June 9).

There is no admission fee to the fair, except for grandstand events such as the national tractor pulls, and parking is free. “There are a lot of things to do for free at our fair, and a lot of great food to enjoy, too,” Allen said.
For additional information on the Marshall-Putnam County Fair, visit www.marshallputnamfair.org or call 309-364-2814.