Series 1875: State Fair Record Books. 1869; 1872.
Fair Commission (RG 113).

Series 1875: State Fair Record Books. 1869; 1872.
Fair Commission (RG 113).

      Two items related to the Mississippi State Fair of 1869, and one item related to the 1872 Fair. The first 1869 item is a partial bound index of exhibitors. Index entries include names of exhibitors and their residences, names of manufacturers and their residences, articles exhibited, and fees paid by exhibitors. The second 1896 item is the “Register of Department,” a bound volume containing such information as descriptions of articles entered in contests or exhibits at the fair, the numbers assigned such articles, names of manufacturers, residence of manufacturers, premiums offered, premiums awarded, and other remarks. The articles exhibited at the fair ranged from livestock and produce, to manufactured goods such as plows and stoves, to home-produced goods like quilts and clothing. The 1872 item is a register of Department G entries, which also includes 2 pages of a register for an unknown Department consisting of agricultural machinery. These items are bound in a Planters, Manufacturers and Mechanics Association diploma from the fourth annual fair, held in Jackson, Mississippi.

      In the 1869 material the “number of entry” in the index matches the “number of article” in the register. Entries in the index are in numerical order, by number of entry. Entries in the register are divided into classes, and are numerical by article number therein. Class B is machines (washing machines, cotton gins, etc.); Class D is crafts and artwork (paintings, floral arrangements, etc.); and Class E is produce (fruits, vegetables, cakes, preserves, etc.). Classes F and G are cloth goods, with Class F apparently consisting of ordinary items such as blankets, socks, sewing thread, etc., and Class G consisting of luxury items such as quilts, bonnets, embroidered cushions, gloves, and so forth. Class J is swine; Class K is cattle; and Class L is horses. No Class A or Class C items appear in the register, for unknown reasons.

      In the 1872 material, Department G consists of jewelry, dentistry, pianos and organs.