HR0373 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0373 LRB103 33561 ECR 63373 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives wish to congratulate Brown County on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the Brown County Fair; and

WHEREAS, Brown County held its first fair celebration in the fall of 1872, where the present Brown County courthouse yard stands, with the original fair board being comprised of President William T. Hersman, Vice President David K. Watson, Recording Secretary A.K. Lowry, Treasurer William L. Taylor, and Corresponding Secretary Martin Brooks; and

WHEREAS, The 1872 Brown County Fair Board selected 15 acres of land in the northeast part of Mount Sterling as the fairgrounds site, where a third-of-a-mile track was built and the first fair was held from October 23 to October 27, 1874; seven more acres of ground were purchased to enlarge the fairgrounds in 1878; with the additional land, the fair's race track was enlarged to its present length of a half-mile; the current fairgrounds include an amphitheater, a floral hall, an implement and grain room, a judges' stand, and 196 stalls; and

WHEREAS, The Brown County Fairgrounds were heavily damaged by a tornado on October 14, 1966, leaving only the floral hall and a horse barn still standing in very poor condition, and ultimately, both structures had to be demolished the next year; with the help of the community, the 94th Brown County Fair was held in 1967 with tents and bleachers used to replace the barns and amphitheater; and

WHEREAS, The Brown County Fair consecutively ran until 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic put a stop to large events and gatherings, including all fairs; despite this interruption, the fair persists to this day and remains the oldest continuously running county fair in the State of Illinois; and

WHEREAS, For the Brown County Fair, horse racing has remained a large part of its celebrations; this year, the fair will have 70 horses present, making it one of the biggest races the fair has ever conducted; the fair also hosts many other events, including a pageant, a rodeo, tractor pulls, a demo derby, and pavilion entertainment; and

WHEREAS, The current Brown County Fair Board is comprised of President Ronnie McCaskill, Vice President Tom Parker, Second Vice President Ed Teefey, Secretary Richard Childers, Treasurer Brad Kassing, and members Mike Kropp, Lane Wiese, Rod Buss, Steve Kremer, Luke Metz, Mark Roberts, Doug Fairbanks, Dawn Dunn, and Josh Babb; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate Brown County on its 150th fair celebration, and we wish the county continued success in the years to come; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the Brown County Fair Board as an expression of our esteem and respect.