I thought it would be fun to start looking at various festivals and fairs held in Southeast Colorado/ Southwest Kansas/ Baca County through the years.  Sam Konkel mentions an 1888 fair in Boston, Springfield, and Minneapolis, but there isn’t a whole lot of detail, so I am going to start with one of the earliest events; the 1888 Taloga fair, then add a notice from  the 1923 fair, and then throw in one from 1930-31 just for fun.   I have to include both Southeast Colorado/ Southwest Kansas as there was quite a connection to our Kansas neighbors in the early days especially before the formation of Baca County.

The first evidence I find for a Southeast Colorado fair or festival is in the September  6, 1888, Topeka, Kansas Farmer which tells of a coming fair.

The Trinidad Citizen Oct 2 1888 Pg 1, also commented on the 1888 fair in Springfield,

Rain Belt Speaks To-day.

At Springfield, this county, an agricultural fair is being held to-day and to-morrow. And so wonders are evolved day by day. Two years ago an unbroken prairie, absolutely untrodden save by wild animals and grazing cattle. One great grassy space, bounded by a distant horizon where sky and prairie met on either side. To-day the great expanse all cut in pieces by township and section lines. The day of cedar post and barbed wire and plowshare has been ushered in. New names have come. A new people talk a new language. Against a universal skepticism they oppose a faith that seems at first sight marvelous and foolhardy. They talk of this arid belt as being the greatest farming region they ever saw.

This faith illustrated by work-work with spade and plow and the bright reaping blade of the harvest.

And so the harvest has really come and the harvest feast also. The ears of corn, and sheaves of wheat and rye, and fruiting vines and yielding gardens are all trophies snatched from the great American Desert. On a small scale you say. To be sure. But as fast as our grandchildren grubbed out the forests of the far east. The only question now is whether the first ears and sheaves, and gardens and stacks shall be followed by a multitude. Many have failed you say. True. True also in mines and cattle and merchandise. Many will fail in future. True, and in many other pursuits as well.But is not the dash, the sublime impertinence of that prairie town which spreads an agricultural fair on the lap of the great plains simply wonderful? Welcome to every sheaf and ear. Welcome to every success and sympathy for every failure. Hurrah for the rain-belt.

Sam Konkel also provides a few details about an 1888 event in the January 24, 1919 edition of the Springfield Herald.

The advisability of holding a town fair this fall was considered Saturday night in a meeting called for this purpose.  All were in favor of a fair, and a committee was chosen to report at the next meeting a plan of organization, Capt McCoach, Thos. Hambric, R. W. Whitaker were chosen for the committee.  –Western World Aug 30, 1888

The Procession was the biggest part of the fair at Boston that year.  Every bushel of any kind and every trade was in line, in addition to a few hundred wagons, buggies and other rigs making displays of crops.  The procession was probably a half mile long.

The towns of Minneapolis and Springfield both had fairs that year – we presume making about the same showing that Boston did; and that was the last of the fair business until the county fair was started in 1914.

The Kansas/Colorado Shared Fair at Taloga

Fairs and festivals in Southeastern Colorado, usually broomcorn festivals have always been a time for friends and family to gather and celebrate the hard work of the summer.   In the early days, I think it was even a bit more.

In the neighboring town of Taloga, Kansas, a joint Kansas / Colorado fair was held.  Several Southeast Colorado Towns were mentioned as participants in this fair.

If you are not sure where Taloga is, please refer to my 1886-1889 Boomtown map of Southeast Colorado.

 The events at Taloga were held to prove to those a little further east that crops could be grown in the Great American Desert as described in The Taloga Star (Taloga, Kansas) · 12 Oct 1888, Fri · Page 3 clipping below:

Activities and Prizes for the joint Morton / Las Animas County Fair

Many fairs and festivals are noted as having occurred during the early boom of Southeast Colorado in the late 1880s. Following those days, there was a time that early Baca County writer J. R. Austin referred to as “dormant years.” He was referring to the 1890s and the early 1900s when not a lot was happening on the Southeast Colorado prairie. During that time the county population fell drastically, and no fair appears to have taken place.

The first reference to the question of resuming a Baca County Fair appears in the March 17, 1911 issue of the Springfield Herald with this small notice,

Then came the following from Judge Alberti.

County Fair for Baca County— By Citizen of Maxey Maxey, Colo., Mar. 27, ’ll. Editor Herald: Dear Sir:—Not long ago I saw an article in the Herald from one of your correspondents recommending the holding of a COUNTY FAIR. I believe that we are all interested in building up Baca County, not only one place but the whole county; for the advancement of one precinct without the growth of the others will not be of lasting value, and every building erected in Springfield, Blaine, Stonington, Vilas or or any other precinct adds an increased value to every acre of land in the county, and as the land value advances so does the value of town property. Therefore, the cooperation of all is necessary to the real growth of the whole county. And in no other way can we get together, become acquainted, exchange ideas, as well as at a County Fair. The knowledge of one individual like his physical power, is not very much, but the combined strength of the whole becomes stupendous, both intellectual and physical. Then again we must not forget the social side of such gatherings. We come in contact with those who have had much experience in all phases of life; we learn new methods of tilling the soil; of feeding and caring for stock; Bankers, merchants, doctors, lawyers, and in fact all professional and business men and men trained in the arts and sciences, all have their conversations when they assemble and exchange ideas, then why not the farmer? I do not believe that any person of average intelligence ever attended a County Fair where there was a reasonable good exhibit but what he learned something of more value to him than the time he spent in attending the same. How many men in a new county have lost a whole season’s work because they did not understand the conditions as they existed there, and Baca Co. is no exception? We all know that there are thousands of acres of land in Baca county subject to homestead entry; we all desire to see those acres improved; it would add to the value of our land; it would lessen our taxes, increase our school advantages, enlarge our towns arid create a better market for our products; bring us better transportation facilities and better communication with other parts of the world. Would a County Fair help to bring about these results? Here is the answer: It would call the attention of thousands to Baca county. There is hardly a newspaper in the state but what would make a news item of it. People would talk about it and write it to their friends; visitors would carry the news to other states. A photograph of a good exhibit would be gladly published by the Immigration Department of the R. R., and thus advertise Baca county, its products and possibilities. The time to begin the preparation of that exhibit is now. L. H. Alberti.

By July 7, 1911 they were even talking of a Baca County Fair in Lamar. However, it wasn’t until 1913 when Sam Konkel purchased the Springfield Herald that the talk of holding a fair reached a fever pitch. By early 1914 Konkel through the Springfield Herald increasingly called for a renewal of an annual exhibition of crops, animals. A meeting was held June 13, 1914 in Springfield discuss the possibilities and by the end of June 1914 the beginning steps were taken to hold a September 1914 county fair.

By 1921 the fair had a new home as reported in the follow article and Sam Konkel was the director of the fair:

THE BIG 1921 BACA COUNTY FAIR

The Baca County Fair, scheduled for September 7, 8, 9, 10, 1921, is in the lead for the greatest event ever pulled off in the wild west outside of the big cities.

The grandstand has just been completed, and has a seating capacity of over 1,000 people—about twice the size of the former grandstand on the old grounds. Incidentally, the Baca County Fair this year has a new home, an ideal place just south of town, with the Springfield camp ground just south of the fair grounds on the creek.

At the present time the fair management has assurance of not less than five strings of horses in relays, and probably one or two more will be on hands. Relay races are the most exciting of anything on the race track, and as a relay race goes on every day, along with other stunts, the speed ring this year promises to be the richest and rarest of any of the Baca County Fairs up to the present time.

The first day of the fair has the promise of being one of the biggest. The speed ring program for this day will be much longer than for the other days, and as a special thrill while the program is functioning, a dozen balloons will find a temporary home in the heavens, while on the night of the same day another dozen will go up, brilliantly illuminated, thus presenting a sight never before seen in the southwest.

As per circulars the grand feature, never before featured at any fair anywhere, will be the giving away of an automobile—to some lucky man or woman attending the fair and not a red copper to pay. The car is the Overland Four and is now in the R. M. Golden garage sales room, recently brought down from Denver for this special purpose. Somebody will get this car—some young and chivalrous chap or his sweetheart bride to be, or some of their dads and mams, some widow or widower, or bachelor man or bachelor girl—just whoever the lucky one happens to be. If you haven’t seen descriptive circulars of the modus operandi of giving this car away, write the management in Springfield for particulars.

The fair books have been out for some time and distributed over the country. If you haven’t got yours, write for it.

There will probably be 5,000 people in attendance the first day, particularly as the first day calls for two automobile tickets—five tickets for the four days’ attendance. The indications are that there will not be many concessions let this year, thus enabling the few on the grounds to reap a grand harvest. For any information of concessions, or other information of the fair, address the director of the fair, S. M. Konkel, Springfield, Colorado.

By 1923 the Baca County Fair had been going strong for 9 years when this notice appeared in the Johnson, KS paper

Broomcorn Festivals

Next, we are going to head down the road a few years to 1930-31  and talk about one of the early Broomcorn Festivals.  I am not sure if this was the first one, but it seems likely.  The Opportunity (Garden City, Kansas) · 01 Jan 1931, Thu · Page 14  shared the following,

WATCH CAMPO GROW! Opportunity: Below find pictured a float, which took first prize at the Broomcorn Festival” held at Springfield, Colorado, on October 11 and 12, 1930. The float represents a large market basket with fifty-nine farm products and one hundred two varieties. We also took first prize for the best bale of broomcorn which weighed 458 pounds. Campo, Colorado is located in the heart of the agriculture belt of Baca County. It is mid-way midway between Boise City, Oklahoma, and Springfield, Colorado and is on the prospective railroad from Amarillo, Texas to Las Animas, Colorado, which is being constructed by the Santa Fe Railway Company and has been practically completed between Boise City, Okla., and Amarillo, Texas. We feel assured that this road will be extended from Boise City, Oklahoma to Las Animas, Colo., in 1931. Campo, Colorado is also located on State Highway No. 59 which we understand has recently been made a Federal Highway. Campo is surrounded by a very fertile soil and offers wonderful opportunities to good substantial farmers and home seekers. Watch Us Grow! This entry was sponsored by the Campo Community Club. W. F. Gump, President.