Meet Me on the Midway: A History of Wisconsin Fairs
Jerry Apps explores the history of county and state fairs in Wisconsin, from their earliest incarnations as livestock exhibitions to today’s multitude of exhibits and demonstrations, grandstand entertainment, games and rides, and competitions of all sorts. Drawing on his extensive research, interviews, and personal experience as a 4-H leader, county extension agent, fair judge, and lifelong fairgoer, Apps takes readers back through 178 years of Wisconsin fair history, covering everything from horsepulling and calf-showing contests to exhibit judging to the roar of gasoline engines powering the midway rides. He evokes the sights and sounds of fairs through the ages while digging in to the political and social forces that shaped the fair into an icon of our rural heritage. Illustrated with vintage and modern photos and featuring the voices of exhibitors, judges, volunteers, and visitors, Meet Me on the Midway vividly captures the thrills and cherished memories of these beloved annual gatherings.
 
1140498508
Meet Me on the Midway: A History of Wisconsin Fairs
Jerry Apps explores the history of county and state fairs in Wisconsin, from their earliest incarnations as livestock exhibitions to today’s multitude of exhibits and demonstrations, grandstand entertainment, games and rides, and competitions of all sorts. Drawing on his extensive research, interviews, and personal experience as a 4-H leader, county extension agent, fair judge, and lifelong fairgoer, Apps takes readers back through 178 years of Wisconsin fair history, covering everything from horsepulling and calf-showing contests to exhibit judging to the roar of gasoline engines powering the midway rides. He evokes the sights and sounds of fairs through the ages while digging in to the political and social forces that shaped the fair into an icon of our rural heritage. Illustrated with vintage and modern photos and featuring the voices of exhibitors, judges, volunteers, and visitors, Meet Me on the Midway vividly captures the thrills and cherished memories of these beloved annual gatherings.
 
26.95 In Stock
Meet Me on the Midway: A History of Wisconsin Fairs

Meet Me on the Midway: A History of Wisconsin Fairs

by Jerry Apps
Meet Me on the Midway: A History of Wisconsin Fairs

Meet Me on the Midway: A History of Wisconsin Fairs

by Jerry Apps

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$26.95 
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Overview

Jerry Apps explores the history of county and state fairs in Wisconsin, from their earliest incarnations as livestock exhibitions to today’s multitude of exhibits and demonstrations, grandstand entertainment, games and rides, and competitions of all sorts. Drawing on his extensive research, interviews, and personal experience as a 4-H leader, county extension agent, fair judge, and lifelong fairgoer, Apps takes readers back through 178 years of Wisconsin fair history, covering everything from horsepulling and calf-showing contests to exhibit judging to the roar of gasoline engines powering the midway rides. He evokes the sights and sounds of fairs through the ages while digging in to the political and social forces that shaped the fair into an icon of our rural heritage. Illustrated with vintage and modern photos and featuring the voices of exhibitors, judges, volunteers, and visitors, Meet Me on the Midway vividly captures the thrills and cherished memories of these beloved annual gatherings.
 

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780870209833
Publisher: Wisconsin Historical Society
Publication date: 07/26/2022
Pages: 336
Sales rank: 1,019,439
Product dimensions: 7.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

Jerry Apps is a former county extension agent and professor emeritus for the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He exhibited cattle and other projects at county fairs as a 4-H member and later served as a county fair judge. Today he works as a rural historian, full-time writer, and creative writing instructor.
 

Table of Contents

Introduction VIII

Part I Origins and Organization

Chapter 1 The First Fairs 2

Chapter 2 Fair Management 10

Part II What Makes a Fair a Fair

Chapter 3 Exhibits and Clubs 22

Chapter 4 Judges and Judging 30

Chapter 5 Favorite Fair Food 42

Chapter 6 The Carnival and the Midway 53

Part III County and State Fair Histories

Chapter 7 Southern Wisconsin Fairs 72

Chapter 8 Southeastern Wisconsin Fairs 94

Chapter 9 Southewestern Wisconsin Fairs 104

Chapter 10 Central Wisconsin Fairs 118

Chapter 11 Northeastern Wisconsin Fairs 132

Chapter 12 Northern Wisconsin Fairs 150

Chapter 13 Northwestern Wisconsin Fairs 167

Chapter 14 Wisconsin State Fair 178

Part IV Fair Memories and Meaning

Chapter 15 Stories from the Fair 194

Chapter 16 The Value and Legacy of Fairs 216

Notes 229

Selected Bibliography 248

Acknowledgments 253

Index 255

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