MATANUSKA VALLEY FAIR HAS GROWN WITH
ALASKA SINGE INCORPORATION IN 1936
i
The 1952 Matanuska Valley
Fair opens this week with grounds
and equipment valued at $10,000
at the time of acquision but re
presenting an investment two or
three times the purchase figure
in terms of present day values.
The property is owned by the
Matanuska Valley Fair Associa
tion, which is operating this year
as a strictly non-profit corpora
tion. Although the Fair has never
operated as a profit-making ven
ture for its members, all prefer
red stock was called in this year.
At present there are 275 stock
holders listed in the Fair As
sociation membership. Purchase
of one share of stock at one dol
lar entitles anyone to member
ship in the association.
In 1952 Fair is the twelfth put
on by the Matanuska Valley Fair
Assocation. The association was
organized in the spring and sum
mer of 1936, a year after estab
lishment of the Matanuska Valley
Colony made Palmer the center
of the largest agricultural area
in Alaska.
A few years before, during the
depression the Western Alaska
Fair Association of Anchorage
had gone out of business, and the
accent of the Fur Rendezvous, its
successor, was on fur farming.
Nothing was left to promote and
to symbolize properly the devel
opment of agriculture in Alaska.
Organization plans for the new
Matanuska Valley Fair Associa
tion developed out of the North
land Pioneer Grange, with M. D.
Snodgrass and the late C. C.
Brix and Charles Wilson in
charge. By July of 1936 100 in
dividuals with faith in the future
of the Valley’s agriculture had
subscribed for $1,200 in common
and preferred stock and had made
application for $1000 in Territori
al fund in support of the Fair.
The first Fair Association of
ficers were: president, M. D.
Snodgrass; vice-president, Joe F.
Flakne (now in charge of Alas
ka affairs, Div. of Territories and
Island Possessions. Department of
Interior); secretary, Ruth De
Armond (now Mrs. Howard Es
telle); treasurer, Luther Weida.
Ross Sheelv was also on the board
of directors.
Held on the fth, 5th, 6th. and
7th of September, 1936, the first
Matanuska Valley Fair featured
athletic sports, horse racing, a
livestock parade, a baby show,
a three-hour smoke of six events,
and dances every night. A three
game baseball series between Pal
mer and Anchorage resulted in
victory for Palmer and a silver
trophy. A special event of the
first Matanuska Valley Fair was
the opening of the new Knik Riv
er bridge at the foot of Pioneer
Peak—a milestone of progress
Inking the Valley with Anchorage
bv road.
Locale of the first fair was the
Palmer School property. Exhibits
were in the basement and the
gymnasium. Athletic events and
horse racing were held on the
school playground, and livestock
exhibits were penned in canvas
sheds on the square block east
of the school playground. Income
from the first fair was $6,000.
By the time of the 1937 fair, the
Fair Association had two build
ings which gave ample housing
for livestock. Beef cattle were ex
hibited for the first time, and
there were also swine exhibits.
Aimer J. Peterson was Fair Man
ager for 1937, and although gross
income was only a little more
than half that of the year before,
there was still a balance of $445
as the season ended.
For the next four years the
Fair struggled along, sometimes
showing a net gain and sometimes
a slight loss. Never during these
years before Pearl Harbor did
the Fair equal the success of the
first one in 1936. During this
period, however, the Fair Grounds
site was purchased from the Alas
ka Rural Rehabilitation Corpora
tion. Manager of the third and
fourth fairs in 1938 and 1939 was
Vernon Norman. Virgil McVickers
was manager for 1940 and 1941.
By the end of 1941, the United
States was at war, and the Fair
was suspended for the duration.
Not until September of 1947
did the Matanuska Valley Fair
get under way again. That year
the Seventh Fair was manager by
Arthur Marsh. On the Associa
tion’s board of directors were
John H. Reed, president; Parker
Lester, vice-president; Jan Kos
losky, secretary; Matt Perkins,
treasurer; and Don Irwin, direc
tor. Four Pacific huts were added
to the Fair buildings to provide
more space for exhibits. Premium
awards were upped to attract
good exhibits. Special prizes, a car
raffle, and a queen contest, gate
receipts showed, helped to revive
interest in the Fair 1947 was an
outstanding year for the Fair.
With a total gross of $11,465 and
$7390 in expenses, a balance of
$4465 was left for working capital
to use in repairing buildings and
improving the Grounds.
With each succeeding year the
Fair grew bigger gate receipts,
more and better exhibits. The
Eighth Fair, managed by Marshall
Selover resulted in a gross of
$15,154.22 and a cash net of $4,
802. Improvements of buildings
and grounds, plus $779 in taxes
and $6,306 in premiums and prizes
helped to make up a deficit of
$400 in the Ninth Fair, managed
by Charles Dillon, even though
the total take did zoom to $16,335.
By this time, however, assets were
$8,987. The Fair was becoming
Big Business. More improvements
to buildings and grounds and con
tinuation of the policy of offering
substantial inducements to exhib
itors held net profits to a mini
mum in 1950 in spite of the gross
reaching $16,000 for a second
time. A gala atmosphere was ad
ded to the Tenth Fair, managed
by Bob Crites, with the innova
tion of carnival concessions fur
nished by the B and B Alaska
Shows. With the Eleventh Fair
the carnival became a permanent
institution with the Fair. In spite
of cool and cloudy weather, gate
attendance at the Eleventh Fair
last year reached 8,000. Although
receipts were slightly under the
prvious year’s record. Fair opera
tions resulted in a fairly substan
tial net profit. Parker Lester,
Manager of the 1951 Fair is again
Manager of the Twelfth annual
Fair this year.
Commenting on expectations
for the 1952 Fair that opens Sat
urday, August 30 for a three-day
run, Fair Manager Parker Lester
said, Weather permitting, the
1952 Fair should be the best, ever
put on by the Matanuska Valley
Fair Association and should at
tract the biggest turnout ex
perienced in its history. Pro
gress on Fair organization is
well advanced in comparison
with other years. The Mat
anuska Valley Fair has al
wavs been the show window of
agicultural Alaska, but this year
the exhibits promise to be better
in quantity and quality than any
thing we have had in the past. A
large program and more amuse
ments than ever before are being
offered to this year’s Fair-goers.”
REPUBLICAN WOMEN
TO SHOW CONTINUOUS
MOVIE AT FAIR BOOTH
A motion picture entiled “The
Year of Decision” will be shown
continuously on each day of the
Fair, Saturday through Monday,
from 10 a.m. until 10 p.m. in a
booth sponsored by the Matanus
ka Valley Republican Women’s
Club and the Anchorage Republi
can Women’s Club.
The Fair booth is a joint projec':
of both clubs. Republican candi
dates for Territorial offices will
be present from time to time at
the booth and Republican litera
ture will be distributed to every
one interested.
The booth is being manned—or
wo-manned—by volunteer mem
bers of both clubs, with organiza
tion plans calling for four-hour
shifts. Since Matanuska Valley
women are actively engaged in
many Fair activities, it is expect
ed that the booth will be staffed
primarily with Anchorage club
members. In charge of arrange
ments for the booth are the elec
ton campaign chairmen for the
two clubs, Mrs. Lee McKinley for
the Matanuska Valley and Mrs.
John Gorsuch for Anchorage.
No age is free from cancer,
the American Cancer Society
points out. It strikes children as
well as men and women. Fight
cancer by- supporting the 1952
Cancer Crusade.
Fair Program
SATURDAY, AUGUST 30, KID’S DAY
FAIR GATES OPEN 12:00 NOON
All kids under 13 years of age admitted free
12:00 Noon Carnival open — Concessions in operation
All exhibits in place including Army exhibit
1:30 p.m. All children from the various Childrens’ Homes’
admitted as guests of the Valley Fair and Mr. A. B.
Stein of the B and B Shows.
1:30-4:00 p m. Childrens’ races and contests.
5:00 p.m. All Fair Queen tickets must be turned in to Fair
Manager
10:00 p.m. Coronation Ball, School gym. f
11:30 p.m. Crowning of the Queen. j
SUNDAY, AUGUST 31, ANCHORAGE DAY
FAIR GATES OPEN 12:00 NOON
12:00 Noon Special busses arrive from Anchorage
12:00 Noon All exhibits open — Carnival operating
12:30 p.m. Special train arrives from Anchorage
2:00 p.m. Chicken Style Show
2:15 p.m. Tug-O-War, Miners Vs City Slickers
2:30 p.m. Palmer Little Leaguers Vs Anchorage All-Stars .
3:30 p.m. Band Concert, 43rd Army Band
4:00 p.m. Palmer Little Leaguers Vs. Anchorage All-Stars
9:30 p.m. Gigantic Fire Works Display. (Handled by Moose
Lodge of Palmer) Largest display of both aerial and
ground fireworks ever to be sho\vn in Alaska.
See: Niagra Falls, The Grottos and Castles of
Yellowstone Park—15 inch aerial bombs. The same
package display was shown in the Minnesota and
Iowa State Fairs last year.
• MONDAY, SEPTEMDER I
FAIR GATES OPEN 12:00 NOON
12:00 Noon All exhibits open—Army exhibits in operation
Carnival open
2:00 p.m. Chicken Style Show
2:15 p.m. Soft Ball Game, Palmer Women of the Moose Vs.
Teenagers
7:30 p.m. Ticket drawing for Fair Queen prizes, in front oi
Information Booth.
12TH ANNUAL FAIR
WILL BE FIRST ONE
MISSED BY M. D. S.
M. D. Snodgrass is missing
his first Matanuska Valley
Fair this year.
Ruining a record that would
even out a round dozen of fairs
without one black mark for
absence nearly broke his heart.
But for a man who had
brought cattle to the Territory
in the e?rly years of the cen
tury and had herded another
group from Kodiak a few
years later, the lure of a cattle
buying trip to the States was
even greater than that of the
Twelfth Annual Matanuska
Valley Fair. He left Sunday
with Jack Cope, and the two
men will travel back by boat
with 48 cows for Valley dairy
men.
Back in 1941, Snodgrass al
most missed his sixth Valley
Fair. He had been in the hos
pital for five months, but he
was “sprung” just in time to
visit the 1941 Fair and keep
his record unbesmirched.
KIDS' DAY RACES
START AT 1:30 P.M.
SATURDAY AT FAIR
Program for Kids’ Day, Satur
day, August 30, at the Matanuska
Fair includes over two hours ol
races and contests which will re
sult in winning of $150 in prizes
offered by the Fair Association.
All children under 13 years o1
age will be admitted to the Fail
Grounds free on Kids’ Day. Chil
dren from the various children’s
homes throughout the Valley will
be admited as the group guests oi
Mr. A. B. Stein of the B and E
Alaska Shows and will be giver
one free ride on the carnival me
chanical device of their choice.
Races start off at 1:30 p.m. with
the boys’ bicycle race for boys
aged 12 and over. Bicycle races
for boys under 12 years of age
girls aged 12 and over, and girls
under 12 will follow immediately
Other races and their approxi
mate times are as follows:
1:45—Girls’ and boys’ mixed
relay for any age (once around
the track).
1:50 Foot races for boys 12 and
over, for boys under 12, for girls
12 and over, and girls under 12.
2:05 Foot races for tots undei
5 years of age.
2:10 Relay races for boys (two
man-team) under 15 and girls (3
girl-team) under 15.
2:15 Wheel barrow race for
boys under 15 and wheelbarrow
race with girls at the handles,
boys riding.
2:25 Three-legged race for boys
12 or over; same for girls 10 or
over.
2:30 Rolling pin throw for girls
I up to 15 years of age.
2:40 Greased pig—winner take
all.
2:50 and after: Other events to
be announced.
f
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\
DEALERS FOR Jlolt FARM DOZERS
“Best Wishes to the 1952 Valley Fair”
Palmer Machinery Co.
Arrc Shop Springer Road Phone 81
Ralph Goodrich ''Swede" Carlson "Jack" Scott
J
NEW FACES ON THE
1952 FAIR BOARD
Five new faces were added to
the Matanuska Valley Fair As
sociation board of directors when
the annual election of officers
was held last June.
They were Henning Blunck,
Alba Brooks, Rusty Dow, John
King, and Ben Hudgins. Hold
overs from last year’s board of
directors were A1 Hagen and
Clair Stock.
With the addition of these five
new members to the board new
ideas and new zeal were incor
porated into the 1952 Fair plan
ning. Henning Blunck purchased
a farm and settled in the Valley
with his wife and two daughters
three years ago. Alba Brooks,
who has developed a successful
enterprise in packaged fryers and
more recently has entered the
feed business, has brought the
Fair’s poultry exhibits to a new
high in the past few years. He is
the originator of the popular chic
ken style show in Alaska. Rusty
Dow, well known Valley artist,
has been superintendent of the
outstanding art department. Her
residence in the Valley dates back
back to the early days. She and
her husband, Russel Dow, re
cently proved up on their Knik
riverside homestead. Young John
King is another old-timer, hav
ing settled here with his parents
back in the ’20s. He and his moth
er, Mrs. Clara King, have devel
oped more recently the successful
Palmer business known as
“Clara’s Variety.” Ben Hudgin
electrical engineer, is a more re
cent addition to the Valley.
President of this year’s Fair
Board is A1 Hagen. Henning
Blunck is vice president; Alba
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NEWS CARRIERS TO BE
FAIR GUESTS SUNDAY
News carriers of The Front
iersman, the Anchorage Daily
Times and the Anchorage
Daily News will be admitted
free to the Matanuska Valley
Fair on Sunday, August 31 and
will receive one carnival ride
free. The carriers will attend
as guests of the Fair Associa
tion and Mr. A. B. Stein of B
and B Shows.
FOOD CONCESSIONS
ASSURE FAIR-GOERS
OF "PLENTY TO EAT"
Hot dogs, chili, sandwiches,
french fries—ice cream, cake,
coffee and lots of good “Fair”
dishes will go on sale when the
first gate opens on the 12th an
nual Matanuska Valley Fair.
Food concessions will be oper
ated during the three-day Fair
by the Dorcus Club of Sutton,
Theta Chapter Beta Sigma Phi
and Palmer Elks.
The Elks concession will be
located in the administration
building where they plan to serve
many inviting dishes.
Beta Sigma Phi will again offer
their “chili-dogs” along with ice
cream cups, coffee, milk and for
those who prefer, hot dogs and
rolls and chili by the cup.
Members of the Dorcus Club
plan french fried potatoes with »
a large assortment of sandwiches,
including salads, cold meat and
cheese. Home made cake, coffee
and ice cream will round out
their menu.
Brooks, secretary; and Rusty
Dow, treasurer.
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BEST WISHES
: to the
Matanuska Valley Fair
1952
finXCCrD'C hardware &
UllniJIjLIl U SPORTING GOODS
OPEN THURSDAY TO 8 P.M.—CLOSED SATURDAY NITES
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