Farm Show History Remembered
(Continued from Pag# Bit)
In 1935, there were over
10,000 competitive exhibits. The
Small Arena was no longer
adequate for the increased
activity so the Commission
applied for a grant from the
federal Public Works
Administration, one of President
Roosevelt's New Deal economic
recovery programs.
The State Police put on a
platoon drill at the 1936 show, an
oyster bar and checkroom were
added, and the Commission
continued efforts to eliminate
dust at the show.
Heavy snowfall and a long
thaw resulted in the March 1936
flood. Water and huge ice
chunks caused heavy damage in
Harrisburg and the Farm Show
Building was opened to flood
refugees. But the nearby Paxton
Creek began pouring in the boiler
room and the staff worked
frantically to salvage what they
could. The water reached a depth
of 8-1/2 feet in the boiler room
and 43 inches in the Main
Building, buckling the floor.
Farm Show
Schedule
(ConMniwd from Page B 16)
Stage 2
9 a.m. -12 Noon
sth Annual Micro-Pong
Tournament
10 a.m.
Wood Carving / Chris
Lubkemann / Tha> Branch
Carver (Bring your own
pocket knife)
11 a.m.
Team Maze
12 Noon
Micro-Pong Final Playoff
Ongoing Demonstrations:
Butterfly Petting Zoo, Broom
Making, sth Annual Micro
Pong Tournament, Team
Maze and Branch Carving.
Large Arena Built
The Large Arena, which
added 75,000 square feet of floor
space and 7,639 permanent seats,
was constructed at a cost of $ 1.2
million. It was dedicated during
the 23rd Farm Show in 1939, and
followed by the State Police
Rodeo, a tradition that would be
popular for many years. Two
other outstanding features were
added in the arena, the Horse
Pulling Contest and Livestock
Parade.
Getting to the show was
easier too, as the new four-lane
Maclay Street Bridge was
opened.
In 1941, the Farm Show had
the largest number of competitive
farm products ever (11,655), an
appropriate salute to its Silver
Anniversary. The 1942 show
was the last exhibition until 1947
because the Complex was taken
over by the War Department to
train civilian personnel to repair,
assemble and recondition
airplane motors.
Agricultural organizations
continued to hold their meetings
to mobilize production efforts to
feed the nation's fighting men
during World War 11.
When the building was
returned to the Farm Show
Commission in ,1946, a 55,000
square foot steel warehouse had
been added, enough space for
300 head of cattle. This area,
rebuilt in the late 70's is called
the North Building.
After the war, farmers were
eager to replace their worn out
equipment and clamored for the
restoration of the Farm Show.
Sixty percent of the main hall
was devbted <6 equipment
displays that year. Attendance
was up, but participation was
down because farm life was still
shaking off the effects of
wartime.
In 1948, the horse exhibits
held in the Large Arena were
moved to the beef cattle bam and
a log-sawing contest was started.
Media attention had grown and
„the Farm Show Press Room
typed and mailed out daily
releases containing hundreds of
winners names. These were well
received by all the reporters and
readers back home.
Twenty-seven farm
machinery manufacturers
boycotted the 1950 show to
protest an increase in commercial
retail rates, but the Commission
found 90 other exhibitors to take
their place.
A minor milestone was
noted at the 1952 show when the
potato growers announced they
had sold their millionth Farm
Show baked potato. In 1952,
television stations shot movie
film for a later broadcast and
National Geographic magazine
wrote about the 1954 Farm
Show. A three-member
committee advised that
repainting was necessary for
better visual backgrounds, and it
was decided that TV coverage
would stimulate,attendance, not
hurt it.
In 1953, the Commission
approved a $2.9 million
expansion project for a three
story expansion between the
Main Building and Large Arena.
The 1955 show was built around
the theme of Penn State's 100th
anniversary, marking the historic
relationship between agriculture
and Pennsylvania's land grant
college. A four-foot model of the
University's Old Main was
fabricated out of mashed potatoes
for that show.
By 1957, the Farm Show
Commission decided to eliminate
the rural talent festival, horseshoe
pitching contest and log sawing
contest. Around that same time,
$140,000 was spent to upgrade
the Large Arena with better
lighting and acoustics, along with
a portable basketball floor for
sporting events. This paved the
way for greater use of the
facility, including inaugurations,
gymnastics, basketball playoffs
and wrestling championships.
In 1965, a proposal to lease
the Large Arena for Saturday
night basketball games came
from a professional team, the
Harrisburg Patriots. They played
in the arena for a couple of
seasons, then disbanded.
By 1968, officials were still
talking about improving the Farm
Show because the buildings were
growing obsolete, making it
harder to attract new events in the
LancMtef Fanning, Saturday, January 8, 2000419
off-season. Preliminary work
went forward for new facilities
and a survey offered two plans
for new construction.
A joint panel of city and
state leaders favored a plan to
expand the existing location,
which called for an increase from
70 to 129 acres and replacing
many of the buildings with a
multi-story convention center and
off-site parking. A political
battle ensued over that choice or
whether to build a new facility on
Elmerton Avenue, just a short
distance from the present
Complex.
Talk of a new exposition
center practically vanished in
1972 as tropical Storm Agnes
brought severe flooding to the
Susquehanna Valley. Water
reached a height of 91 inches in
the Main Exhibition Building,
about four feet higher than it was
during the 1936 flood. The
flooding left an inch of mud and
a half million dollars in damage.
4-H
JJhappenings
4-H Therapeutic Riding
Program Trail Ride
The Lancaster County 4-H
Therapeutic Riding Program an
nounces the outcome from its
third annual Trail Ride at Fair
Hill, Md.
Riders were asked to obtain
pledges to participate in the
15-mile trail ride, conducted Sun
day, Sept. 26. The pledges for
1999 totaled $6,000.
Prizes were given to the two top
fund-raisers in appreciation of
their hard work in collecting spon
sorships. First prize was a week
end getaway at the Roseland
Ranch Resort, Stanfordville, N.Y.
(valued at $600), won by Bonnie
Kling for turning in $2,060 in
pledges. Second prize was a $250
gift certificate to the Buck Home
Furnishings, The Buck, won by
Jack and Lisa Blanchet for turning
in $750 in pledges.
Money raised by the trail ride
will benefit the therapeutic riding
Biain Supply (
Rt 1 Box 117 H. Biain, PA 17006*.
717/536-3861 »
A temporary city sprang up
on the northern corner of the
Farm Show parking lot, with
Harris Haven North housing
hundreds of flood refugees rent
free until they could get back on
their feet, with some remaining
as long as three years.
Farm Show visitors parked
at the Harrisburg Area
Community College that year and
rode shuttle buses because of the
trailers. To this day, HACC
postpones its first day of the new
semester until Farm Show Week
has ended to allow for overflow
parking.
In 1974, the Department of
Labor and Industry required fire
safety programs be put into effect
at the Complex. The Legislature
approved $lO million for the
renovations, but with that amount
of investment targeted for
existing facilities, the
Commission inspected a number
of sites that were still suitable for
a new complex.
program, a nonprofit organization,
which is available to children and
adults with a variety of disabili
ties. The program is conducted at
Greys tone Manor Stables, Leola.
They operate in four six-week ses
sions from April-October and
average approximately 30 riders
for each session. The program has
six instructors, approximately 86
volunteers, four horses, and three
ponies.
For more information on the
program, either to volunteer or to
ride in the program, contact Libby
Graver at (717) 569-7734.
The next fund-raiser the club
holds will be its Fourth Annual
Benefit Auction, Saturday, April
15, at the Bareville Fire Company,
Leola, and is conducted by Terry
Mertz. The auction will begin at 5
p.m. and will feature furniture,
baskets, crafts, and gift certificates
for various goods and services
from local businesses. To donate
an item or to obtain more informa
tion about the auction, contact
Fran Spangler at (717) 484-0582
or (717) 336-0349.
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(Turn to Page 823)