Sherman County Fair Timeline

The Sherman County Fair began in 1909. The County negotiated for grounds adjacent to the Experiment Station on the hill above Moro and bought it from Eastern Oregon Land Company. The present day location opened in 1911.

Today, the Sherman County fairgrounds serve as a gathering place for the community to showcase their products and skills. It creates educational, social, cultural and economic opportunities to help preserve and promote agriculture, traditions and history that are so very important to residents of Sherman County. This is the Sherman County Fair timeline as through 1989. Updates are appreciated and can be emailed to me.

1909 The first real Sherman County Fair was held in October.
1910 This fair was held in downtown Moro with animals housed in the livery stable.
The County negotiated for grounds adjacent to the Experiment Station and bought it from Eastern Oregon Land Company.
1911 The new fair grounds opened.
1912 Children’s Industrial Fair started.
1913 A big year at the fairgrounds:
  • A site was leveled for a track.
  • New cattle and swine barns were built.
  • Events included trick riding, Wild West events, chariot races and novelty saddle horse races.
1914 More changes:
  • A new barn for racing teams & a combination judge’s and band stand were built.
  • The grandstand was enlarged to seat 800.
  • A building was constructed for fancy work exhibits.
  • New events included automobile and motorcycle races, and a race against time by a Ford car that made the amazing 44 miles per hour on the ½ mile track!
1915 A Ferris wheel and other amusements were set up in downtown Moro during the fair. Munter offered aeroplane flights out of the fairgrounds.
1917 There were enough horses in the county to have races of our own plus some free-for-all races.
1918 A short fair because of the war.
1919 The largest attendance so far, 800 paid admissions on Friday alone.
1923 September fairs started this year. A new event, a smoker, was organized with local fighters.
1925 All of the buildings were painted. A new chariot race event was started with newer, lighter chariots.
1931-1934 A 4-H Fair was all that was held because of the depression.
1935 Renewal came. The Civilian Conservation Corps, “the CCC boys,” made improvements, repainted buildings, constructed bucking chutes, corrals and arenas, put new windows in the barns and re-wired the buildings. A successful 3-day fair with exciting chariot races and bucking horses.
1936 A successful racing program was developed. Events included a large carnival, bucking show and stock show.
1937 Mac Barbour’s Rodeo came to the fair.
1938 Starting gates were built for the race track.
1940 We crowned our first fair queen and court.
1942-1945 Only 4-H livestock and 4-H projects were exhibited. Many Sherman County kids took their livestock to the Pacific International Livestock Show and won!
1946
  • The draft horse barn was modified for cattle.
  • A sales and show ring, calf & steer chutes and wash stand were built.
  • All the buildings were painted.
1947-

1948

 Mid-Columbia Riders Club competitions, a calf scramble, carnival and horse racing events.
1950 The arena was sprinkled for the horse show, races and rodeo. Big carnival.
1952 Sherman County had a large horse show with more classifications than the State Fair!
1953 A hot water tank was installed in the pavilion so 4-H club members could cook.
1957-

1960
  • Amateur rodeo started.
  • Horse racing was in big demand.
  • Lighting was installed around the arena.
1961 The fair queen and her court put Sherman County on the map by participating in rodeo and fair parades.
1964 A new pavilion was built for 4-H exhibits.
1967-

1969

 A new covered show arena was built.
1974 The first grand marshal, Giles French, was chosen as Mr. Sherman County.
1988 Twin Douma and the Bothwell twins: a Twin Contest.
1989 All previous grand marshals were honored – Sherman County Centennial Year.