Growing up in northeast Missouri, I recall that our farm family visited both the Missouri and Iowa state fairs. Unlike neighboring dairy farmers, whose work kept them at home, we were able to take summer road trips when our corn and soybeans fields were cultivated, or “laid by,” as we called it.

My earliest memories of the Missouri State Fair go back to 1945, when I was 8. At the time of our visit, the fair had recently opened after being closed during World War II. My parents and I stayed east of the Fairgrounds at a nearby home, whose owner offered rooms during the event. I remember our visit covered only a couple of days before we left to attend a family reunion in Illinois.

I remember sampling a “Corn Dog,” that may have been introduced a few years earlier, but was a new treat for me. My family visited a cattle barn, where my dad knew some of the exhibitors, and I remember a building that featured a lot of homegrown produce. I’m not sure if we attended a grandstand show, but I remember seeing motorcycle racing, featured the day we were there.

One of my personal favorites was a traveling show of a miniature farmstead. Located in a special tent, the exhibit featured a variety of tiny vehicles and implements, animated by small motors and levers, and illuminated by tiny electric lights. I think the admission price was 25 cents.

The next year we visited the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines and stayed at the campgrounds. Our “tent” was a tarpaulin erected over our old Chevy, and we slept on army-surplus cots.

Keeping with a long tradition, we were serenaded for at least an hour by neighboring campers “calling their hogs.”
On the fairgrounds, we had breakfast in a building not far from the cattle barn. My dad took a special interest in the beef cattle judging, while my mom, a “city girl” with a musical background, preferred to attend the performances of high school bands in a bandstand located in a tree-covered park.

I recall buying vanilla ice cream in a cup from a vendor. The treat came with a small wooden spoon, which worked fine after the ice cream melted a bit and became soft enough for the spoon to work. I think it cost a dime.

I was barely old enough to explore the fairgrounds on my own. I remember visiting the displays of new farm equipment, captivated by the bright colors and the smell of the new rubber tires. One of the exhibitors was Inter-national Harvester, which introduced their new Cub, the smallest of the line. Kids were allowed to “drive” a demonstrator tractor around a small area, with an adult hovering over them to avoid any miscues. I remember it was fun, but a bit insulting to a kid who considered himself an expert tractor driver.

The big attraction that year was a tent featuring the newly-introduced Tucker automobile. Seeing it required standing in a long line, but it was worth the wait, as the car was sleek and unique, with its trio of headlights, padded dash, and other features. Unfortunately, the Tucker never made it to full production. But viewing the prototype in the tent was a treat for all the “car experts,” including me.

Ken Weyand is the original owner/publisher of Discover Vintage America,  founded in July 1973 under the name of Discover North.

Ken Weyand can be contacted at kweyand1@kc.rr.com Ken is self-publishing a series of non-fiction E-books. Go to www.smashwords.com and enter Ken Weyand in the search box.