Posted 1:45 am Monday, October 04, 2010
East Texas State Fair Has Long History Of Fun
By JAMES WATERSON
Staff Writer
In 1962 C.W. Jackson opened a food stand at the East Texas State Fair.
Staff Writer
In 1962 C.W. Jackson opened a food stand at the East Texas State Fair.
It began as a barbecue restaurant offering hamburgers, fried ribs and peach cobbler, and the entire family was expected to contribute, said Loretta Walker, Jackson's daughter.
When she was 12 she was the cook for her family of 11. One night that year, Jackson's food stand was bustling with customers and he needed experienced help, so he called Ms. Walker.
"I had to get a coke box to stand on top of to cook the food," Ms. Walker said.
Now, 48 years later, the C.W. Jackson barbecue restaurant still occupies the space it originally had and Ms. Walker is still one of the cooks.
That kind of staying power is bound to attract some fans.
"We've had repeat customers, some that have been coming for 30 years," she said.
For the Jacksons -- and their customers -- the East Texas State Fair has been a constant in their lives for decades.
The fair is considered to be 95 years old although there have been fairs in the Smith County area since 1855.
The event began as an agricultural show with fruits, vegetables, and preserved foods.
The first fair in the Tyler city limits occurred in the 1870s at the current location of the Bergfeld Center.
Two decades later, it was at what is now the Tyler Junior College. It was these fairs that change the emphasis from agricultural to livestock, similar to many other fairs.
Over time, carnival rides and concessions were introduced to support the cost of the competitive events, said John Sykes, The Park of East Texas president of five years.
It wasn't until 1912 that the city of Tyler raised $4,500 to purchase the 75.2 acres of land that today's fair is on, as well as the Tyler Rose Stadium and the Rose Museum.
Construction began in the 1920's and many of those buildings are still standing today, according to John Sykes.
Even early on, it didn't take long for certain buildings to be targeted for demolition.
"The arts and crafts building should be torn down," said an East Texas Fair memo from 1928.
"Well, it's still there!" Sykes said.
The fair continued to grow until it was suspended during World War II. It began anew in 1948 after the newly-formed East Texas Agricultural Council made it a priority to renew it.
The fair continued to grow until it was suspended during World War II. It began anew in 1948 after the newly-formed East Texas Agricultural Council made it a priority to renew it.
It was known as the East Texas Fair until 1993 when the name was changed in an attempt to gain state and national recognition for the livestock shows, according to information provided by fair officials.
"When you sit back and look at the history of it you see the fair was a vital part of the community. It's completely changed. This fair still operates on the same infrastructure that we had 50 or 60 years ago," Sykes said.
As the infrastructure remained unchanged so did the company that provided the carnival attractions.
The Bill Hames Show was the carnival company of the East Texas State Fair for 47 years in a row until the fair's contract came up for bid in 2009, when the North American Midway Entertainment Co. replaced them.
The switch is one of many changes that could be coming to the fair. According to Sykes, The Park of East Texas purchased 240 acres of land for what will eventually be the new fairgrounds, although Sykes said they are in the planning stage.
Yet one day, the East Texas State Fair will leave the familiar fairgrounds that have been its home for almost 100 years.
"But until then we're going to have a lot of fun," Sykes said.
