Mower County Fair

On the third of September 1863, the board of County Commissioners published a call for the organizing of a society of the farmers of the county. Prominent citizens of the county met at the post office in Austin Sept. 23, 1863; appointed committees to draft a constitution. This society held its first fair at the village of Lansing during the second week of October 1864. It was a success.

During the year 1868 the project of organizing a second Agricultural Society was agitated. On July 31, 1868 a number or prominent citizens met at the brick school in Austin. The society held it’s first fair on October 14 and 15th 1868. The present society was organized at the meeting of the Grange Council held October 1, 1874. When it was found that the farming class was anxious to organize an Agricultural Society such as existed in many other counties. After preliminaries the farmers proceeded to organize a society by electing officers from within and without the Grange. The society was to be called the Mower County Agricultural Society and its object was the promotion of agricultural, horticultural and the mechanical arts. The society was incorporated March 31, 1875. The annual county fair is now held at Austin and the livestock exhibit at the fairs exceeds that of any county fair in the state.