This Week in History – Grande Prairie Fair 1914

The article this week is the prize list for the 5th annual Grande Prairie Agricultural Fair in 1914. I have selected the “Roots and Vegetables” category, but the entire prize list is in the papers. One of my thoughts when reading the list was how did they arrange to have radishes, fresh peas and beans, broccoli and cucumbers in October! The variety of vegetables listed was also a surprise to me, and a couple I had to look up to even know what they were (Mangold is a type of chard, Salsify is a root plant of the dandelion family, also called Oyster plant).

 

The Grande Prairie Herald Sept. 8, 1914
The Grande Prairie Herald
Sept. 8, 1914

The prize money seemed quite generous – $3.00 for first prize would have paid for a years subscription to the semi-weekly newspaper with $1.00 leftover. At that time prices paid for farm produce were $.40 a pound for butter in trade or $.35 cash and eggs were $.50 trade, $.40 each. I also noted that in the “Domestic Manufacture” category, once it got to “Ladies Work” the prize money dropped to $1.00 for first prize, $.50 for second and no third prize.

Grande Prairie Fair 'Ladies Work' 1913
Grande Prairie Fair
‘Ladies Work’
1913
The Grande Prairie Herald Sept. 15, 1914
The Grande Prairie Herald
Sept. 15, 1914

 

Grande Prairie Fair Booklet - 1916
Grande Prairie Fair Booklet – 1916

 

 

 

The news articles were found on the website Our Future Our Past.

The fair photograph and the front page of the Grande Prairie Fair booklet are from collections held at the South Peace Regional Archives.

 

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