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In 1859 a county fair was held in Nevada, Iowa. The livestock exhibition was north and west of the old courthouse. The courtroom was used for the display of some household wares and field products. There were 114 entries and the fair was a big success. By the next year, 1860, the Lincoln-Douglas campaign dominated all public attention followed shortly thereafter by the Civil War, halting nearly everything that did not pertain to the war effort.
By 1868 the subject of a county fair was revived and held in Ames, Iowa. However, a group of Nevada residents, led by David Childs, were instrumental in raising funds for a
County Fair Grounds to be located in Nevada. A site for the permanent fairgrounds was chosen on May 7, 1869. It contained twenty-four acre s and was just north of today’s T
Avenue in Nevada. The Story County Agricultural Society governed the property.
In 1879, Col. John Scott of Nevada, well known stock breeder and one time Lt.
Governor of Iowa, described the County Fair: “Story County is central in the state; it grows grain and grasses –it has no city. It feeds grain to horses, cattle and swine. Its fair women and brave men seek to discharge known duties. Out of these elements, year by year, it constructs a fair. Its exhibitions are always reasonably good, and the attendance and receipts are such that the managers have always paid dollar for dollar, and had something left to make repairs and improvements.
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By the early 1880’s, the property had been improved with fencing, two large convenient halls, a good amphitheater, over one hundred livestock stalls and pens, as well as stabling and water for livestock. It had an excellent half-mile racetrack. Two hundred forty Agricultural Society members exhibited their wares, flowers, crafts, fruit, and machinery in the halls along with their livestock.
In 1904, the Agricultural Society of Story County sponsored a resolution to reincorporate the fairgrounds with the stated mission of “promotion of agriculture, horticulture, forestry, animal industry, manufacturers, domestic arts, amusements, the holding of fairs, and for entertainment purposes.
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The next few years brought about a decline in exhibitors, as well as resources to maintain the property. There was a persistent problem in covering the mortgage interest on this property and eventually the buildings at this site were dismantled. The
Association Board felt that the best solution would be for Story County to own the property and this proposition came up for a vote. Nevada and Ames voted favorably on the measure but the rest of the county rejected the proposal. The Nevada
Representative reported the final vote as 2,296 against to 1,373 in favor and the County
Fair, as it was then known was closed in 1910.
A District Fair was held in 1912 in Ames. The Central Iowa Fair was also held in Ames from 1913-1916. In 1919 the Central Iowa Fair was held in Marshalltown and returned to Ames though the mid-
1920’s. By 1924 the once popular Chautauqua program that

2 shared the grounds with the Central Iowa Fair was winding down. The last Chautauqua was held in 1926.
The Story County Extension Service was organized November 17, 1917, with the passage of the County Aid Association law by the Iowa Legislature. The Farm Bureau
Organization became the local sponsoring group of the County Aid Association. Knute
Espe began employment February 1, 1918 as the first County Extension Agent in Story
County. On August 13, 1918, a picnic was held for boys and girls of the county and the
4-H organization crystallized. By 1919, 4-H had developed an interest in purebred heifer breeding and as times changed so did club work emphasis. From 1920 to 1925 the focus was placed on corn, garden, soybeans, purebred swine, purebred beef heifers, sheep clubs for both market and purebreds, farm management, spraying clubs and bee clubs for boys and clothing, home furnishings, food and bread making, and food preservation for girls. Interest in the clubs increased and, as the 1920’s closed, enrollment had reached 148 livestock club members and an average of 127 girls' club members.
In 1925, an ‘Achievement Day” was held in Ames, Iowa under the joint auspices of the
Story County Farm Bureau, A. H. Pickford as the County Agent, Paul Taff as state leader of 4-H Club work and the Ames Chamber of Commerce. Story County winners had their exhibits on display on Main Street in Ames and went to State Fair. A tent was erected at the Ames Grain and Coal Company on South Duff in Ames to accommodate guest speaker, Mark Thornburg, Iowa Secretary of Agriculture.
In 1928, a group of city leaders from Story City, feeling a need for a true ‘fair’ developed the Tri-County Fair in Story City. Eligibility for agricultural entries was residency in
Story, Boone, or Hamilton Counties. This included agricultural exhibits as well as other exhibits in various church basements and Story City High School gymnasium.
1931 brought the advent of the first Story County 4-H Fair for all projects and was held
August 20-22 at Nevada at the Lough Sales Pavilion at the corner of 7 th and J Avenue.
Girls’ clothing clubs exhibited in the building south of the Story Hotel, now known as
Courthouse View Apartments. The second 4-H Fair was held in Ames at the Ames
Fieldhouse in 1932. The third 4-H Fair returned to Nevada in 1933 with livestock exhibits at the P.E. Shugart barn on Second and H Ave (where the present Story
County Extension office is located) and girls’ exhibits at the Presbyterian Church at the corner of 5 th and J Avenue. An evening program was featured at the Nevada High
Auditorium. The 4-H Fair continued to move around as follows:
1934 Ames – Livestock exhibits at the Ames Highway Commission buildings and girls’ exhibits at the Ames Fieldhouse on Lincolnway.
1935 Nevada-Livestock exhibits at the Nevada Sales Barn north of Chicago and
Northwestern Railroad and girls’ exhibits at the Knights of Pythias Hall on 6 th
Street. There was an open-air program at the kittenball field with a livestock parade.

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1936 Story City – Story County 4-H Achievement Show combined with the Tri-County
Fair.
1937 Nevada – The last Tri-County Fair was at Story City but the 4-H Fair was at
Nevada with the livestock exhibits at the Nevada Sales and the girls’ exhibits at the Knights of Pythias Hall on 6 th Street. There was an open-air program at the kittenball field with a livestock parade.
1938 Nevada – 4-H Club Show was held in two big tents and the girls’ exhibits were at the Presbyterian Church at the corner of 5 th and J Avenue
1939 Nevada – 4-H Club Show was at the newly acquired 4-H Grounds previously known as the Frantz pasture on August 21
– 23, 1939. Two big tents were used along with the Harry Crouch barn on Second Street. Girls’ exhibits were held at the Presbyterian Church. A large machinery exhibit was an added feature.
On June 28, 1939 the Story County 4-H Association was incorporated and eighteen acres at the present site of the Story County 4-H Grounds were secured through a City bond issue. The property is in southwest Nevada and is abounded by I Avenue on the north, Indian Creek on the south, and County Road S-14 to the west. Incorporators were: D.A. Jay of Ames, C.S. Toot of Nevada, T.Z. Henryson of Story City, C.A.
Coggshall of Cambridge, Glenn Randau of Ames, L.P. Larson of Ames, L.H. Wengert of
Colo, Clarence Hillburn of Nevada, and Lee Riddlesbarger of Nevada. Their first annual meeting was on March 9,1940 at the I.O.O.F. Hall.
This property was slated for improvements through construction of the Nevada
Recreation Center through the Works Project Administration (WPA). Final approval for the Nevada Recreation Center was received January 27, 1940 and the WPA began work on February 10, 1940 for the first of three barns and a community building. C.L.
Gifford, Harold Montgomery, County Extension Agent, and Carl Stone were instrumental in working with the WPA to secure approval of the project.
The fourth building, the Community Building, was completed in 1941. It was 48 feet by
94 feet with a full basement and fireplace. The park area grew in popularity and led to the development of a lighted baseball field in 1946, later dubbed Billy Sunday Field for the famous, former Nevada Resident.
That same year, the Fair Association also purchased the Pete Shugart barn with onehalf square block of property at Second and H Avenue. In 1946 the historic barn that once sheltered large draft horses was torn down and a new barn was built. In 1980, the horse barn was replaced by the Story County Extension Office. This facility supports not only the Extension office space, but modern toilet and showering areas for 4H’ers, as well as Christy Hall. The hall, named for long time Story County Extension Director,
Jim Christy, is used for display of clothing, home furnishings and flower and garden

4 projects. It is also routinely used as a polling place at election times, Extension educational meetings, as well as other community functions.
The Dueland Pavilion is at the center of the 4-H grounds and was built in 1954. It is named for Leonard Dueland of rural Nevada and long-time Fair Board President. It is an enclosed judging arena for livestock, showmanship, judging contests, pet shows and in the evenings, 4-H Teen dances plus any outside activities that are chased inside by sudden rainstorms.
The poultry and rabbit barn was built in 1957, the goat and llama building in 1964. The present outside horse judging area was established in 1968. Also in 1968, the 4-H Fair office, large animal scale house, large animal pens and loading docks were built adjacent to the Lauren Christian swine barn. Christian was a well-known swine professor at Iowa State University, who devoted volunteer time to teaching and assisting 4-H members with their projects for over 20 years.
In 1980 a new sheep barn was built to replace a 1940 beef barn that was destroyed in a wind storm. In 1987 a new beef barn was built to replace a 1940 barn that was in need of being replaced. The horse barn near the judging arena was built in 1990. It previously was a dairy barn, but renovated to house horses. In 1997, the Bob Williams
Arena was built to house dairy and provides space for judging of dairy and goats.
Williams was a long-time Fair Board President.
From 1939 to July 1, 2009, the City of Nevada owned the original 18 acres purchased in
1939 for recreation purposes and the fairgrounds. As of July 1, 2009 the City of Nevada donated approximately 15 acres of the land to the Story County 4-H Fair Association.
Until this time there was only one original building (built in 1940) remaining, the Lauren
Christian Swine Barn that belonged to the Fair Association. With the donation of land, the Community Building became Fair Board property. Now the Fair Board owned two original buildings featuring the laminated beams that created the curved roof line.
These beams were built by Walter Smay of Fernald. Billy Sunday Baseball Field was excluded in the land transfer. It had been a good landlord-tenant relationship over the years. The city has acquired over 200 acres of Park and Recreation area since 1939 with the growth of the community. The city government thus reduced some of their land holdings by appropriately donating the land. It was greatly appreciated by the Fair
Board.
Previously the Fair Board in 1941, had purchased one-half block of land across Second
Avenue from the grounds. The County Extension office is located on it, built in 1981.
Also, one-fourth block of land was purchased which is used for the RV and
Campgrounds during the fair. It was purc hased in the late 1960’s from Otho and Grace
Kirk.
Compiled by Jim Christy in 2003. Later updated in 2009-10.