Youngs and the Shelby County Fairgrounds

Some of the land that John M. Young obtained in his original land patent in 1822 became what we know today as the Shelby County Fairgrounds.

The following article, written by Amy Thurston and Ray Zinser, was originally published in the Shelbyville News on 7/21/1978 and is reprinted here with the publisher's  permission.

The first fair at the present fairgrounds was held in September, 1874 on a 45.4 acre tract after the land was offered for sale to the county commissioners for the purpose of establishing a fairgrounds by the heirs of John Young.

The commissioners bought all of the land for $5000, then leased it back free to the Shelby County Joint Stock Agriculture Association, the county's first fair association. The fair and the fairgrounds, located at that time next to a whiskey distillery, have been in the same location since then.

The association had been formed in 1851 with Thomas A. Hendricks, a Shelbyville attorney and civic leader, drawing up the original bylaws. Hendricks later became active in state and national politics, and was elected vice president of the United States in 1884 with Grover Cleveland as president. Hendricks died in office.

The first fair association was called the Agriculture Society. It purchased a 10-acre tract on the Amos Rd near the railroad tracks with at least part of the original fairgrounds being located on land owned for many years by Zinser.

The first fair at the Amos road (then called Amos Pike) location, which was also near a whiskey distillery, opened in 1854, primarily as a livestock exposition, and the fairs were held there through 1866 when the grounds were vacated.

According to information obtained by Zinser and Thurston in historical reference books of the city and county and old newspaper accounts, those fairs were poorly attended. Fair-goers complained that there was no shade on the grounds. The few buildings on the grounds later were razed, and the agriculture society was disbanded, with the county commissioners tasked to find an appropriate fairgrounds location.

Before the Amos Pike site was chosen, two areas were used for early gatherings that were considered fairs in their day, although they primarily were community picnics for farmers who occasionally displayed livestock.

From 1800 to 1850, before the city was incorporated, one area that was used is now what is now Montgomery St on the city's westside was used for early gatherings. The second area was on the far eastside, known as Walkerville, and near where the present fairgrounds are located.

Early fairs were considered autumn events and were planned for mid and late September. Fairs have been held here over the years during just about every week from mid-June though late September at one time or another.

The Amphitheater, more commonly know as the grandstand, at the present fairgrounds was built in 1879, and has been enlarged and renovated though the years.

According to information obtained by Zinser and Thurston, the racetrack was built during the Civil War years of the early 1860's putting it in that location before the fairgrounds itself was located there. The half-mile dirt track, which for many years has been one of the states fastest harness courses, was patterned after Louisville Churchill Downs racing facility, home of the Kentucky derby.

Several early references were made to gamblers building and controlling the racetrack, and many complaints from townspeople, according to old issues of the Shelbyville Democrat, of gambling booths dominating early fairs."

The Young's moved from Clark County, KY in the heart of bluegrass country. Did they engage in horse racing or raising of horses? Why would they build (or allow others to build) a horsetrack on their farm? The original land patent was for 160 acres and was filed in 1821. John M. Young showed a significant attachment to the land as he requested in his will to be buried in his apple orchard on the farm, although his family buried him in the City Cemetery instead. His children gradually moved away, either in to town or on West to establish their own homesteads.

Countless people have gathered at the fairgrounds in the years since 1874. Few of them, even the descendants of John M. Young, paused to consider how it or the track came into existence.

Click here to view a historical map of the Fairgrounds as it was in it's early days.

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