Fair & Horse Show
In 1872, the Salisbury fairground at this site was struck by a tornado and the then newly built amphitheater was completely destroyed. Fairs were paused for a number of years afterward. Officially led by the Chariton County Agricultural and Mechanical Society, the Salisbury Fair gained popularity after the fair in Keytesville went out of business in the early 1900s. The fair was an opportunity for residents to showcase their skills and agricultural yields for prizes. Contests were held for livestock, grains, fruits, vegetables, domestic products like quilts and sewn garments, “fancy work” like embroidery and drawing, and specials like footraces, women’s riding and driving, bucking bronco riding, and potato races.
In 1917, the soybean was only recently introduced in Missouri, and a contest was held for fairgoers to try to guess the number of pods on two exhibited plants. The closest guess would win the individual $1.00; four people that all guessed 1200 won, very close to the actual count of 1194.
Early horse showings consisted of “roadster” classes, where owners would exhibit the drive ability of horses and mules in various categories, and “showcase” classes were a display of breeding quality. In the years after the fair, horsemen were drawn to the Chariton Rangers Saddle Club and the Chariton Stampede Rodeo. Over the course of history, Salisbury has also hosted the Harvest Festival and travelling street carnivals, the Centennial Bar-B-Q, and the Ringling Brothers circus.
Beyond Salisbury, horse races and shows were hugely popular. Judge Lucius Salisbury often entered his own horse in races and shows, and frequently served as a judge for the events.
Today, Salisbury continues to offer the fairgrounds for 4-H shows and the like.
Clue
It’s time for a road trip, just out of town to the field of stones and memories. Where secrets are buried with those that perished and the answers to Salisbury’s 100+ year old cold case are entombed.