The Gazette
October 5, 1939

Although the Union Parish Fair is called an annual event, it is only since 1932 that the event has really been held annually.

This year’s fair is heralded as the twenty-second annual Fair, but it has only been since 1932 that a group of citizens organized the UNION PARISH FAIR ASSOCIATION, thus assuring yearly continuation of the fair.

Prior to 1932, the Fair would be held one year and probably skip the next year. It had lapsed several years before the citizens met in the summer of 1932 to insure its permanency.

Officers elected to head the fair association – when it was organized in that year were J. W. Stancil, Jr., president, S. D. Reech, vice-president and W. W. Porter, secretary-treasurer.

In 1934, Mr. Reech was elected president and held office until 1938, when he refused the office because of other pressing duties. In his place, Dr. J. D. Miller was elected, and is now serving as the association’s president.

The Fair’s board of directors include all school board members, all police jurors, principals of all the parish high schools and vocational agricultural teachers in the parish.

The Fair is financed by the state department of agriculture, the school board, the police jury and the surplus money derived from advertising in the annual fair catalogue.

Special emphasis is placed upon the agricultural side of the fair.

The exhibits and interest in the fair have been increasing from year to year. Now that the organization has been placed on a firm basis through the organization of the Union Parish Fair Association the services it renders to the people of Union Parish are untold.