FRYEBURG – As important as it is to prepare for the future, officials at the Fryeburg Fair never want to forget the past.
To that end, they created the History Department this year to oversee activities at the History Exhibition Center.
There are 40 departments that oversee the operation of their respective segments of the fair.
“This is our baby,” said Michael Hathaway, who was also speaking for his wife, Penny. “This is the history of the fair. It’s special. It relates to all the people that have been instrumental since the start of the fair and those that are here today.”
The first Fryeburg Fair was held in 1851.
On one wall of the building is several panels giving a brief history of the fair. This is followed by two panels of the names of all the trustees and officers that have been with the fair since 1851. Those are followed by several panels of photographs of those who have played and are playing a role in the fair.
Michael and Penny are on the West Oxford Agricultural Society’s 150th Year Committee and Penny is the editor of the book “Fryeburg Fair, First 150 Years.”
She said she and the eight other members of the book committee worked about two years on pulling the book together.
“I usually come to the fair every year,” said John Pecoraro of Denmark, who was taking his time looking through the pictures on the wall. “This is the first time I’ve seen this exhibit and it’s nice. I grew up with some of these people.”
Robby Andrews of Raynham, Mass., who has been coming to the fair for eight years, shared Pecoraro’s feelings.
“It’s incredible. It’s nice,” Andrews said. “I’ve never seen a lot of the older pictures of people and buildings that were here. You can see how the fair has grown over the years.”
Currently half of the building is devoted to the history of the fair, exhibitors occupy the other half.
But that will change next year.
Michael said the building will be entirely devoted to the history of the fair.
Currently the book and a couple of mementos are for sale.
“We will have more mementos and souvenirs,” Michael said. “A lot of people have been asking for mementos.
“If people know of things that relate to the Fryeburg Fair that we could either make copies of, or they would like to donate please call us.”
People may phone 935-3268 and leave a message for Penny.
jsmedley@sunjournal.com
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