There is really something special when everyone from a small town gets together, kinda like the annual Shidler High School Reunions. As a young boy I just remember excitement in the air as the fair was approaching. Everyone and I do mean everyone was involved in the festivities. The ladies Home Demonstration Club (about every mom in the district) organized and orchestrated the event. It was a cross between a church social and a farm convention and the state fair.
It always started early on Saturday morning with everyone bringing in canned goods (mostly the ladies) plus samples of crops mostly by the men and boys. Then there was the food for the biggest pot-luck you have every seen. All year long there were very few times you would see a large gathering but the Grainola District Fair offered an opportunity for everyone, young and old to gather for a day of fun and celebration. All the Kelly family would be in one spot and I think they always entered more contests than any other family. The Custer family was not far behind as they seemed to be a cornerstone family of the community. Lebby, Leon and all the rest would take off work and that was very seldom. This was one of the few days Carl McConaghy pulled out of the fields to take a break. The Jones, Weavers, Jacksons, Logues, Castlemen, Eatons, Coopers, Franks, Snyders, Fulsoms, Shumates, Heaths, Johnsons, Jones, Olsens, Harris families, and the list goes on but I bet I could name them all, would all show up for a little fun and food. The food was magnificent as the women put on a show you could not believe. Mrs. Hobbs made her famous pies and fried chicken and every woman made her best for the day. It was all layed out on long tables made of saw horses and 1 by 12s laid on top. I am not sure but I bet the table was over 100 feet long. I do remember that mom would never eat the potato salads as she got food poison once and that ended her love for potato salad.
If you ever wanted to get your fill of deviled eggs and fried chicken this was the day. After lunch folks would lay around under the big shade trees (elms) and play games. The old men would play horse shoes and when they were done with their tournaments the young folks would take over. There were sack races and just running races and bicycle races and turtle races, yes turtle races.
Let me explain: sack races could be done either in single or doubles. If it were single you would take old gunny sacks (feed sacks made of burlap) put both feet in and then jump as fast as you can to beat everyone else in a race to the finish line. If you were doing doubles each person put one leg in the sack so effectively you were running like you had three legs, kinda like Siamese twins connected by legs. Typically several falls were in order during the race but whoever got up and recovered the fastest won. Hum? What did that teach me in the Osage? If you get up fast you can still win!
Now for turtle races: This was my speciality! I had a lot of advantages here as my dad was the local Rural Mail Carrier on top of being a farmer/rancher. Dad would collect turtles (terrapins) everyday for about a week. Now I don't mean to assume you are stupid but what I am implying is that while dad delivered the mail and drove many miles everyday he would have a lot of opportunity to see turtles crossing the road and would stop and pick them up for me. Anyway, I would take all of them to the fair where I would take nail polish (typically red) and paint their back with numbers or a name so you could tell them apart. Then I set up a retail operation to sell turtles to the racers. It was always very profitable and of course if I won any races that was cream on the top. Do I need to explain? Cream on the Top comes from when you milk your cows and let the milk sit and ultimately separate the cream will gather on top and that is what you made butter and home made ice cream and cottage cheese out of and if you were really good you could make cheese. At our house we never made cheese, at least that I remember. Anyway once you had your turtle everyone (based on age of the owners of the turtles) would put their turtles in a box (without a bottom) and when everyone was ready the officials would lift the box and the turtles would take off in all directions. The first turtle to cross the line (it was a circle) would be the winner. Generally there were always a first, second and third awards. This was actually one of my favorite times and events growing up. The other day I was emailing Sue McConaghy and she reminded me that every Fourth of July there were turtle races and fireworks and a gathering still being done in Grainola each year. I plan on going next year, how about you?
These stories can go on and on so I will stop for today.
What do you learn in the Osage?
A little after the fact explain'n what canned goods means: items put in jars for storage to eat in the winter. There were peaches, corn, beats, green beans, tomatoes, cherries, boysen berries, okra and the list goes on and on. Looking back it is interesting to know that there were not a lot of things mixed together like there is today. For example today you see salsas and all kinds of vegetables and fruits that are seasoned but back then it was pretty basic. Another difference is everyone had a pressure cooker to help preserve the items in those jars. Almost everyone would remember how the entire house was heated up by all the activity and of course everyone in the family was involved in the process. As for the crops there were alfalfa and prairie hay and maize plus wheat and corn on the cob (dried) and corn off the cobb (dried).
It always started early on Saturday morning with everyone bringing in canned goods (mostly the ladies) plus samples of crops mostly by the men and boys. Then there was the food for the biggest pot-luck you have every seen. All year long there were very few times you would see a large gathering but the Grainola District Fair offered an opportunity for everyone, young and old to gather for a day of fun and celebration. All the Kelly family would be in one spot and I think they always entered more contests than any other family. The Custer family was not far behind as they seemed to be a cornerstone family of the community. Lebby, Leon and all the rest would take off work and that was very seldom. This was one of the few days Carl McConaghy pulled out of the fields to take a break. The Jones, Weavers, Jacksons, Logues, Castlemen, Eatons, Coopers, Franks, Snyders, Fulsoms, Shumates, Heaths, Johnsons, Jones, Olsens, Harris families, and the list goes on but I bet I could name them all, would all show up for a little fun and food. The food was magnificent as the women put on a show you could not believe. Mrs. Hobbs made her famous pies and fried chicken and every woman made her best for the day. It was all layed out on long tables made of saw horses and 1 by 12s laid on top. I am not sure but I bet the table was over 100 feet long. I do remember that mom would never eat the potato salads as she got food poison once and that ended her love for potato salad.
If you ever wanted to get your fill of deviled eggs and fried chicken this was the day. After lunch folks would lay around under the big shade trees (elms) and play games. The old men would play horse shoes and when they were done with their tournaments the young folks would take over. There were sack races and just running races and bicycle races and turtle races, yes turtle races.
Let me explain: sack races could be done either in single or doubles. If it were single you would take old gunny sacks (feed sacks made of burlap) put both feet in and then jump as fast as you can to beat everyone else in a race to the finish line. If you were doing doubles each person put one leg in the sack so effectively you were running like you had three legs, kinda like Siamese twins connected by legs. Typically several falls were in order during the race but whoever got up and recovered the fastest won. Hum? What did that teach me in the Osage? If you get up fast you can still win!
Now for turtle races: This was my speciality! I had a lot of advantages here as my dad was the local Rural Mail Carrier on top of being a farmer/rancher. Dad would collect turtles (terrapins) everyday for about a week. Now I don't mean to assume you are stupid but what I am implying is that while dad delivered the mail and drove many miles everyday he would have a lot of opportunity to see turtles crossing the road and would stop and pick them up for me. Anyway, I would take all of them to the fair where I would take nail polish (typically red) and paint their back with numbers or a name so you could tell them apart. Then I set up a retail operation to sell turtles to the racers. It was always very profitable and of course if I won any races that was cream on the top. Do I need to explain? Cream on the Top comes from when you milk your cows and let the milk sit and ultimately separate the cream will gather on top and that is what you made butter and home made ice cream and cottage cheese out of and if you were really good you could make cheese. At our house we never made cheese, at least that I remember. Anyway once you had your turtle everyone (based on age of the owners of the turtles) would put their turtles in a box (without a bottom) and when everyone was ready the officials would lift the box and the turtles would take off in all directions. The first turtle to cross the line (it was a circle) would be the winner. Generally there were always a first, second and third awards. This was actually one of my favorite times and events growing up. The other day I was emailing Sue McConaghy and she reminded me that every Fourth of July there were turtle races and fireworks and a gathering still being done in Grainola each year. I plan on going next year, how about you?
These stories can go on and on so I will stop for today.
What do you learn in the Osage?
- How free enterprise works - everyone needs a turtle for the race
- A little work creates luck - the only luck I ever had was a function of work not a handout
- Some folks are entrepreneurs and some folks are like me - fullamanure (if you don't get it call me)
- The greatest folks in the world are those you spend time with - go figure
Thanks for your time,
gary@thepioneerman.com
A little after the fact explain'n what canned goods means: items put in jars for storage to eat in the winter. There were peaches, corn, beats, green beans, tomatoes, cherries, boysen berries, okra and the list goes on and on. Looking back it is interesting to know that there were not a lot of things mixed together like there is today. For example today you see salsas and all kinds of vegetables and fruits that are seasoned but back then it was pretty basic. Another difference is everyone had a pressure cooker to help preserve the items in those jars. Almost everyone would remember how the entire house was heated up by all the activity and of course everyone in the family was involved in the process. As for the crops there were alfalfa and prairie hay and maize plus wheat and corn on the cob (dried) and corn off the cobb (dried).
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