Finding aid of the County Fairgrounds Collection
Trista Raezer
Santa Clara County Archives
1875 Senter Road
San Jose, CA 95112-2527
Phone: (408) 755-7895
Fax: (408) 755-7897
URL: http://archives.sccgov.org
Email: Archives@ceo.sccgov.org
© 2012
Santa Clara County. All rights reserved.
Finding aid of the County Fairgrounds Collection
Collection number: 2011-004 and 2011-005
Santa Clara County Archives
San Jose, California
- Processed by:
- Trista Raezer
- Date Completed:
- 2012
- Encoded by:
- Trista Raezer
© 2011 Santa Clara County. All rights reserved.
Descriptive Summary
Title: County Fairgrounds collection
Dates: 1939-2009
Collection number: 2011-004 and 2011-005
Creator:
Santa Clara County Fairgrounds
Collection Size:
Approximately 65 cubic feet
Repository:
Santa Clara County Archives.
Abstract: The County Fairgrounds Collection consists of materials pertaining to the County Fair and Fairgrounds ranging from 1939 to
2009. These materials include: Fairgrounds' Board meeting minutes, financial reports, programs, premium lists, administrative
files, photographs, slides, negatives, video and audio tapes, scrapbooks, newspaper clippings, blueprints, press kits/books,
Fairgrounds publications, Senior Expo records, and ephemera.
Physical location: For current information on the location of these materials, please consult Archives staff.
Languages:
Languages represented in the collection:
English
Access
Collection is open for research.
Publication Rights
The Archives can claim physical ownership only for some collections. Users are responsible for securing permission of the
copyright holder for publication or quotation.
Preferred Citation
County Fairgrounds collection, 2011-004 and 2011-005, Santa Clara County Archives.
Acquisition Information
The collection was transferred from the County Fairgrounds to the Archives in 2011.
Administrative History
The Santa Clara County Fairgrounds has held the annual county fair since 1941. While a fair was held in San Jose during the
late nineteenth century, Santa Clara County did not have a fair during the early 1900s, despite the county's prominence in
agriculture and livestock. Therefore the Santa Clara Valley Fair Association was created in 1937 in order to create a fair.
On October 28, 1940 the County Board of Supervisors purchased the 97 acre Macomber Ranch on Tully Road for $35,000 from H.
Kirk Macomber. On March 12, 1941 the County authorized the renamed Santa Clara County Fair Association to run the fair.
The first fair was held October 7th through 12th in 1941. The next fair was not held until 1946 due to World War II. A fair
has been held annually since then. The annual fair included horse and car racing, carnival rides, an exposition hall, livestock,
displays of flowers and agriculture, arts and crafts, live entertainment, merchant displays, and competitions of all sorts.
Over the years building were added, such as horse barns, the sheep and swine building, the rabbit and poultry building, administrative
buildings, the Exposition Hall, the Pavilion Building, a large blue arch over the entrance to the fairgrounds, a reproduction
of the original capital building, grandstands, and arenas. The "Cheery Farmer" became the mascot, and the official slogan
was "Hi, Neighbor!"
While the Fairgrounds have shrunk in size since its heyday, and the horse track and many of the buildings no longer exist,
the Fairgrounds still hosts an annual fair and many events year round. The Exposition Hall and Pavilion Hall still stand,
and the Fairgrounds now has an off-track betting parlor. The Fairgrounds is currently run by the Fairgrounds Management Corporation.
Scope and Content of Collection
The County Fairgrounds Collection consists of materials pertaining to the County Fair and Fairgrounds ranging from 1939 to
2009. These materials include: Fairgrounds' Board meeting minutes, financial reports, programs, premium lists, photographs,
slides, negatives, video and audio tapes, scrapbooks, newspaper clippings, blueprints, administrative records, press kits/books,
Fairgrounds publications, Senior Expo records and ephemera. Please see the container for more details for each series.
Arrangement
This collection is arranged into fifteen series: Fairgrounds' Board Meeting Minutes, Financial Reports, Programs and Premium
Lists, Photographs, Slides, and Negatives, General Information and Memorabilia, Video and Audio Tapes, Scrapbooks, Newspaper
Clippings, Blueprints, Administrative records, Press Kits/Books, Fairgrounds Publications, Pamphlets and Posters, Senior Expo
records, and Ephemera. These series are arranged in chronological order.
Indexing Terms
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in
the library's online public access catalog.
Santa Clara County (Calif.)
County fairs
Agricultural exhibitions
Racetracks (Horse racing)
Amusement rides
Livestock
Series: I
Fairgrounds' Board Meeting Minutes,
1939-1997
Physical Description: 5 boxes
Series Scope and Content
This series consists of the meeting minutes for the Santa clara County Fair Association Board.
Series: II
Financial Reports,
1941-1998
Physical Description: 2 boxes
Series Scope and Content
This series consists of annual financial reports for the County Fair, including expenditures and profits.
Series: III
Programs and Premium Lists,
1941-2009
Physical Description: 2 boxes
Series Scope and Content
This series consists of programs, premium lists, and entry handbooks for the annual County Fair.
Series: IV
Photographs, Slides, and Negatives,
1941-2000s
Physical Description: Approximately 25 cubic feet
Series Scope and Content
This series consists of photographs taken at each annual County Fair. These images include aerials of the Fairgrounds, beauty
pageants, farm animals, amusement rides, arts and crafts, children, contests, Fairgrounds buildings, merchant booths, exhibits,
floral arrangements, and much more.
Series: V
General Information and Memorabilia,
1941-2006
Physical Description: 2 boxes
Series Scope and Content
This series consists of an artificial collection of information and memorabilia on the Fair compiled and arranged by a Fair
employee. Items in this series includes programs, pamphlets, newspaper articles, and information about the fair.
Series: VI
Video and Audio Tapes,
1980s-1990s
Physical Description: Approximately 5 cubic feet
Series Scope and Content
This series consists of videos and audio tapes of television and radio commercials for the annual County Fair.
Series: VII
Scrapbooks,
1941-1980s
Physical Description: Approximately 17 cubic feet
Series Scope and Content
This series consists of scrapbooks created for each annual County Fair. The scrapbooks include newspaper clippings, photographs,
programs and pamphlets.
Series: VIII
Newspaper Clippings,
1941-2000s
Physical Description: 1 box
Series Scope and Content
This series consists of newspaper clippings of articles about the annual County Fair.
Series: IX
Blueprints,
1940s-2000s
Physical Description: Approximately 2 cubic feet
Series Scope and Content
This series consists of blueprints of buildings at the County Fairgrounds.
Series: X
Administrative files,
1949-1998
Physical Description: 1 box
Box-Folder: 1/1
A Brief History of the Santa Clara County Fair by Dick Barrett,
1968
Physical Description: 1 folder
Box-Folder: 1/2
Master Project List (Roof/Pavement),
1985-1987
Physical Description: 1 folder
Box-Folder: 1/3
Horse Barns,
1989-1990
Physical Description: 1 folder
Box-Folder: 1/4
Facility Conditions Assessment Draft Report,
1998
Physical Description: 1 folder
Box-Folder: 1/5
Final Asbestos Survey Report,
1991
Physical Description: 1 folder
Box-Folder: 1/6
Board Committees,
1996-1997
Physical Description: 1 folder
Box-Folder: 1/7
By-Laws of the Santa Clara County Fair Association,
1996
Physical Description: 1 folder
Box-Folder: 1/8
Articles of Incorporation,
1995
Physical Description: 1 folder
Box-Folder: 1/9
Advertising,
1956
Physical Description: 1 folder
Box-Folder: 1/10
Tech High School Feed,
1953
Physical Description: 1 folder
Box-Folder: 1/11
Concessions-Expo Hall,
1953
Physical Description: 1 folder
Box-Folder: 1/12
Publicity,
1955
Physical Description: 1 folder
Box-Folder: 1/13
Construction Work,
1957
Physical Description: 1 folder
Box-Folder: 1/14
Premium Books,
1953
Physical Description: 1 folder
Box-Folder: 1/15
Praise and Thank You Letters,
1953
Physical Description: 1 folder
Box-Folder: 1/16
Women's Department,
1957
Physical Description: 1 folder
Box-Folder: 1/17
Press, Radio TV Dinner
1953
Physical Description: 1 folder
Box-Folder: 1/18
Children's Playgrounds,
1949
Physical Description: 1 folder
Box-Folder: 1/19
Correspondence,
1951-1988
Physical Description: 1 folder
Box-Folder: 1/20
Santa Clara County Fairgrounds Management Corporation, Inc. and Fair Association Records,
1995-1997
Physical Description: 1 folder
Box-Folder: 1/21
Memorandum,
1996
Physical Description: 1 folder
Box-Folder: 1/22
Administrative Records, Miscellaneous,
1970s-1990s
Physical Description: 1 folder
Box-Folder: 1/23
Public Opinion Surveys,
1949 and 1998
Physical Description: 1 folder
Box-Folder: 1/24
Annual Statistical Attendance Reports,
1986-1989
Physical Description: 1 folder
Box-Folder: 1/25
Five Year Maintenance Plan,
1987-1992
Physical Description: 1 folder
Box-Folder: 1/26
Building Maintenance Proposal,
1995
Physical Description: 1 folder
Box-Folder: 1/27
Consulting Analysis on the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds
1994
Physical Description: 1 folder
Box-Folder: 1/28
Fairgrounds Revitalization Plan,
1998
Physical Description: 1 folder
Series: XI
Press Kits/Books,
1968-2001
Physical Description: 5 folders
Series Scope and Content
This series consists of kits/books that were given out to the press that contained information about the fair. There is also
one folder of materials that were given out to corporate sponsors.
Series: XII
Fairgrounds Publications,
1957-2006
Physical Description: 3 folders
Series Scope and Content
This series consists of newsletters and publications created by the Fairgrounds.
Box-Folder: 1/7
Faircast,
1957
Physical Description: 1 folder
Box-Folder: 1/8
Happy Talks, News and Views, and The Fair Views,
1980-2001
Physical Description: 1 folder
Box-Folder: 1/9
As the Wheel Turns...,
1993
Physical Description: 1 folder
Series: XIII
Pamphlets and Posters,
1970s-1990s
Physical Description: 1 folder
Series Scope and Content
This series consists of pamphlets and posters promoting the fair.
Series: XIV
Senior Expo,
1986-1993
Physical Description: 16 folders
Series Scope and Content
This series consists of administrative records, pamphlets, and newspaper articles about the Senior Expo, which was an event
held for Senior Citizens in order to "educate, entertain, and make available to our 176,000 Santa Clara County Seniors...knowledge
that will enable them to enjoy a full and meaningful life."
Series: XV
Ephemera,
circa 1940s-2000s
Physical Description: Approximately a quarter cubic foot
Series Scope and Content
This series consists of ephemera of the annual County Fair, such as pins, posters, and ribbons.