State Fair

Click State Fair, 1974 to view an enlarged version of the image.

In this 1974 photo, six year-old Jennifer Weise tugs on a Holstein cow's ear. The animal was one of 8,000 displayed at the Michigan State Fair that year.

Michigan's first State Fair was held in Detroit in 1849. The Michigan Agricultural Society sponsored and organized the event. The fair moved to Ann Arbor in 1850 and then back to Detroit from 1851-1862. From 1863-1904, it rotated amongst different Michigan cities.

Finally, in 1905, it settled in a permanent location in Wayne County. Joseph Hudson, founder of Hudson's Department Store, formed the State Fair Land Company, along with Levi Barber, Lester Wise and Edward Hopkins. The Company acquired land east of Woodward Avenue, between 7 ½ and 8 Mile Roads. They then sold this to the Michigan State Agricultural Society for one dollar. Over the years, additional land has been purchased and sold, so the fair ground size has varied.

In 1921, the Michigan State Agricultural Society voted to transfer fairground ownership to the State of Michigan. The State legislature approved the transfer, and the Michigan Department of Agriculture then took control of the land and buildings. This control was later transferred to the Department of Natural Resources and then to the Department of Commerce. It reverted back to the Department of Agriculture in 1997 and has remained there to this day.

A second state fair has been held in the Upper Peninsula since 1928. It was felt that different agricultural conditions and the long distance between the Upper Peninsula and Detroit justified this step. The photo to the right dates from the very first Upper Peninsula State Fair in 1928. (Click on the photo for a larger view.)

This history has been compiled from Archives of Michigan finding aids and from the web site histories of the State Fair and the Upper Peninsula State Fair (see below for official web site links). Both State Fairs are held in late August and early September.

The Archives of Michigan houses official records of both fairs. These records date back to 1905. Click Archives of Michigan Circular for a list.

Bob Garrett, Archivist
E-mail: garrettr1@michigan.gov

The State Historic Preservation Office has placed a marker at the site of the State Fair grounds in Wayne County. Click State Historical Marker to read the text.

Click Archives of Michigan to visit the Archives of Michigan home page.

Click Archives Image of the Month to view archived image pages.

Archives of Michigan
Michigan Library and Historical Center
702 W. Kalamazoo Street
Lansing, MI 48913
Phone: (517) 373-3559 (Select Option "3" from the voice menu)
E-mail: archives@michigan.gov

This page is the Archives Image of the Month page for August 2007.