Old Missoula

Fair Going Strong Again 19 Years After Tragic 1941 Conflagration

What had been billed as probably the biggest year in history for the Western Montana Fair turned out to be its most tragic.

This was 1941 – the year of the big fairgrounds fire.

Elaborate preparations were made that year for a great grandstand show, a big carnival was brought in, exhibit buildings were overflowing and it looked like a great year for the fair.

It was during the second afternoon show toward the end of the program that a wisp of smoke curled over the upper eastern end of the grandstand. The crowd stood up, sat down again for a minute or two, then started to pour out of the grandstand as the first flames appeared.

No Lives Lost

There were an estimated 7,000 persons on the grounds and not one life was lost – a great tribute to the coolness and orderliness of the crowd. The loss to buildings and barns was estimated at $125,000.

The fair board had an immediate meeting and decided to carry on. With the help of WPA and volunteer workers, temporary bleachers were constructed and the fair went right on as scheduled. On the fair board that year were Hal Cheney, chairman, Alfred C. Sterner, M. M. Oliphant, A. R. Deschamps and John Stahl, with Floyd Day as secretary.

Despite the effort for recovery, the drastic results of the fire to property and the war years put a halt to the fair until 1953 when a group went to the county commissioners in an effort to reinstate this traditional community affair.

Fair Resumed

In January of 1954 the fair board began the work for the resumption of the fair in September of that year. Through the winter and spring months the board was busy lining up all the details that go into the organization and operation of a fair. The board consisted of Carroll Nelson, president, J. L. Kellogg, vice president, and directors George A. Cates, Roy Meyers and E. L. Swift and Clyde Fickes, secretary. In May of that year George Patterson was hired as secretary and he continued in that position for two years.

Tough Test for Fair

That first year of renewed activity was a tough test for the fair as cold weather and rain persisted, but the interest and enthusiasm of townspeople carried it through and this year the Missoula County Fair will be in its seventh straight year of operation.

Present board members are L. R. Jourdonnais, chairman; A. D. Nelson, vice chairman; C. N. Nelson, Roy Rodenberger, Palmer Romness, directors; Katherine Jourdonnais, secretary-manager, and H. H. Schatz, racing commissioner.