In October 1912, farmers and visitors gathered in Mendocino for the second annual Apple Fair. The fair was founded the previous year by the Farmers & Apple Growers Association, a newly organized group created to represent local farmers. Held in Odd Fellows Hall, the first fair, in 1911, was a three-day affair displaying farmers’ products, entertainment, and concessions.
The 1912 Fair was much larger. The Association commissioned the construction of Apple Hall, a 40- by 100-foot exhibition hall on the corner of Kasten and Little Lake streets. The four-day fair began on Wednesday, October 23 with a speech by Oakland editor Colonel John P. Irish. He spoke on agricultural and horticultural development, and the audience was so interested that his speech “proved all too short to suit his audience,” according to the Ukiah Republican Press. That evening a three-act play titled “The Strange Adventures of Miss Brown” was also held in Odd Fellows Hall, filling it to capacity.
On Thursday, Apple Hall opened its doors to a constant stream of visitors. Outside, tents were erected with additional concessions, and nearby houses hung banners in their trees to add to the festivities.
The inaugural Apple Parade began at 2 p.m. on Thursday, led by women on horseback. Prizes were awarded for various livestock shown in the procession, including a Belgian stallion entered by the Point Arena Draft Horse Company. Cattle were not entered in the parade, as they were deemed too slow, but John Gordon’s two young daughters “led their two prize pet calves and these attracted much attention.”
Professor Clarke from the University of California gave a series of lectures on Friday, speaking about the work of the College of Agriculture, modern methods of farming and fruit-growing, and the results of a soil study.
The prizes were awarded throughout the fair for everything ranging from best tasting pie to largest apple by inches, largest vegetable by weight, and best floral exhibit. Track and field races took place at the high school track. The largest apple measured 17 ½ inches by 15 ¼ inches. The largest squash by weight came in at 108 pounds, and the largest pumpkin at 90 pounds.
The 1912 Apple Fair was a resounding success. In the wrap-up from the festival, the Mendocino Beacon wrote “Mendocino you’re alright, You’re the little boost town bright. Your Apple Fair is out of sight.”
Averee McNear is the curator at the Kelley House Museum in Mendocino, Calif.