Pine Mountain Settlement School
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FARM 1932 Community Fair Day
Exhibition of gymnastics on Fair Day at PMSS. [norton_042.jpg]
FARM 1932 COMMUNITY Fair Day
October 1, 1932
TAGS: 1932 Community Fair Day, Community Fair Day, Community Fair, community events, fairs, Pine Mountain Settlement School community, farming, competitions, games, Abner Boggs, plays, calling contests, horseshoe tournaments, races, basketball, farm displays, craft displays, cash prizes, food for sale
INTRODUCTION: FARM 1932 Community Fair Day
The 1932 Community Fair Day is one of many annual events that has a long history at Pine Mountain Settlement School. It started in 1917 as an extension of the Harlan County Fair and the School’s “Farmer’s Day.”
Abner Boggs, a Pine Mountain community resident and musician, is described as part of the iconic traditions of the day in the 1944 edition of the Notes from the Pine Mountain Settlement School: “Abner Boggs sang “Lolly Tuddum Day”. For without that song and Abner we could hardly call it a Fair….”
In a 1955 talk at Harvard by Evelyn Wells, a former staff member at the School, on the music of the region, she again cites Abner Boggs and his contributions to Fair Day saying that the day would not have been complete without Abner Boggs and his renditions of “Lolly Tuddum Day” and “Judah Land.”
While the fundamental program of the Fair has remained remarkably consistent, the scale and scope of the Fair have varied from year to year as interest in fairs has waxed and waned in the School, the community, and the nation.
EXCERPTS: FARM 1932 Community Fair Day
The October 1932 issue of the PMSS student publication, THE PINE CONE, featured this article on its front page:
LARGE CROWD ATTENDS FAIR DAY
People of the neighboring farms gathered at Pine Mt. Settlement School on Oct. 1 in friendly competition. The program consisted of a play, a calling of farm animals contest, a horse-shoe tournament, races, and basket-ball for both girls and boys. Colorful was the display of vegetables, canned foods, old quilts, and flowers. There were cash prizes given to the owners of the best home products. Perhaps the most enjoyable of all the attractions were the stands where ice creams, “hot-dogs,” candy, coffee, and doughnuts were for sale. Everyone had such a good time we can well understand why this event is looked forward to with such anticipation each year.
Director Glyn Morris described the 1932 Fair Day in his October 1932 report to the PMSS Board of Trustees:
On the first Saturday of October, the annual Community Fair of Pine Mountain was held at the school. It was a glorious day, and some say that there was an even larger crowd at the Fair than usual. The program was very interesting, and there was an unusually fine exhibition of local products.
Return To:
EVENTS Guide to Past Events
FARM AND FARMING Guide
FARM Guide to Community Fair Days
FARM COMMUNITY FAIR DAY History
See Also:
ART and CRAFT Guide
COMMUNITY – What is Community? – Post
FOODWAYS
