THE CENTRAL SASKATCHEWAN AGRICULTURAL FAIR

In early 1886 a meeting was held at which it was decided to organize a Central Saskatchewan Agricultural Fair. Membership dues were set at a dollar, memberships received, and a board of directors elected.  Grants were sought from the Department of Agriculture of the North West Territories at Regina and from the Temperance Colony Company at Toronto. The Department replied that it had used up its allocation for the year; the Colony Company made a donation to the prize fund.

According to Rob it has been claimed that the first fair was in 1887, but this is based on the year of the first grant from the government to the fair. The 1886 officers continued in charge of the fair in 1887.

Excerpts from “A Century of Grant MacEwan: Selected Writings”

The first fair was held on the second Wednesday in October 1886.  There were no gates on the grounds and no grandstand, but according to Joseph Caswell, every settler brought something to exhibit.

The prize list offered more of interest than monetary reward, but nobody exhibited to get rich.  For the best herd of Durham cattle, the first prize was a dollar and a diploma; for the best in Ayrshires, the reward was the same.  Joseph Caswell and his brother had brought some Shorthorn cattle (Durhams in the prize list) from Ontario that spring, driving the cows from Moose Jaw to Saskatoon on foot, and then returned to the railroad to transport the new bull to Saskatoon by wagon.  The bull was too fat to walk that distance with the cows.  Anyway, the herd was ready for the exhibition at the Fall Fair and the fat bull received as much admiration as Babe Ruth at a youth rally.

Attending the Golden Jubilee of the Saskatoon Exhibition was Mrs. B.C. Anderson of Sutherland who recalled walking to Saskatoon and driving two cows, two heifers and a heifer calf for the first fair.  Nancy, the calf, was stubborn and wanted to go home and when they arrived at the scene of the fair, both the little girl and the calf were tired.  To make matters worse, it was learned that there was no class for Nancy.  But there were other calves in similar position and sympathetic directors made a special class and Nancy won first prize and fifty cents.

There is no evidence of inferiority among those who drove and exhibited oxen on the streets of Saskatoon at that first fair.  Joseph Caswell, who was a director and exhibitor on that occasion and had the distinction of being an exhibitor in the livestock classes at Saskatoon Exhibition exactly fifty years later, told the writer that when the class for the “Best Walking Team” was called, Stanley King entered with his oxen.  The horsemen protested.  But the committee took a stand against racial discrimination and ruled that two oxen made a legitimate team.  King won the competition.

Robert Caswell, who later owned the internationally famous shorthorn bull, Gainsford Marquis, won a dollar for the best pen of fowl and H. Bowman had the winning trotting horse, an Indian pony, blind in one eye, but the fastest trotter seen around Saskatoon in those years.

The day before the fair, Joe took the horses, cattle, vegetable and grains being entered by Robert and himself, and probably also John’s entries. When Rob stopped to pick up John and his family, he remembered that he had intended to enter cabbages as well. He slipped into John’s garden, picked out two fine cabbages, and entered them as his own. To his immense delight, these cabbages won the prize against those that John had selected.

At the first fair in 1886 a registered Shorthorn cow “Mary of Palmerston” was exhibited by two Caswell brothers.  Of course named after their mother, Mary Jane Caswell.

        Joseph Caswell collected vegetables to send to the 1893 world’s fair in Chicago.  Seager Wheeler included two squash he could just get his arms around.[1]

The earliest newspaper I could find was the Saskatoon Phenix (sic) from Oct 17, 1902.   On the first page was an article about the 16^th annual exhibition of the Central Saskatchewan Agricultural Society on Oct 2^nd and 3^rd, 1902. 

The weather was all that could be wished for, and consequently the attendance was large.  The exhibits of horses, cattle, swine and sheep were excellent, though not large in number, and would make a creditable showing in any of the larger towns of the West.  The exhibits of ladies work were good and a large number of entries were made; but the exhibits of grain, roots and garden produce, though of good quality, were very small.  Possibly the most noteworthy exhibit in the hall was John Caswell’s display of grains and cultivated grasses, competing for Garrison and Brawley’s prize.

Some of the family names in the list of prize winners:

Draught Horses – Yearling – RG Barager

Agricultural Horses – Team – RW Caswell Yearling – Robt. Caswell 1^st and 2^nd.  Two – year old – David Caswell

Driving Horses – Team – Jos, Irvine, Joseph Caswell Yearling – David Caswell

Saddle Horses and Ponies Saddle horse – JJ Caswell

Specials – Best bunch of horses – JJ Caswell

Shorthorn Cattle – Bull, two years old – John J. Caswell Bull, one year old – Joseph Caswell, John J. Caswell Bull calf – John J. Caswell, joseph Caswell Heifer calf – John J Caswell, Joseph Caswell Heifer, one year old – John J Caswell 1^st and 2^nd.  Heifer, two years old John J. Caswell, Joseph Caswell.  Herd of cattle – John J. and Joseph Caswell

Dairy Cattle Heifer, one year old – Joseph Caswell

Grade Cattle - Cow – Joseph Caswell 1^st & 2^nd Heifer, two years – Jos. Caswell Heifer, one year – Joseph Caswell, David Caswell.  Calf raised on dam – Jos. Caswell Calf raised by hand – David Caswell, Rbt Caswell Steers, two years old – Joseph Caswell  Fat animal – John J Caswell Herd – Joseph Caswell.

Swine - Fat pig – Joseph Caswell

Poultry - White Leghorns – David Caswell Chickens – D. Caswell Pair of ducks – D Caswell Geese - D. Caswell

Field Produce - Red Fyfe Wheat – Joseph Caswell White oats – Joseph Caswell Collection of grains and grasses – John J. Caswell.  Judges specially recommend this collection for special prize.

Is this the picture of the prize wheat and grasses?  Grandson John had this in his possession

Field Roots - Early rose Potatoes – John J. Caswell Potatoes A.O.K. – Joseph Caswell.  Turnips – John J. Caswell, Joseph Caswell.  Mangolds – Joseph Caswell Sugar beets - Joseph Caswell Field Carrots – Joseph Caswell

Garden Products - Sett Onions – Joseph Beirnes, RG Barager  Seed onions – Joseph Beirnes Seed onions, yellow – Jos. Beirnes, RG Barager Carrots – Jos. Beirnes, John J Caswell  Long blood beets – John J Caswell turnip beets – Joseph Caswell Corn – John J. Caswell Cabbages – Joseph Caswell Corn John J Caswell, Cabbages – Joseph Caswell Cauliflowers - Joseph Caswell Shallots – Joseph Beirnes  Recommended for prize, Winter onions – Joseph Caswell

Dairy and Miscellaneous - Packed butter – Joseph Caswell Cured Meat – John J. Caswell, Joseph Caswell Pair of dressed fowl – Mrs. J Caswell Dozen eggs – Miss Case

Ladies work - Floor rug, rag – Mrs. John Caswell Pair darned socks, - Miss Case, Mrs Beirnes Ladies hose – Mrs. John Caswell, Mrs. Beirnes.

       

From an interview with Joe Caswell[2]: “When Sir Wilfred Laurie and his party were touring the west prior to his election as Prime Minister in 1896, the directorate invited him to attend our fair. The invitation was accepted and the special train was stopped in Idylwyld, near the show.”

“I, a bachelor then, won first prize in butter which greatly amused Sir Wilfred, who with his political slap on my shoulder called the attention of the ladies of his party to the “confirmed old bachelor‟ winning the prize. Needless to say I voted for him at that election. All of the party were very enthusiastic about our display and took away a nine-pound black Spanish radish and wrote me later how the enjoyed it en route home.”

The Caswell brothers from the very beginning took pride in the raising of stock and produce as is illustrated by the number of categories they entered and the prizes that they won at the fair.  From its inception the Caswells were involved with the Agricultural Society, with the organizing and running of it as well as exhibiting.

---

[1] Canada’s wheat king: the Life and times of Seager wheeler by Jim Shillday

[2] Star Phoenix