Historical Commission's Monthly Tales of Our Town: The Farmer's Club
April’s Minute History is about the Farmer’s Club. If, as was said in the mid-19th century, “No town much interested in agriculture should be without a Farmer’s Club,” West Newbury led the way. On December 6, 1856, the West Newbury Farmers Club was set into motion, the first in Essex County. In quiet winter months farmers met to consider issues of husbandry—and to socialize. Then and now, the Farmers’ Club was most known for its September fairs. They began around 1860 as picnics at the Ordway homestead with parlor displays of “brobdingnagian” vegetables and many now-lost varieties of apples and other fruits. As the fair grew ever bigger and better, hosting thousands, logistics became increasingly challenging. In 1894, a printed “Arrangement of Committees” detailed the purpose and membership of 46 different fair committees. With attendance declining, the Club held its final fair on the Training Field in 1901, and disbanded shortly thereafter.
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