File:The blue-grass region of Kentucky - and other Kentucky articles (1892) (14594815049).jpg

Identifier: bluegrassregiono5460alle (find matches)
Title: The blue-grass region of Kentucky : and other Kentucky articles
Year: 1892 (1890s)
Authors: Allen, James Lane, 1849-1925
Subjects:
Publisher: New York : Harper & Brothers
Contributing Library: Lincoln Financial Foundation Collection
Digitizing Sponsor: The Institute of Museum and Library Services through an Indiana State Library LSTA Grant

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ure of temporary seats made its appearance,designed after the fashion of those used by the trav-elling show, and finally out of this form came theclosed circular amphitheatre, modelled on the planof the Colosseum. Thus first among the Kentucki-ans, if I mistake not, one saw the English cattle-show, which meantime was gathering about itselfmany characteristics of the English fair, weddedstrangely enough to the temple of a Roman holiday.By-and-by we shall see this form of amphitheatretorn clown and supplanted by another, which recallsthe ancient circus or race-course — a modificationcorresponding with a change in the character of thelater fair. The most desirable spot for building the old cir-cular amphitheatre was some beautiful tract of levelground containing from five to twenty acres, andsituated near a flourishing town and its ramifyingturnpikes. This tract must be enclosed by a highwooden paling, with here and there entrance gatesfor stock and pedestrians and vehicles, guarded by
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KENTUCKY FAIRS 145 gate-keepers. And within this enclosure appearedin quick succession all the varied accessories thatwent to make up a typical Kentucky fair near theclose of the old social regime; that is, before the out-break of the Civil War. Here were found the hundreds of neat stalls forthe different kinds of stock ; the gay booths underthe colonnade of the amphitheatre for refreshments;the spacious cottages for women and invalids andchildren; the platforms of the quack-doctors; thefloral hall and the pagoda-like structure for themusicians and the judges; the tables and seats forprivate dining; the high swings and the turnabouts;the tests of the strength of limb and lung; the gaudyawnings for the lemonade venders ; the huge brownhogsheads for iced-water, with bright tin cups dan-gling from the rim ; the circus ; and, finally, all thosetented spectacles of the marvellous, the mysterious,and the monstrous which were to draw popular at-tention to the Kentucky fair, as they had been

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