Brighton Area Historical Society

The Michigan State Fair, Fowlerville Fair, Brighton Folk Art Fair and, Sponsored by the Livingston County Agricultural Society, the Agricultural Fair in Brighton. All but the latter are familiar to us.

The 1880 History of Livingston County, by Franklin Ellis, notes that in the May 10, 1843 issue of the Livingston Courier can be found this notice; “executive committee of the Livingston County Agricultural Society for 1843 held their first meeting. . . at the schoolhouse in the village of Howell, May 2.” It is assumed this group organized 1841 or 1842. The list for which premiums were awarded included; field crops, cattle, horses, sheep, swine, poultry, farm implements, butter and cheese, sugar & honey, fruit and vegetables, best managed farm and domestic manufactures (weaving, etc.). However Ellis could find no further records of this organization nor is any site of this fair recorded. (can any of our readers help with this research?)

In February, 1853 a call noted, announced in the press, to meet to organize a Livingston County Agricultural Society (Again?) Ira Jennings of Green Oak Township became it’s president and Job Cranston of Brighton Township was a V.P. Each township was represented by a V.P. – Ely Barnard from Genoa Township and Stoddard W. Twichell, Hamburg Township for this SE quarter of the county. Over 200 members are listed in the Society’s first year of existence. A cursory review of the list (and this writer’s imperfect memory) indicates over 60 lived in the area.

Article I of the adopted Constitution states it “. . . is organized for the encouragement of agriculture, manufactures and the mechanic arts.” The first order of business, March 12, 1853 included the resolution: “ that the first annual fair of the Society be held in the month of October next, in that township in the county which will raise and pledge to the Board of Directors, on or before the last Saturday in April next, the largest amount of means towards defraying the incidental expenses of the said fair.”

Apparently this was insufficient time for the townships to act on the offer. In early May an extension was granted to June 15 to receive pledges. At that meeting the Board resolved, “that whereas the Township of Brighton has offered the largest sum ($140.00) for the location of the first annual fair at that village, that the said first annual fair of the Society be held at said village of Brighton on the sixth and seventh days of October next.”

At the Livingston County Agricultural Society Fair in Brighton in 1853, exhibitors displayed their best crops, livestock, farm management skills and domestic products. Premiums were awarded similar to those of the fair held 10 years earlier. However a plowing match was added with the first premium for best quarter-acre plowed going to William White. The treasurer reported a profit of $383.70.

And where was this fair ground located? Neither on 1859 nor an 1875 map note the site. An 1895 Atlas shows the Brighton Fairground in the S ½ of the NE ¼ of the NE ¼, Section 36, Genoa Township. Just north of the Brighton High School on Brighton Road. However on that map it is titled the Brighton Market Fair Association as owner. An 1877 Share of the Capital Stock of the Brighton Market Fair Association was sold to Ira Bradley with a par value of $25. John Carter is listed as President of Association and Lewis Meyer as Secretary. This writer’s references do not indicate when the B.M.F.A. was organized, who were the organizers, when the last fair was held etc. A 1915 map refers to the property as belonging to the Stuhrberg Brothers. Perhaps it was still used as fairgrounds?