The 1920 Ionia Free Fair

The 1920 fair was held August 17-20, and the interest in every area was increasing.  Committees had been formed to build up the livestock exhibits where interest had peaked.  Harold Bradly and Harry Geumund were now in charge of the growing auto show.  Fifty cars were entered long before the start of the 1920 fair.
The Great Patterson Shows were obtained for the midway, and they would feature a new ride, the "Whirlpool Rapids".  Grandstand acts scheduled included Walter Stanton as the Giant Rooster, Charles Gaylor as the Giant Frogman, the Delmore Trio, the Flying Lavans, and the Original Bernards.

The 1919 Ionia Free Fair, a Celebration of Peacetime

The 1919 fair was the one everyone had been waiting for.  The war was over and Ionia was going all out to honor the soldiers and to give the whole state an opportunity to celebrate.  The four day event opened on August 12 with a Victory Day observance, a real welcome home to men in the service. Camp Custer sent a detachment of 667 men to Ionia to take part and they camped on the river bank. Sgt. Maxwell Smith, Ionia war hero, was honored at the ceremonies, about 1000 veterans were entertained during the event.  The midway was provided by C.A. Wortham, "The World's Best Shows".  It featured a three-ring circus, Whale Oil Gus, Comedian Bluey Bluey, and an automatically operated submarine.
A new $15,000 grandstand, seating 2000 people, had been built by Ypsilanti Reed Furniture Company.  Some of the acts performing in the  new facility included Canada's great Kiltie Band, and Legare and his marvelous Spiral Tower.
Peacetime brought airplane rides back to the fair.  Manager Fred Chapman was the first to ride in the Curtis plane with pilot Young.
In 1919 the greatest show of cattle in the history of the event was presented.  It included entries from the herds of Jay Harwood, Glenn Sprague, Westbrook Bros., Fred Brickley, and T.I. Martin Jr.

1918 Ionia Free Fair

In 1918 the fair was held August 14-17.  Due to the war the department of defense had issued a ban on airplane flights and air shows.  A new carnival was brought in and it was one of the largest in the country.
The child welfare movement in Ionia County arranged to weigh all children at the grounds under a certain age.
Some of the midway shows included, Polly Brothers' Big Water Show, featuring seven diving girls.  Terry Tesky's Wild West Show; the Rundroof Submarine Show, and "Over the Top", showing trench life existing in the western front.  Miss Brown and Miss Clark made balloon ascensions.

The Deggeller Magic Midway

The Deggeller Magic Midway Attractions was started by Allen and Irvin Deggellar and is still a family run business.

The brothers bought a rusty ‘Roll-O-Plane’ Ride after World War 2, and traveled with the Gooding Amusement Company from Columbus, Ohio. In 1957, they purchased a small Ohio Amusement Show with 20 rides, and called it Deggeller Amusement Company.

They had an aggressive business strategy by booking Big State Fairs, which most new carnival companies refrained from. Soon they began to grow.

It took them 3 years to make Deggeller’s Magic Midway Company one of the largest in the carnival industry, and is still in business today.

Deggellar’s Magic Midway provided the midway for the Ionia Free Fair from 1965 – 1978, then back again from 1982 – 1987, and from 1989 – 1991. They were the fair’s midway for a total of 22 years, longer that any other midway amusement company contracted for the Ionia Free Fair.

This is a picture taken at the Ionia Free Fair, not necessarily a Deggeller ride.

                                     

The Ionia Free Fair, looking back 1915-2015

The 1917 Ionia Free Fair was held August 15-18.  To "guarantee" good weather for those first few fairs the dates were chosen through "scientific calculation".   They were rewarded with great weather in the early years.
The 1917 fair brought the first tractor display on the midway, S.A. Mulhauser was the chairman of that department.
By May of 1917 the effects of World War I were being felt in the community, approximately 4000 men would be drafted in the county.  The Governor requested that a Patriotic Day be held during the fair, and Thursday was selected as that day.  To this day we still designate Thursday as Veterans' Day.
The 30 car Johnny Jones Shows had been contracted for the 1917 fair.  Secretary Fred Chapman reported that selling a large show on coming to such a small community was difficult but the records of the previous years won them over.
A large crowd awaited the arrival of the train carrying the Johnny Jones Shows, there was about a two hour delay due to some minor accidents on the tracks.  Once it arrived the crowd was not let down.  The show featured a large animal menagerie, and some of it's midway attractions were Dakota Max's Wild West Show,  and the Human Chicken Family.
Aerial stunts resulted in mishaps before a Friday crowd.  In Walt Bullock's last aeroplane flight at the fair the engine died.  He landed at about 100 miles per hour before coming to a rest in a 10 acre hay field on the Charles Ross farm approximately 4.5 miles west of the Reformatory.
During the Parachute drop, Charlie Sonier's chute floated him into some electrical wires.  There was a big blue flash, seen by thousands.  It burned off the ropes and dropped him to the ground, he was not seriously hurt.
Mrs. Zala won the automobile at the 1917 fair.

The pictures below are not necessarily from the 1917 fair.  Most of the images we have from the early years do not indicate dates.

The Ionia Free Fair in the beginning.

Planning for the 1916 Ionia Free Fair began in March.  Rutherford Shows was signed to be the midway provider, one of the largest in the country.   The 1916 midway would be twice the size of the previous year.  The fair was extended by one day and the dates were set for August 16-19, 1916.  Al Roshek, the aviator,  was contracted to fly his 120 hp aeroplane over the fairgrounds.  Another new hot air balloon would ascend during the fair and would be christened  "Sky Pilot".  The balloon was named by Adelaide Arnold of South Ionia, she received a $5 gold piece as her prize.  The crowd received an unexpected thrill when the balloonist dangled from his safety harness, as a rope on his trapeze bar broke.  He landed on Dexter Street.  The new 1917 Automobile was won by Edward Davenport.  

This picture is obviously NOT from the 1916 fair it is a snapshot of fair history. 

Fun at the first Ionia Free Fair

During the opening day of the first Ionia Free Fair on Wednesday, August 18, 1915 Professor ER Hutchinson launched a brand new hot air balloon, it was christened "Ionia".

Exhibits were judged and awards were given, first place in the poultry department went to Dennis Holtenbeck of Belding, he received $10 for the best pen.  

During the first horse race held at the Ionia Free Fair a horse named Echo, owned by JB Welch, got away from its driver and went into the crowd.  No one was seriously injured, but it added to the excitement.  

On the final day of the 1915 Ionia Free Fair a 1916 Ford was awarded to Emma Hodgkins.  

This picture comes from a much later fair, after the Automobile building was built.