Lewis County’s 50th Year Provides Theme For Fair

This story was published in the Sept. 19, 1961, edition of the Lewiston Tribune.

NEZPERCE — The Lewis County Fair, marking the 50th anniversary of the county, gets under way four days Thursday. Chief features will be cowboy breakfasts on two mornings, a junior rodeo, 4-H style revue, parades and picking of champion livestock.

Parades at 1:30 both Saturday and Sunday will carry out the theme of “Golden Anniversary.” Queen Gayle Scott of Reubens will be crowned during the Saturday parade.

Exhibits will dominate interest Thursday. All booths in a new exhibition hall have been spoken for and some organizations are beginning to prepare their exhibits.

Major events Friday will include livestock judging at 9:30 a.m. and the 4-H style revue at 7:30 p.m.

The Nezperce Riding Club will serve breakfasts of sausages and hotcakes both Saturday and Sunday from 7 to 10. Other features of Saturday will include the 4-H fat stock sale at 11 a.m., parade and crowning of Queen Gayle at 1:30, junior rodeo at 2 p.m. and a dance at 9 p.m. The Sunday program includes another parade at 1:30 and the junior rodeo at 2.

The Nezperce Jay-C-Ettes are in charge of the parade. It will be taking note of the fact that Lewis County was created by an act of the Idaho Legislature approved March 3, 1911. The county was formed from a part of Nez Perce County and the city of Nezperce was made its county seat at the outset.

The town already has taken on the color and atmosphere of fair days. Street decorations have been installed by the Nezperce and Craigmont Junior Chambers of Commerce. Inland Empire Shows are setting up a carnival on the midway. A Catholic Church food booth is in place on Main St. Women of the Methodist Church also will serve dinner in the church hall Saturday and those of the Christian Church will hold a cooked food sale at Roberts Hardware Saturday.

Queen Gayle’s princesses are Kaye Rupe, Winchester; Sherry Blessinger, Craigmont; Joan McLeod, Nezperce, and Sheryl Westman, Kamiah.