The Mid-South Fair: Celebrating 150 Years

Established in 1856 by the Shelby County Agricultural Society, the Mid-South Fair celebrates its 150th anniversary in 2006. Memphis, known as the cotton capital of the South, depended on agriculture for much of the 19th century, and the fair offered farmers and the general public a venue to learn of new products and to compete with others from the region. Through the Civil War, yellow fever epidemics, and two world wars, the fair has prevailed to become one of the largest in the nation. It ...