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If you have been reading The Marietta Times for the last two weeks or so, you know the newspaper has been publishing since 1864. Each day since Sept. 6, we have looked at a different decade of publication. Today we look at the 1990s.
The project has been a joy to work on. It started a decade ago when I was working on 365 historical front pages to mark 150 years of publication. I thought it would be an interesting feature to look at the same week of the first year of each decade. I tried to capture the Thursday edition of the third week of September because that day would align well to when the newspaper started on Sept. 24, 1864.
I captured the entire edition for the chosen date with no regard to what was printed on the pages. I then saved the files awaiting a good time to do what I knew would be a large project. That time was this year.
I reviewed each edition in chronological order and wrote the summaries that you have been reading.
The community and the newspaper have changed greatly over the 160 years that The Times has been publishing. Some things though never seem to change.
A standout from the third week in September is the Barlow Fair. Decade after decade the area was always getting ready for the Barlow Fair. The fair is Ohio's oldest continuously running independent fair.
The first Barlow Fair was held on Sept. 14, 1872, just a few years after The Times started publishing. It was later moved to a slightly later date in the month. Of all the decades I viewed for the project, it showed up in more than half of the editions. Here is a sample of items from the last 100 years or so:
1910. BARLOW FAIR COMING. The Barlow Fair, which is always well attended by Marietta people, will be held Thursday and Friday, September 29 and 30. It still retains the features of an old-fashioned country fair and is very popular with people from this vicinity.
The drive to and from Barlow is a fine one and there are amusements on the ground to entertain all who attend. Agricultural and dairy products appear at their best and this year's exhibition will be a fine one.
1920: BARLOW FAIR IS BEING HELD. A large number of Marietta people will attend the Barlow Fair which is being held at the Barlow Fairgrounds Thursday and Friday. Friday is the big day, and it is probable that thousands of people from all over the county will attend.
1930. BARLOW FAIR OPENS. The annual fair of the Barlow Agricultural and Mechanical Association opens on Thursday on the Barlow fairgrounds ... As usual, Barlow fair gives opportunities for an outing for many residents of the western section of Washington County. Friday, the second day of the fair, promises to bring an unusually large crowd, and many from Marietta are expected to attend.
1940: FRIDAY IS TO BE A BIG DAY AT BARLOW FAIR. Barlow fairgrounds are in spic and span condition for the 69th annual fair of the Barlow Agricultural and Mechanical Association that has been held for many years on the last Thursday and Friday of September.
Entertainment Friday will include a tug-of-war within which politicians and candidates for office will have opportunity to try their luck with a "pulling contest," a greased pig catching contest and other contests.
By 1980, the fair moved its opening to Friday and became a weekend affair. The gates opened at 6 a.m. but fair organizers said not to expect any crowd until after the 6 p.m. parade.
In my early years at The Times, I covered a lot of weekend assignments, and this always meant a stop at the Barlow Fair and would likely include coverage of one of the many horse events. I am still in awe of the incredible "horsepower" of the draft horses pulling the weight sled.
The 2024 Barlow Fair will run from Sept. 26-29 and will be located, as it has been since 1872, at the fairgrounds located at what is now the intersection of Ohio 339 and 550. I drive past the spot every day and always marvel at how the normally tranquil spot quickly becomes the most crowded spot in the county for a brief period in September.
Art Smith is online manager of The Times, he can be reached at asmith@mariettatimes.com