Note from the Researcher: Discovering the history of the Highland County Fair was an interesting project. As time goes by, so do many memories. Fortunately, the Highland Recorder published many articles in the early 1950s on the progress of the first fair. The information is found on microfilm at the Highland County Public Library, which is a great resource, however very time consuming and hard on the eyes and back. The minutes of the Fair Association were also found for some of the early years. Both resources were invaluable to reminisce of days gone by.
According to weekly articles published from June to August 1951, the Highland County Chamber of Commerce rallied the entire county, including county officials, to support a White Elephant Sale and activities set for August 24 – 25, 1951.
Pleas went out requesting that all Highland householders start gathering up discarded articles that were worth donating to the sale. It was decided to charge ten percent commission on amounts up to $25 and five percent on amounts over $25.
In addition to fundraising for a proposed memorial service building to hold community gatherings, this event also encouraged the revival of old, mountain handicrafts.
Those assigned tasks (or as they called them, “charges”) included:
- Kermit Hull and P.L. Mauzy to act as clerks for the sale,
- Mrs. Reba Carpenter to compile a list of donors and articles brought to the sale,
- Sheriff Glen Hammer to manage traffic,
- County Clerk Martin L. Folks to organize the entertainment program and music,
- W.L. Gutshall to maintain records for the sale.
- Mrs. Ethel High to organize food sales, as well as donations of homemade cakes, pies, jellies, jams, preserves, pickles, etc.
- William G. Obaugh to arrange for truck service for items that needed to be brought to the sale.
In the August 10, 1951 Highland Recorder, it was noted that the Chamber of Commerce White Elephant Sale had the full support of the Board of County Supervisors, who adopted the following resolution:
“We respectfully commend you for your thoughtful consideration – the efforts being made by our Chamber of Commerce to develop a Work Program that has, as its principal aim, the Widening of Gainful, Pleasant Employment Opportunities here as that more of our young people may remain in Highland County, establish their homes and be happy, and to increase the Social and Recreational Facilities here.
You are invited to assist the Chamber of Commerce in its efforts to successfully promote a Community—or White Elephant Sale on Saturday, August 25, 1951, at the Highland County Livestock Market, by donating articles to be sold, and to send to the sale other articles that you wish sold on a commission basis. We are advised that all of the profits from this sale will be used to promote the work of the Chamber of Commerce, including the proposed Memorial Service Building.
Why not make Saturday, August 25 a Social and Festive Day by having the entire family attend and patronize the sale? We respectfully suggest that you do just that.
Respectfully yours,
Board of County Supervisors
H.L. Simmons, Chairman; J.A. Eagle, and B.L. Armstrong
Adopted August 6, 1951.
By August 17, 1951, the Chamber decided to add a dance to the event. It would take place on Friday, August 24 starting at 8:30 p.m. in the Monterey High School.
The Day of the Event
Our community raised $800 at the White Elephant Sale and dance. In preparation of the event, the Ways and Means Committee voted to set aside $50 in cash prizes. Those awards went to:
- The Oldest Attendant: Mr. Andy White
- And the youngest attendant: Infant of Mr. and Mrs. Melvin Echard
The biggest cash prize of the day would go to the person that spent the most money at the sale. H.H. “Benny” Terry and Andy Gutshall added much to the merriment and success of the sale with their auctioneering skills.
Mayor Woodrow L. Gutshall, also chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, noted that “the purpose of the sale is to raise money to bring into being some of the major projects of the Work Program of the Chamber of Commerce, all of which were recommended by a survey committee, of which R. Turner Jones was chairman.“
Research conducted by Kathy Beverage.
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