[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 6]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 7993]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                    HONORING THE PLATTE COUNTY FAIR

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. SAM GRAVES

                              of missouri

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 4, 2013

  Mr. GRAVES of Missouri. Mr. Speaker, please join me in congratulating 
the Platte County Fair for celebrating 150 years of providing 
entertainment and excitement to its attendees.
  The very first Platte County Fair was held in 1858. However, the fair 
did not become an annual event until 1863. The first fair in 1858 was 
planned on Oct. 6 and took place only a short time later from Oct. 21-
23, with 400 people in attendance.
  The fair was a great success and continued until 1860, when the Civil 
War prevented the fair from taking place during the years of 1861 and 
1862. The fair was praised as ``an honor to the soil and people'' and 
``a glorious reunion of a prosperous and happy people.''
  On December 16, 1861, Platte City was ravaged by a Civil War raid. 
However, not even the devastation of Platte City was enough to keep its 
resilient citizens down. Just 22 months later, proud Platte Countians 
filled the fairgrounds for the First Annual Platte County Fair, which 
was held October 21-23, 1863.
  The fair has been held annually since 1863, establishing itself as 
the oldest continuously running county fair west of the Mississippi 
River. The entire event is privately held and sponsored by a not-for-
profit organization run by volunteers. The fair now spans four days, 
featuring many great events such as the demolition derby, a truck and 
tractor pull, the Queen contest, and more. The Platte County Fair is 
also home to many great sources of entertainment including a floral 
hall, a carnival, a fiddle contest, and the Dirty Shame Saloon, to name 
a few.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask that you join me in applauding the Platte County 
Fair for celebrating their 150th anniversary and providing a great 
source of pride and excitement to Platte County. I wish them 150 more 
years of greatness to come.

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