HISTORY OF WESTERN NEBRASKA

F. Furnas, secretary, on August 5. 18S7. James Westervelt was president, and C. W. Johnson, secretary. Sidney woke up and organized an association also, but was a little too late.

This peculiar attribute later followed for after county division had set the Gering association outside of Cheyenne county, Bayard organized and was recognized as the home of the county fair of Cheyenne county until it too was set off into Morrill county.

The first Cheyenne County Fair was held at Gering September 26, 27, and 2S, 1887. Gering held the Fair for many years after this became Scotts Bluff county, but it went to Mitchell some years ago and through the able management of Ed Reid, J. T. "Whitehead, and other live wires of that city, it has become an institution of which all people of the county are proud.

Before Mitchell had gotten fairly into the swing of running the fair a county exhibit association was organized for the purpose of properly advertising at the state fair and elsewhere. This institution gave over the work largely to Winfield Evans, who raised and collected such products as he was able and put them on exhibition. The boxes formerly made by the commercial club at Scottsbluff were turned over to the association, and other recepticles provided. The exhibits were made for a number of years and with a*lways an increasing number of premiums. Hundreds of ribbons have been awarded to Scotts Bluff county -- not only at the state fair, but at the international show at Kansas City and elsewhere. In this international show the county won several of the best prized silver cups.