First a little history. The inaugural Agricultural Fair and Cattle Show took place on Wednesday, Oct. 27, 1858.

In 1859, when the Grange Hall was built, the fair movied to that location and remained there until 1994. The Grange Hall fairgrounds were small. They were dusty. They were dry. They were wonderful. They were ideal for a small community.

It was that special time on the Island to reconnect with friends and neighbors for three days.

Then there were the rides. There was the wonderful Ferris wheel with a scenic view of West Tisbury. People enjoyed the slow ride on the gentle merry-go-round. Who can forget the tiny roller coaster for kids where, no doubt, the tight squeeze has contributed to my present-day aching bones.

Horse racing was a regular contest at the old fairs.

Gazette file photo

Horse racing was a regular contest at the old fairs.

Gazette file photo

The Fair was the showcase for Island farmers and crafts people — chickens, pigs, sheep, goats, ducks, horses and cattle. Gardeners and growers proudly showed off their plants and flowers. Local artists and crafts people displayed their finest works in the always crowded Grange Hall. Winning a blue ribbon was the treasured achievement.

Many of the booths were truly unique local creations. Beth Kaeka’s grandmother, Gert Rezendes still remembers her grandmother’s booth: “Pick A duck, win a prize. Each yellow duck had a number. Her prizes were the stuffed animals she made. I was probably eight years old.”

Jim Pringle and Dave Maddox offered “Putt for Dough,” in which a player attempted to make an eight-foot downhill putt on a 2X4. Jim recalled: “I’m pretty sure the board was not warped. For one dollar the lucky golfer could win five dollars with the hole in one. We had very few winners. The only drawback was that my back hurt every day after picking up all those golf balls. We had the booth one year and retired.”

Marty Milner had his plant booth for years: “Many Island kids bought plants with a ‘kids’ discount. Gardeners and old friends would come in my booth and just talk.”

While the West Tisbury Fire Department’s burger booth remains popular, it was their Dunking Booth that thrilled fairgoers for many years. Former West Tisbury Fire Chief Billy Haynes let me know that it was a challenge to find volunteers to sit on the seat waiting to be dunked.

“I did it myself one year in a wet suit and it was damn cold,” he said. “The water was always cold. Many of the firemen didn’t want to volunteer so we looked for a police chief or selectman to sit on the seat. We were always trying to grab a big wig.”

Fair memories go way back for Allouise Waller Morgan.

“When I was a kid, in the ‘40s, we always had to ‘dress’ to go to the fair,” she said. “New dresses for the girls and new overalls for the boys. My Dad always entered a few of his best Holsteins. My oldest brother would have a heifer that had been his 4-H project over the winter. I usually entered a drawing and one year won first prize! The fair at that time was, for the most part, agricultural with very little or no carnival attractions. There were track and field type contests like pole vaulting, long jumps, etc.”

For Becky Cournoyer it was: “The funky stage in the back, no tent, barely any lighting, copping a squat on a blanket, eating dinner and listening to bluegrass played by the local talent. Marianne’s T-shirts, Murphy’s steamed clambake dinners. My grandfather Harold (Rogers), working the draft pull.”

Paul Munafo had a vivid recall.

“Sue Klein and the balloons,” he said.

Diane Welch had an adventure.

“Being told not to go on the rides because they break down, and my parents having to walk into the fair to look for us to pick us up, because we were stuck at the top of the Ferris wheel,” she said. “It had broken down,”

Maureen Stanus kept it simple: “Hannah’s (Kaeka) egg rolls.”

Judy Sylvia made the big reveal.

“My mom and grandmother worked in the kitchen so all us kids would get in for free,” she said. “As we got older one person would buy a ticket, then pass it over because my parents couldn’t afford a ticket for each. Our dad was away in the service.”

Donna Montesion was only five years old.

“I remember my dad driving the bus to the fair,” she said. “I got to stay late with him and watch a man dive into a pool of water.”

And of course there were horses.

Kathie Noble-Case rode all the way from Featherstone Farm.

“It took almost three hours and if the show got over late, the police would meet at the Mill Pond, guide us over to the fire lane and back to the farm,” she said. “Three hours back. It was a long day, the bath tub felt good.”

Linda Veira Metell rode from Tashmoo Farm.

“I remember having to get up early to feed the horses, tack them and get to West Tisbury,” she said. “What great memories.”

The highlight for many was the Draft Horse pull on Saturday afternoon. Teams from all over New England would compete in the test of strength and endurance to see who could pull the most weight. It was always exciting to see man and horse work together pulling huge blocks. The appreciative rooted for all the competitors. Victory was often just by a few scant pounds.

A woodsmen competition and a clam and oyster shucking contest became new events. I had the pleasure of being the emcee for the bivalve competition and provided the shuck-by-shuck, play-by-play for the next 40 years.

The fair grew. Attendance dramatically increased. Former fair manager Eleanor Neubert spoke about the growth of the fair.

“We liked our smallness and country feel,” she said. “We had a great crew. The fair was our second home. It was difficult to leave. We had such great memories. It took time but the new grounds gave us room to grow. The new hall was beautiful.”

In 1995, the fair moved to its current home on Panhandle Road. Eleanor and her crew did a marvelous job in adjusting to the new location. The upcoming 163rd annual fair will be another rousing success. But I still I carry many happy memories of the old fair. For me, nothing can ever replace hanging over the fence at AT’s with a cold one, watching those mighty horses pull those mighty stones.

Ken Goldberg lives in Edgartown. He is a frequent contributor to the Gazette.