The new horse barn was completed in time for use during the 1917 Champaign County Fair. It consisted of 34 box stalls and 15 open stalls. This photo is of the north end of the barn.
Submitted photo
The horse barn was recently renovated and is used to house harness racehorses during the fair and throughout the year. Photos of the barn were taken in 2024. This photo is of the east side of the barn.
Submitted photo
Submitted story
In May of 1917, the Champaign County Fair Board awarded the contract for a new horse barn to H. M. Cook, carpenter contractor. Cook’s bid was for $3,849.47. The new barn was to be 200-by-48 feet and used to house draft horses. It was to be located on the very west side of the Champaign County Fairgrounds between the Park Avenue and Henry Street entrances.
The new horse barn was completed in time for use during the 1917 Champaign County Fair. It consisted of 34 box stalls and 15 open stalls. The box stalls had sliding doors and open windows for admitting air and light. These window openings have grating to prevent entrance to the fair from outside of the fairgrounds as the barn is set flush with the western boundary line of the fairgrounds.
There are entrances to the barn on the north and south ends and the eastern side. The barn was recently renovated and is used to house harness racehorses during the fair and throughout the year.
Also, in preparation for the 1917 fair, a new judges’ stand with a concrete base was erected opposite the grandstand. It replaced the original judges’ stand first used when the fair opened at its current location in 1889.
Source of the information for this Looking Back article came from the Urbana Daily Democrat newspaper articles of May 18, 1917; page 5 and April 13, 1917; page 8. Urbana newspapers are searchable online at the Champaign County Public Library website. This is a wonderful historical resource for Champaign County.
The Champaign County Historical Society acknowledges and thanks the Champaign County Recorder and staff for assisting in obtaining information used in this article.
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The Champaign County Historical Museum is a not-for-profit organization that depends upon donations and dues to preserve, protect, archive and display the artifacts that tell the Champaign County story. The free public museum located at 809 E. Lawn Ave., Urbana, is open to the public Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Info from Champaign County Historical Society (CCHS).
