The Price of Perfection in 1877 Snohomish
Before the fairground became a modern fixture, a meticulously itemized list of premiums reveals what pioneer families valued most—from the size of a prize turnip to the skill of a young girl's hand-stitched dress.
The Snohomish County Agricultural Society has published its official premium list for the upcoming exhibition of 1877. Categories for competition are extensive, reflecting both the agricultural backbone and the domestic industries of the territory. Farmers are invited to compete for rewards ranging from $1.00 to $5.00 for the best specimens of wheat, rye, apples, pears, cabbages, and livestock, including Shorthorn cattle and draft horses. Domestic manufactures are equally emphasized, with prizes offered for the best display of men’s boots, women’s shoes, cabinet or carpenter work, and even the best jar of salt pickles. The society has also highlighted the labor of youth, offering ribbons for the best penmanship by a child under ten, and the best hand-knitted woolen stockings by a girl under sixteen. The list, approved by President J. W. Pratt and Secretary J. S. Wilbur, serves as both a competition guide and a snapshot of the community's drive toward self-sufficiency.
“Farmers will bear in mind that in order to get one of the improved horse hay forks, they must leave their orders in time.”
The 1877 premium list offers a fascinating window into a time when agricultural self-sufficiency was the literal measure of a community's success. While today’s Snohomish County Fair still showcases prize-winning crops and livestock, the stakes have shifted from survival-level food production to the preservation of rural heritage in an increasingly urbanized landscape.
From readers
No comments yet. If you know something about this story — a correction, a family memory, a source — it belongs here.