DuQuoin State Fairgrounds
The Du Quoin State Fairgrounds opened in 1923 under the leadership of horse breeder William R. Hayes. Hayes created the DuQuoin State Fair as a parallel event to the Illinois State Fair, which had banned gambling on horse races. To avoid competing for visitors, the Du Quoin State Fair began immediately after the Illinois State Fair closed; the Du Quoin fair traditionally ran through Labor Day weekend. The event was a financial success which attracted prominent entertainers and groups, many of whom also played the Illinois State Fair; the fair consequently became known as Illinois' "little State Fair" or "second State Fair".
Du Quoin State Fairgrounds has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since July 1990. It is one of Perry County's two Registered Historic Places; the other, in Pinckneyville, is the Perry County Jail, now a museum.
References
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
- ^ Milbert, Neil (March 25, 2010). "$500,000 World Trotting Derby cut from DuQuoin". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved January 20, 2014.
- ^ Russo, Edward J. (February 10, 1990). "National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Du Quoin State Fairgrounds" (PDF). National Park Service. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 1, 2014. Retrieved January 20, 2014.
External links
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