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Colored State Fair Association  Rare photo of the Negro State Fair, held August 1911 at the old Fannin County Fairgrounds north of Bonham, Texas. Miss Adeline Williams of Denison was named Queen and won a scholarship to her choice of the six colored colleges in Texas. Runners up were Inez Stewart of Fannin County, Mable Raws of Denton County, Bissie Chiles of Cooke County, Gertrude King of Red River County, Miss Davis of Navarro County and Jennie Lindsey of Collin County. The Fort Worth Record and Register Thursday, 24 August 1911 pg.5 Negro Fair at Bonham Bonham, August 23 - The Negro State Fair opened here today and negroes from round about and over the state have arrived and more are to follow. They will have a queen who will preside over the society contingent, horse racing, a band contest and other attractions suitable to the tastes of the visitors. The Corsicana contingent is here with a band and Paris, Sherman, Denison and other cities will send a contingent and bands which will arrive tomorrow.  The Bonham News Friday, August 25, 1911 NEGRO STATE FAIR NOW IN BONHAM Parade Takes Place Wednesday, Excellent Music, Hundreds of Negroes Present Although the Negro State Fair is not having the expected attendance, yet several hundred negroes from various parts of the State are in Bonham attending the annual State Fair. Wednesday afternoon their parade, with 3 brass bands, marched around the court house square and down the principal streets. The queens, chosen from the various towns and arrayed in silks and satins and mounted high on their gorgeously decorated chariots rivaled that ancient Ethiopian Queen whose bark of silken sails was fanned by the armoatous breezes of the Mediterranean. At the races some good horses are being entered of which a fuller announcement will be made in our next issue. In an affair of this kind the negroes should be given, as much as possible, the encouragement of the white people. In whatever way they act that is worthy, wherever their race advances along any line and in whatever way they improve their condition and show worth and enterprise, they should be looked upon with commendations.  Colored State Fair Association History Susan Hawkins © 2024 If you find any of Grayson County TXGenWeb links inoperable, please send me a message. |