After operating for 36 years, the Great Allentown Fair had become too great for its own good. The barns that housed the fairs prize dairy and beef cattle were bursting at the seams. Swine, sheep and poultry pens were crowded. The flowers and the bounty of the harvest competed more for space than for ribbons. And most significantly to the continued success of the fair, the small grandstand and short race track could not accommodate the growing enthusiasm for harness racing. Yes, the 36-year-old fair had outgrown its location. The grounds north of Liberty Street between 5th and 6th streets, which had been the site of the fair every year after the first exposition in 1852, could no longer handle the fairs attractions or attendance. The members of the non-profit Lehigh County Agricultural Society which operated the fair knew they had to do something. On April 4, 1889, they purchased 37 acres on 17th Street between Chew and Liberty streets. Although 14 acres were added later, the original purchase dat [more information]