Earliest Years

From the earliest days of the driving park, a small harvest fair was an annual feature. As the fair grew, agricultural exhibits remained a mainstay of the event. Local farmers brought cattle, pigs and poultry to compete against their neighbors, as well as produce of all kinds. This photo is a behind-the-scenes view of cattle at the fair.

In addition to serving as the location for horse races, baseball games and the Ulster County Fair, the Ellenville Driving Park provided a venue for travelling circuses. Several circus companies visited Ellenville during the late 1800s and early 1900s, including the Walter L. Main Circus, Downie Bros. Circus, and the Ringling Brothers. Here, a horse-drawn circus caravan leaves the Driving Park.

The Ferris wheel made its debut at the Chicago World's Columbian Exposition in 1893 and this thrilling ride soon appeared at many state and local fairs, the Ellenville Ulster County Fair included. The year of this photograph is not known, but certainly the Ferris wheel was in Ellenville by the 1908 fair since it can be seen in postcard photos with this postmark date.

Clayton's Band was established by Tom Clayton, an immigrant from England who came to Ellenville in 1878. He was one of many employees of Ulster Knife Company who had learned the trade in Sheffield, England. Clayton had played in the band of the 14th Infantry during the Civil War, and began his band here with 12 instruments. This photo was taken at the Ulster County Fair in 1891, where the band played annually. Clayton's Band also marched in the fair's parade.

Early floats were crudely decorated with branches and other vegetation from the area. By 1905, use of paper flowers led to more sophisticated and elegant floats, pulled by horses like this one, and occasionally by oxen or goats. The Grand Floral Parade became a well-attended feature of the annual fair in future years, and would include decorated automobiles.