WHEREAS,  the Skowhegan State Fair is the nation's oldest consecutively running agricultural fair; and

WHEREAS,  the fair was first organized in late 1818 by the Somerset Central Agricultural Society, with the first fair being held in January 1819; and

WHEREAS,  one of the expressed purposes of the fair was to improve the breeding of livestock, with particular emphasis being placed upon the betterment of breeds of horses and cattle, an objective that has been continuously maintained by succeeding fair management; and

WHEREAS,  the fair was officially designated the Skowhegan State Fair in 1942; and

WHEREAS,  the present fairgrounds were acquired in 1856 and over the years the original boundaries were extended from time to time as additional acreage became available, with the latest expansion occurring in 2005; and

WHEREAS,  the fair annually draws thousands of patrons from all over the United States and Canada; and

WHEREAS,  exhibitors at the fair come from more than 100 towns and cities in Maine as well as from many other states, and over the years many popular performers have appeared on the fair's stage; and

WHEREAS,  the fair has been kept alive and active by successive generations of dedicated men and women in the area; now, therefore, be it