Morgan County Fair Hall of Fame

McCONNELSVILLE, Ohio – Southeastern Ohio is mostly a rural area that features rugged terrain and small communities, which are steeped in agricultural heritage.

Each of Ohio’s counties hold an annual agricultural exhibition, which is better known as their county fair. This week Morgan County is holding its fair and fairgoers Brian Best and Margie Haines explained what draws them to the event. 

“Actually today, my dad’s being inducted into the ag hall of fame,” Best said. “He’s a long time fair board member here, so… And he’s passed away. So we’re really really honored that they’re going to do that for us. And it means a lot to us because he was all about the fair. He ran the speed committee for many years. His name was Curt Best and there’s a lot of people in Zanesville, who will remember him. That’s one of the reasons we’re here today. But we just come to the fair every year. It’s a big deal for us and we really enjoy it.”

While many communities share similar traditions throughout the year, each custom will slightly vary in response to local innovations that have been adopted to better suit the desires of the community. Morgan County has established an agricultural hall of fame, where each year, the nominees are announced during the fair.

“My kids have always done 4-H since they were little, so we just carry on the tradition,” Haines said. “My daughter will be here this afternoon with her kids because we actually have two people that’s being inducted into the hall of fame too. So… And I just love sitting and talking and enjoy visiting with people. Watching the kids show their animals and work with their animals.”

This year’s Morgan County Agriculture Hall of Fame nominees include Mark Wilson, Mike and Sunny Murphy, James and Richard Haines, along with Curt Best.