Animals Run Wild at YORK FAIR
Remembering the Animal Barns [ca. 1920 to 2002]
This 1977 artwork, by Cliff Satterthwaite, captures a York Fair scene of a loose pig between the animal barns. My memory of a similar sight is from the mid-1970s. I started working for York Division of Borg-Warner in 1972. With an hour lunch break, many times, during Fair Week, some employees would take the short walk up Richland Avenue to grab some Fair Food and then walk around the Fairgrounds a short while before returning to work. One time when we were passing the animal barns, there were some goats enclosed in temporary fencing; much like Cliff has painted.
There was a loud bang; a car backfiring or possibly pranksters with a firecracker. The goats rushed one side of the fence, knocking it down. Most people were dodging the goats, while some were trying to catch them. You had to be there; it was comical. If any of my readers have memories of animals running wild at the fair; consider sharing them by commenting at the end of this post.
Cliff Satterthwaite also drew scenes of cattle in the animal barns; both of the following pieces of artwork were created in 1959. These animal barns, that most people have fond memories of, were built around 1920, replacing the animal barns constructed when the fairgrounds initially moved to the present site, west of York, in 1888. At the end of the 2002 York Fair, these barns were torn down to build the 114,000 square-foot Arena were the live-stock events are now held.
The Cliff Satterthwaite artwork was used with his permission. Cliff lived in York County, PA, from the mid-1950s to the early-1980s, creating a host of artwork, with much done live on location. He has a book available containing nearly 400 images of his artwork from that time period; e-mail contact is monsterart4grani@aol.com
Related posts include:
- Lafean and York Fair of 100-Years-Ago
- Cliff Satterthwaite artwork drawn at YORK FAIR
- 75 Years Ago, Joe Bury sells Four and a Half TONS of Hamburgers at the York Fair
- Bury’s in Springettsbury Township was not just Hamburgers
- Bingo Banned at YORK FAIR; Cliff Satterthwaite explains his Artwork
- Birds Eye View of Original York Fairgrounds Site
- York Fair Grounds Particulars from 1877
- Numbers Game at the YORK FAIR
- The Mighty Atom entertained at the YORK FAIR for over Five Decades
- YORK FAIR Finger Ring Mementos crafted by The Mighty Atom
- The Great Potato Chip Battle; Martin’s versus Utz
- Freedom Train within the York Fairgrounds
- College Football Games were played on the York Fairgrounds during the York Fair
- Red Lion Fair ran 8 Days in August of 1924
