Editors Note: This is a the final installment of a series as the Umatilla County Fair marks a century in Hermiston.

Plans were made for a big fair in 1955. However, on the afternoon of August 8 the fairgrounds were discovered to be on fire. It was believed that the blaze had started from sparks from the burning of weeds. Hermistons firefighters were assisted by those from nearby communities and Umatilla Ordnance Depot; nevertheless, numerous fair buildings were burned to the ground and some were partially destroyed. Two tin buildings survived. Fair Board President Harold Rankin estimated replacement cost at about $50,000; insurance was for less than $9,000.

Of course the fire was a great shock to the community. But fair manager Bennie Hicks and County Judge D. R. Sam Cook set out to make the fair bigger than before. Umatilla Ordnance Depot provided 65 ammunition shelters measuring 15×20 feet, and Park Hall and the high school were used for some exhibits. The show went on, and the parade was watched by an estimated 8,000 to 10,000 persons.

In 1962, the Umatilla County Centennial, Igleheart Bros. made a huge cake from Umatilla County wheat and topped by a candle sent from Independence, Missouri. It was lighted by 92-year-old Daniel Hicks, thought to be the countys oldest citizen. A new barn, Rankin Pavilion, was named for retiring Harold Rankin, fair board chairman since 1940.

The fair became a four-day event in 1963. The following year the Milton-Freewater float won the sweepstakes award for the third time and the town took permanent possession of the trophy. In 1965 the grand marshal was W. G. Rodda, who had been associated with local fairs for more than 50 years. Attendance topped 12,000. Then, following a several-year decline, it increased steadily with around 17,500 in 1969 and more than 24,000 in 1975. A significant jump was recorded in 1981, with about 58,000 admissions in five days.

The Farm-City Professional Rodeo, first held in conjunction with the 1988 county fair, was a significant addition that has proved quite popular itself. The Womens Professional Rodeo Association selected it as the nations top rodeo of 1994. It has continued to increase in participants and payoffs, numerous times being listed among the top five sanctioned events of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association.

While exhibits of many kinds continue to be the mainstay of the fair, an important part of each years celebration is entertainment, with several stages available for amateur and professional programs. In recent years planners have put more emphasis on attracting professional groups.

Another popular feature of each years fair is the carnival, which has grown to include a large number of rides and other features. The carnival has been presented by Davis Shows for many years. Food concessions are another important adjunct to the fair, with numerous vendors now offering a wide variety of cuisine. All in all, the fair has something of interest for just about anybody who enters its gates.

The year 2013 qualifies in two ways as the fairs centennial year. It marks 100 years since the fair began in Hermiston in 1913. Also in 1913, what was apparently the first Umatilla County Fair took place in Pendleton.

Information compiled by Ron Ingle