History of the Floral Building

The following is from the Hill and Dale District website. Author(s) unknown. It is a wonderful informational piece about the the history of the Floral Building as well as the beginnings of the Pierce County Fair. It was published in 2022 when the Pierce County Fair celebrated its 75th year.

History of the Floral Building

Over seven decades ago, Pierce County communities joined together to create the County Fair. The 4-H fair, as it was called then, had drawn youth members from all over the county. At that time, there were few entries and there were very few categories. Decade after decade, treasured memories continue to be created . . .

1947 – 1950

The fair was without a permanent home for the first three years. From Benston Grange, it moved to Woodland School and then to Fruitland Grange.

1951 – 1954

After three years of wandering, the fair eventually settled at Sumner High School grounds.
1952, It was renamed the Pierce County Junior Fair. Frank Ballou, of Puyallup, served as the first Fair Manager when it was incorporated. Dr Vitt Ferrucci, of Puyallup, was named the first President of the new board of directors.
1953, Changes again when the fair ran 3 full days instead of 2 1/2 and the first fair queen was chosen.

1955 – 1960

1957, Gladiolus Show comes to the Junior Fair. The 27th annual State Gladiolus Show brought displays to the fair and decorated Sumners Main Street with 50 hanging baskets. The show included exhibits/entries from other states and Canada, it was held Saturday and Sunday.
1958, State Gladiolus Society voted to eliminate age limits at this year’s show to permit all 4-H boys and girls and FFA boys to enter, as well as any other child interested in growing and showing glads.
1959, An adult flower show was held in conjunction with the Junior Fair for the first time and held in the Sumner High School Gymnasium. The flower show was sponsored by Capital District of the Washington State Federation of Garden Clubs. Mrs. Englund & Mrs. Sibbert were co-chairmen. A trophy was given to the exhibitor winning the most blue ribbons. To be a full county class B fair, and to satisfy the State Agriculture Department who require adult exhibitors these two groups held flower shows to help get the needed adult exhibitors.
1960, Pierce County joined the Department of Agriculture in helping to support the fair. For the first time, several hundred premium checks, totaling $2,500 were mailed to excited exhibitors. Garden Clubs have added junior classes of entries for children from 6 to 16 for those boys and girls who would like to enter the show.

1961 – 1969

1963, The Puyallup Rotarians sponsored a pancake breakfast for all exhibitors and superintendents. This has become an annual tradition still anticipated by participants. The Floral Building judges for years have also enjoyed this breakfast.
1967, The board of directors, decided by vote, to remove the “junior” from the name of the fair. From that day forward, the fair has been known as the “Pierce County Fair”.
1968, Graham’s Frontier Park become a new permanent home for the fair. Sumner and Puyallup service clubs started creating a permanent fair environment.
1969, The flower show moved to the fairgrounds in Graham and was housed under a canvas/tent.

1970 - 1980

1973, The Floral Building was built and had 150 entries. The Floral Building was a volunteer project under the supervision of Fair Board President Dave Van Hulle in July of 1973. The Capital District of Garden Clubs, consisting of 100 plus garden clubs, contributed financial aid to complete the 24 by 40-foot building. Also contributing to its construction was the cement class at Bates Vocational Technical Institute. The classroom project was part of a practical program.
1975, It was decided that clubs east of Tacoma would become their own district. We named ourselves Hill and Dale District because we covered the valley and foothills of the Cascades. Twenty-four garden clubs left the Capital District to form the Hill & Dale District of Washington State Federations of Garden Clubs, and then became the sponsor organization for the fairs Floral Building.
1976, Floral Building Chairman was Diane McPherson with 495 entries. Three benches with their names on them were donated by Sunbonnet Sue Garden Club, Garden Hour Garden Club and Hill & Dale District. “A Past to Remember, A Future to Mold” was the fairs theme and it was extended by one day now running 4-days Thursday - Sunday. We have outgrown our building and the fair board is hoping with the cooperation of the garden clubs, FFA, 4-H and Master Gardeners, that the present building can be expanded to display the exhibits from each of these groups.
1977, Theme, “Onward – Upward” had 406 entries Sherry Matthews and Diane Laws were chairmen. LaDonna Bean, age 9 won the most blue ribbons in Junior Horticulture and Cathy Sparks age 8, won the best arrangement in Junior Artistic.

1981 - 1989

1981, We had 398 entries, including potted plants entered by our new Sumner High School Club, sponsored by Sumner Federated. Show chairman was Sallie Heblich and her co – chairman was Joyce Johnston.
1983, “Flowers Featured” was the title for the newspaper article this year. A flower show conducted by the 15 garden clubs comprising the Hill & Dale District was the featured event at this year’s fair. The show is open to all amateur gardeners and arrangers, including juniors through age 18. Lou Herman and Marvel Hood were chairmen. “Have a Bucket of Fun at the Fair” was the theme with over 1,000 entries. Top awards went to Karen Bewley for youth entries from 5-9 years old.
1985, Evelyn Swensrud chaired the show with 801 entries. The Floral Building was filled to capacity with cones of cotton, stuffed animals and their pictures, depicting the theme of “Kids, Kritters, & Kotton Kandy”, with entries from ages 5 to 85.
1986, Hilda Martin was chairman, Marge Lebert co-chairman with 852 total entries.
1987, Chairmen Marge Lebert and Frances Veach set up for the fair with entries being on the same day. “Straw Hats and Blue Jeans” was the fairs theme with 845 total entries. The Floral Building won the State Fair Commissioners Award which was a first for our district.
1988, Had 1044 entries with the theme “Ribbons, Rides & Roses”
1989, New this year at the fair is an addition to the existing Floral Building. The Bates Vocational School Carpentry class donated their labor to the fair to make the existing 24x40 building into a 24x72 foot building with the help of grant money. This building holds the open class floral show which has been overcrowded for the past few years with the growing public interest in entering their flowers and arrangements. The theme was “Back in Time to 89” with Chairman Carol Giese and co-chairman Ruth Stepnick.

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1990 - 1999

1990, Had 874 total entries in the flower show.
1993, A suggestion came from the fairs commissioners that to have more education we could put up tags naming our plants around the floral building. The tags need only be put up the days before the fair starts and taken back down when the fair is over.
1995, The fair celebrates 50 years with 692 exhibits in the building.
1998, “Make Mine a Country Fair” using all the colors in gingham fabrics to decorate. Fran Cissell was chairman.
1999, Mary Bewley was chairman with co-chairman Virginia Woolf.

2000 - 2010

2000, Theme was “Days of Swine and Roses” Mary Bewley was chairman with each club bringing a color bowl for outside decorations. We also had entries for patio plants & staged them in front of the building
2001, Chairman was Betty Simmons and Willie Sliffe as co- chairman.
2003 “Our Fairs Fun 4 U” was the theme, Mary Bewley and Betty Simmons were chairmen.
2004, Theme was “Cowbelles & Carousels”.
2005, “Space Suits & Cowboy Boots” was the fairs theme.
2006, Theme was “Get Your Kicks In 2006”.
2007, “Straw Hats & Blue Jeans” was the theme this year and we won both the Commission’s Award and the Rossette for “Best Theme Inspired Booth”. One of the highlight’s was a horse made out of flower pots.

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2008, Linda Maida was chairman with “At the Hop” as a theme. With 719 adult horticulture entries, and 40 adult designs, 300 youth horticulture plus 29 youth designs it was a great increase in youth involvement and added greatly to the overall show. With poodle skirts and records decorating the walls, a soda fountain and our hostesses wearing poodle skirts, we received the Black & White Rosette Commissioners Award for an outstanding building.

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2009, From toddlers to teens the shoes are what it is all about. This is the 3rd year we have been encouraging young gardeners to plant shoes. Theme was “Have a Wooly Good Time in 2009” with 1,044 entries. Chairman was Judy Strickland, and Willie Sliffe served as cochairman.
2010, Chairman was Judy Strickland, and co-chairman was Willie Sliffe. We received the Directors Award from the fair board for our hard work and especially noting the youth plantings that are such a hit with all. We had over 1,000 entries. “Pierce County’s Hidden Treasure”.

2011 - 2019

2011, Co-chairmen were Rosie Trujillo and Mary Bewley. Our exhibits this year were lower than in previous years, due to our lack of summer sun. 797 total entries. Theme was “Barnyard Jamboree”.
2012, “Psychedelic Summer” co-chairmen were Rosie Trujillo and Mary Bewley. The Floral Building was awarded the Managers Award Rosette for best use of theme.
2013, Pierce County Fair Association will celebrate the 66th annual Pierce County Fair. Rosie Trujillo & Mary Bewley were co-chairmen, the theme was “Your 4 Ring Family Fair” “Four Rings of Flowers and Bees” had a total of 835 entries. A conservative estimate of time spent by all volunteers before, during and after the fair was 347 hours. A highlight of hours spent included painting the risers, painting shoes and filling 800 bottles with water.

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2014, “Garden Dynasty” was the theme, Mary Bewley & Sherry Matthews co-chairmen.
2015, Sherry Matthews & Mary Bewley were co-chairmen. 731 total entries the Floral Building was overflowing with horticulture & designs. The hours helping the kids make Mr. Potato heads was very rewarding. Theme was “The Pierce County Fair Is The Cat’s Meow”. This was the last year for a Standard National Garden Club Flower Show at the fair.
2016, This year instead of having a National Garden Club judged show we changed to judging by the Danish Method. Pierce County Fair went to an online registration form for all entries including the Floral Building. Kathy Johnson and Sherry Matthews were cochairmen with 751 entries and the theme was “Get Your Jam On”. Hill & Dale District donated a pee gee hydrangea in memory of Betty Backstrom who passed away in 2016 and was the Fair Manager.

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2017, Theme was “Your View of a Zoo” Kathy Johnson was chairman and Sherry Matthews was co- chairman. We had 659 total entries. With FairEntry now in place, the numbering in our flower show schedule changed, starting over with #1 in each Section.
2018, Hill & Dale Garden District applied and received a grant from the fair board to have the inside of the building repainted. The theme was “Our Heroes, Birds, Bees & Butterflies”. Kathy Johnson was chairman and Sherry Matthews was co-chairman, the fair board president Howard Bennett awarded us with the Presidents Rosette Ribbon for an outstanding building. The highlights this year were all of the kid’s activities inside the building and also outside with our annual plantings. We helped the kids make 135 butterfly nets and for the first time had hidden bees throughout the fair for the kid’s scavenger hunt and returned to the building for a honey stick. These activities really got families into the building. For the first time, we voted for the people’s choice awards from the adult & youth designs.

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2019, Theme was “Celebrating Pierce County, Peninsula To Paradise”. Our district won the Black and White Commissioners Rosette Ribbon for the most outstanding building of the fair. Our entries were down this year, but we had plenty of activities for all ages to do. We helped the kids make refrigerator magnets, planted 224 terrariums, hid clam shells and mountain rocks as a scavenger hunt and we hosted Mt Rainier Rangers, U.S. Fish & Wildlife, and Washington State Department of Fish & Wildlife education for the youth. We voted for the people’s choice design awards and a first this year was the addition of a photo booth. Kathy Johnson was chairman with Sherry Matthews as co-chairman.

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2020 – 2022

2020, The theme “Bees & Honey in 2020”, quickly changed to “Bee Safe in 2020”, because of covid 19. Kathy Johnson was chairman with Sherry Matthews as co-chairman. The in-person fair was canceled and done as an online virtual fair. We still had a flower show, with 465 entries, there were animals, and entertainment, all online. Because the show was virtual, we also offered People Choice awards for horticulture. No ribbons were given out, but all exhibitors were given a “virtual ribbon”.

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During the off season the county added sidewalks leading to the Floral Building. It was great for ADA accessibility, but it cut out all our grass in front of the building.

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2021, Fair theme was “Join the Fun”, so we changed it to “Join the Flower Fun”. Covid was still around so we had one-way aisles inside the building and opened the second front door. Rusty old chairs were painted bright colors, kids played ladybug /bees checkers and tic tac toe. We planted up several mens jeans around the tree for fun and had a great show also. Kathy Johnson was chairman with Sherry Matthews as co-chairman.

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2022, Theme is “Celebrating 75 years, Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow” highlighting three gardens in front of the building as yesterday, today & tomorrow gardens. Inside we displayed the history of the Floral Building and Kathy Johnson was chairman. New this year we added a section for “What’s In Your Yard Photos” and sponsored guest speakers & guest groups for extra kids activities.

2023 – 2047

2025, “Dare to do the County Fair” will be the theme. School districts now have gardening as part of the school’s curriculum and youth entries will increase. Kathleen Muckian will be chairman with Randie Welcher as co-chairman.
2030, Fair theme will be “It's Raining Rabbits & Roses” and entries will be 1000 again like they were back in the good old days of 2010. Randie Welcher will serve as chairman with Bridget Pilgrim as her co-chairman. The now famous kids rock scavenger hunt will be via telepathy this year.
2035, Once again, we will have the most outstanding building and win the Commissioners Award the Black & White Rosette Ribbon. Keith Ripley and Julie Wells will be co-chairmen. The kids planting activity will be soilless. Theme will be “Sustainable Farming & Growing”.
2040, Future Gardeners will use solar power to recharge their batteries, “Galaxy Not So Far Away” will be the theme. Julie Wells and Randie Welcher will be co-chairmen.
2047, “Tractor Wheels & Cowboy Heels for 100 years” will be the theme

The Fair and our Floral Building continue with hundreds of volunteer hours and an effort between Hill & Dale Garden District, Pierce County Fair Association, and Pierce County Parks and Recreation.