Ballinger Chamber of Commerce Site
|
The first Chamber of Commerce in Ballinger was called Young Men' s Business League. Stuart L. Williams managed it. One of their projects was a County Fair held in 1922 downtown in a number of vacant buildings. The fair was continued in 1923 and was even larger with a lot of displays of farm and home products. The present Ballinger Chamber of Commerce was organized in 1924 with Scott Mack as the first president. J. D. Motley was hired as the first manager and was manager until 1938. His first big project, and it was truly the largest, was the organizing of the Runnels County Fair Association, Inc. Stock was sold and a building program was started. By fall two large twin buildings were constructed, and the space in between was also covered, floored, and made into a large building to take care of the Women’s department. One of the big buildings was devoted to merchant’s displays, and the other was the agricultural building with community displays, rural schools displays, and individual entries. Just inside the front gate was an open-air display of modern farm equipment. Shed type buildings were along the fence of the first enclosure for taking care of a big poultry department. The first section also had space for a number of eating-places operated by local churchwomen and other groups. The next section was the grandstand, football and baseball field, and the location of all the feature shows for the fair. The famous Harley Sadler Show with its big tent was set up in front of the grandstand, and he always had a full house. Other features included style shows, Pageants, and other locally produced spectacles. Also some years a small circus would come to the fair. The livestock barns were located just south or the grandstand, and here 4-H Clubs and individuals showed their best livestock in a number of open classes. Just to the west of the first enclosure was entrance way leading to the Mid-Way attractions. The Bill Homes Carnival was always on the carnival lot, and two one way bridges across the old laundry ditch made an entrance from the fair grounds to the carnival. A giant parade was held each day during the fair and attracted several thousand people. Each Friday was featured as school day, and children from the entire area assembled for the parade and then were admitted free into the grounds. The Runnels County Fair was a success for a number of years. The management did a good job. They held the front gate fee at 25cents and the grandstand at 50 cents; and with the concession money, the association was able to break even. After about twelve or thirteen years, attendance began falling off, and a few years of heavy rains caused the fair to fold. It can be said that the Runnels County Fair was one of Ballinger's and Ballinger Chamber of Commerce's biggest and best accomplishments. Ballinger Chamber of Commerce worked very hard each year on Ballinger’s Birthday Celebration on June 29. A large parade was held with wagons, buggies, horseback riders, fire trucks and floats, with the pioneers being honored guests. There was always a big barbeque pit located on the fair grounds and barbeque could be purchased, and usually most people would eat lunch on the courthouse lawn. In the afternoon the courthouse lawn was full or people. The pioneers were interviewed, and they told of their early days in Ballinger and Runnels County. There was always the Ballinger High School Band playing at the old band stand on the courthouse lawn. At night there was dancing in the streets. One street would be roped off for square dances, one for modern dances, and one street was roped off for the Latin American dancers. A pageant was usually held at the fair park. All the actors were people, and the pageant was also directed by local citizens. Some of the other early day projects of the Chamber was the huge sign located on Hutchings Avenue and Eighth Street. The sign was hung high in the air and read, "Ballinger Welcomes You!' The Chamber always worked very hard on the Christmas Program with its Street Parade and Santa Claus. The Chamber worked with the merchants of Ballinger in many ways. Back in the late 1930's and early 1940's they had Trade Days; and when a purchase was made, a ticket was given and prizes of $25 and $50 were given at a drawing held each Saturday afternoon at 4 o'clock. On January 1, 1941, a new Plymouth four-door sedan was given away. The car cost $1100.00. The Chamber worked on many projects down through the years. They worked to build a new city lake in the 1940's. They had a Soil and Water Conservation Program in the late 1940's with a large committee from all over the County working on this project with the extension service to accomplish their goals. At the present time the Chamber is working on various projects. The Goodwill Merchants Drawing of $75.00 each month is sponsored by the Chamber. The Committees of the Chamber at the present time are, Welcome Committee, Recreation Committee, Women's Activity Committee, Beautification Committee, Retail Development Committee, Banquet Committee, Hiway Committee, Agriculture Committee, Christmas Parade Committee, Water Resource Committee, 9Oth Birthday Committee, Membership Committee for Ballinger and Rural Membership. A lot of projects are planned for the future, especially for the celebration of Ballinger's 90th Birthday and the Bi-Centennial of our Nation, and, in only a very few short years, our Centennial Celebration of Runnels County. So you see the Chamber will be busy with many projects in the years to come. Doug Cox is President this year and Grady Clark is Executive Vice President/Manager. I am an optimist; I always have been and always will be. However, it's becoming increasingly difficult to remain optimistic. Practically everywhere one turns his illusions are shattered, and he really has to concentrate to maintain his optimistic out look. Some of my friends say that if you do succeed in maintaining your optimism, you just don't understand the problems. In spite of this, I do maintain my optimism, I am optimistic about our country, the economy, the youth, in fact, everything. In 1976 the United Stated will celebrate its Bicentennial, and many things have happened in the World since our great country was born back in 1776. A lot of these things we here in the United States have been responsible for, both good and bad. It is impossible to list these events without feeling at the same time a sense of pride, sadness, joy, guilt and optimism. Believe me it is an unusual situation to have all of those feelings at the same time. In closing, let me name just a few, and you think about them: The Airplane, refrigerated air conditioning, World War I, World War II, salk vaccine, the cotton gin, atomic energy, the great depression, the dust bowl, self propelled combine, the rebuilding of Germany and Japan, the printing press, the automobile, the garbage disposal, the electric can opener, the stock market crash of 1929, the United Nations, the telephone, non-leaded gasoline, 37 Presidents of the United States, the cattle market crash of 1974 and You. |