On June 28, 1833, citizens of Delaware County met under an act of the Ohio Legislature to establish The Delaware County Agricultural Society, electing Milo Pettibone president, Wilder Joy vice president, Frederick Avery secretary, and William Little treasurer. It was resolved that there be an exhibition of domestic animals and manufacturers on the first Friday in October of 1854, with premiums awarded based on quality. The exhibition was first held on Delaware's east side, north of Central Avenue and west of the railroad, and later occupied numerous locations before moving in 1939 to Pennsylvania Avenue. As it evolved to meet the changing needs of the community, it absorbed other county events, including the Delaware Pumpkin Show, the Powell Fair, the Boys' Hog Show, the Rome Fair, and the Ashley Fair, from which it inherited the oldest Junior Fair in the United States. It remains the longest-lasting and largest annual event in Delaware County. On these fairgrounds, the Little Brown Jug grew through the vision of founders Joe Neville and Henry “Hank” Thomson into “America's Pacing Classic.” R. K. “Rollie” McNamara led construction of what became the world's fastest half-mile track in harness racing. On September 18, 1946, Ensign Hanover won the inaugural Little Brown Jug Pace in four heats at the Delaware County Fairgrounds, driven by Delaware native and Hall of Fame horseman Wayne “Curly” Smart; the horse was bred by Hanover Shoes Farms and owned by Castleton Farms. Since then, each September, harness racing's top stars have come to Delaware, Ohio, to compete in what became part of Pacing's Triple Crown in 1959 along with the Messenger and Cane Pace, and Sports Illustrated called the Little Brown Jug one of the Top 100 World-Wide Sporting Events every sports fan must attend in their lifetime.

Photo: William Fischer, Jr.

Photo: William Fischer, Jr.

Photo: William Fischer, Jr.

Photo: William Fischer, Jr.