History of the Green County Fair: The historical account of the Green County Fair was compiled by Ken Allen using the following resources: The minutes from the Green County Agricultural Society and Mechanics Institute (Green County Fair) that date back to 1857. Articles from the Monroe Sentinel and the Monroe Evening Times Records and publications of the Green County Agricultural Society and Mechanics Institute Interviews with past and present officers and directors of the Green County Fair Records of the bHistory of Green Countyb published in 1884 and reprinted by the Higginson Book Company of Salem, Massachusetts. The organization of the Agricultural Society began on July 4, 1853 when a few people interested in a Society of this kind met in the old courthouse in Monroe, Wisconsin. The first fair of this Agricultural Society was held in November of 1853 at the courthouse. Premiums amounted to $100 and the majority of the exhibits were farm produce. Carnivals and amusements were not yet part of the fair tradition. The person who should get the most credit for the organization of the Green County Fair was John A. Bingham. He was the first attorney in Green County after Wisconsin became a state. He also served as the first county judge. In 1854 the Society purchased grounds just north of the village. The 7 acres were purchased from A. Ludlow for $400. In order to fence the area and build necessary buildings they issued bLife Member Certificatesb and $10 a piece. The 1854 fair was the first outdoor fair and was held on the new grounds in October. The sum of $200 was paid in premiums. On March 31, 1856 the State Legislature issued an act for the encouragement of agriculture. This resulted in an extensive fair being planned for 1857. In July of 1857 the first meeting of the bGreen County Agricultural Society and Mechanics Instituteb as we know it today was held. The original fairs, held in the autumn at that time, emphasized handicrafts in addition to agriculture, thus the need for bmechanics instituteb in the title of the original organization. The importance of crafts which were apparent in Monroebs tin shops, blacksmith and shoemakers shops, even in the coffin makerbs trade, should not be underestimated at these fairs.