Edwin Washington Project

Not to be confused with 4H and traditional school fairs, one progressive effort by former Virginia State Superintendent Eggleston[i] that directly impacted Blacks and whites across Virginia, as well as the school system in Loudoun, was the County School Fair Movement,  which began in 1908 and continued to the mid-1920’s.  For more information on the movement, see chapter 4 in Dirt Don’t Burn or ask the Edwin Washington Project for access to box 15.21.  Project HQ is in the Douglass High School Building, 407 E. Market Street, Suite 106, Leesburg, Va 20176.  See also Larry Roeder, The County School Fair Movement, Bulletin of Loudoun County History, 2019, PP. 76-118. 

During segregation, there were huge legal and social debates in America over what defined appropriate kinds of education for Blacks.  Many white politicians like President Taft pushed industrial vs. academic training, with the goal of maintaining the traditional social order.[ii]   Their language often portrayed a disbelief that Blacks as a rule could attain an academic education.  At the same time, Black leaders like Booker T. Washington felt political power would emerge after economic leverage was secured, so for different reasons, saw industrial education as the most practical lever to attain Black success.  This idea was manifested in the County School Fair Movement.

The movement was essentially a social experiment rooted in the efforts of the Virginia Federation of Women’s Clubs,[iii]  Booker T. Washington, Seaman Knapp[iv]  and others to avoid the potential of famine in the south by improving the production of Black and white farmers.  This was needed because American agriculture across the nation was not keeping up with demand.  Famine was a real risk.[v]    Thus, county school fairs were a fresh tool to address a true national security problem and states responded with their own fairs. 

The fairs linked agricultural production exhibits by public school students using modern techniques taught by Black or white demonstrators.  Also in the events were sports, arts, and academic learning but the affairs were mainly designed to attract large crowds to see modern farming methods considered more productive than traditional ones, and to encourage children in rural counties to stay on the farm.  The Department of Public Instruction in Richmond provided a detailed brochure on how to manage the fairs,[vi]   but no funding, only encouragement and partnering.  Counties were asked on a voluntary basis to set up their own fairs and cover their own expenses.

A wide history of the movement can be found in , The County School Fair Movement, Bulletin of Loudoun County History, 2019, PP. 76-118.  Black and white oriented fairs took place in many locales, starting with Rustburg, Campbell County in 1908, but Black fairs did not happen in Loudoun until 1921.  Loudoun’s fairs between 1910 and 1920 were white only.  Its 1910 event was the largest annual social gathering in Loudoun and one of the most important in the State.  

Eggleston worked hard on many progressive programs during his tenure, but the fair project was a good example, among many, where the Superintendent could not rely on the state legislature for sufficient financial support.  It was often the same story across Virginia.  For counties to advance progressive programs in health, hire supplementary faculty, buy extra school equipment, or invest in needed repairs or construction, there never seemed to be enough official funding.  

County School Fairs in Loudoun were held nearly annually between 1910 and the early 20s.  All were white in Loudoun until 1921 when separate Black and white fairs were offered.  The white fairs offered marches and exhibits of skills needed on farms, as well as tests of academic achievement, oratorical prowess, carpentry, map making, sports and drawing, all based on a very comprehensive manual of guidelines.[vii]   Nearly every white school and student in Loudoun was involved, plus faculty and staff.  Many records on Loudoun’s school fairs have also survived, including official brochures and personal notes of teachers.  The intensity of coordinating academic, sports and agricultural events would eventually overwhelm Loudoun’s school system and probably had a similar impact in other towns and counties, which is why they faded out in the1920s, and why in 1921 they did not include agricultural exhibits. 

Unfortunately, few records for Loudoun’s Black fairs have survived.  The team became aware of their existence only because faint markings were found on term reports.  That led to a closer examination of Black Teacher Institute records, then newspapers.  The latter was difficult because the Loudoun County newspapers held at the Balch Library are not fully indexed.  What was discovered was that a major Black event took place in 1921, preceded by much planning in 1920.  Every black school in Loudoun marched through Leesburg, thanks to the efforts of John C. Walker, who ran the limited high school program for Black children at the Training Center on Union Street.  The date is important because of the violence against Blacks then going on, such as the Ocoee massacre in Florida in November 1920, the riots in Washington D.C., Norfolk, Virginia and Chicago, Illinois in 1919.  Chicago was likely influenced by the significant increase in the Black population from the Great Migration.  In May 1921, the year of the Black event in Loudoun, there was also a massacre in Tulsa, Oklahoma, considered by many as the worst anti-Black attack in American history.  Though Loudoun was not like Chicago or the deep south, it is hard to imagine that the risks associated with a march through Leesburg were not considered.

Other Virginia counties began their Black County School fairs earlier than Loudoun, like neighboring Fairfax County in 1916.[viii]    Those continued through to 1924 and were different from Loudoun’s Black fairs in that they featured both industrial and academic competitions, as well as agricultural exhibits of garden vegetables, canned fruits, poultry, and livestock.[ix]   Their fairs then were merged with ordinary county fairs.  “The object was to encourage education, agriculture and social development of Fairfax and adjacent counties,”[x] which included Loudoun, so perhaps Loudoun’s students also participated in some way.  There was precedent certainly in white fairs to attract students from multiple jurisdictions.  Loudoun’s Black fair did not focus on agriculture, which was a surprise at first, given the goals of the state program; but further research indicated that the Superintendent had also caused the white fairs to reduce their exhibits, due to the burden placed on educators.

John Walker teamed up with Mary E. Penniston, Loudoun’s first Supervisor for Black teachers to organize the first Black fair in Loudoun.  Other leaders in the 1921 fair were teachers with deep experience, the cream of the community.  However, despite their enthusiasm, the community faced a similar hurdle to that of the white educators, excessive workload detracting from class-room instruction. This is probably why the number of Black schools participating went from 19 in the October 1921 Fair, to ten in 1922/23 and only five in 1923/24. Seemingly as an alternative to the school style fair, the white Teachers Institute on September 7, 1922, raised the question of “the schools’” part in the Loudoun County Fair.  

Files in our records cover:

•           1910 School Fair, Details are missing.

•           1911 School Fair, Leesburg

•           1914 School Fair, Leesburg

•           1915 School Fair, Purcellville

•           1916 School Fais, Leesburg

•           1917 School Fair, Purcellville

•           1918 School Fair, Details are missing.

•           1920 School Fair, Preparation for Colored School Fair

•           1921 School Fair, Leesburg, including details on Colored School Fair.

•           1922 School Fair, Second Colored School Fair, October.

•           1923-1924 Community Fair, Colored.  Limited files.

•           1926 School Fair

•           1928 No School Fair but Gala in Broad Run

•           School Fairs study

1911 School Fair, Leesburg.  November 4, 1920.  This was the 2^nd Annual Fair;  The official records have been lost for the second annual School Fair, in Leesburg, with over 1,000 pupils participating.  All that remains is a newspaper account from the Loudoun Times Mirror.  Despite taking place in November, a large number of children participated and perhaps just white school.  Apparently the high schools (then all white) displayed banners and pennants

1914 School Fair, Leesburg.  May 1-2, 1914.  The official records have been lost for this fair.  All that remains is a newspaper article from the Loudoun Times Mirror (Staff, Plan to Have Band During School Fair 1914)  [1] and a brief report by the Superintendent in the Annual Report. “Fourth Annual School Fair most largely attended and the interest overwhelming

1915 School Fair, Purcellville.  June 14, 1915.  The County Fair was a patron of the schools, making a contribution of $416.65[1].  Note.  See report on this fair by O.L. Emerick, then Principal of Round Hill High School, to W.G. Edmundson, then Superintendent of Instruction for Loudoun.  Emerick was also Secretary-Treasurer of the Loudoun County School Fair.  What is especially interesting is that Willard participated.  Willard was both a village where whites and “colored” lived, as well as the location of the Willard Colored School.   There was no Willard White School, despite a an erroneous report in 2014.  (Church, et al. 2014), Willard presented over twenty exhibits at the fair; but won no prizes.   We don’t know what the exhibits were about, though in other counties, these would have been representations of school work.   It’s theoretically possible that whites represented the village rather than the colored school but the fact remains that the report speaks about schools participating, not villages.

1916 School Fair.   Perhaps Leesburg.  We have Entry form for exhibiters, which was to be sent to A.T. Felts, Leesburg no later than April 29.   Felts was the Principal of Leesburg High School.  No mention of fair in the “Statement of Receipts and Disbursements,” for 1916 8.1 Annual Financial 1916-1955

• 1917 School Fair.  Purcellville.    May 3-4, 1917.  This fair included sports events and literature events.  The files contain many names of winners.  It would good to see if all were white.  There were exhibits.  Some of the funds to cover costs came from private contributions, in this year $615[1].
  • Executive Committee of Loudoun County School Fair 1916-1917. (two copies, one with corrections)
  • Loudoun County School Fair Committee, 1916-1917
  • Proceedings of the School Fair Executive Committtee, done on November 11, 1916.    Rules were set here, including on who could participate.  Judges, for example, could not be resident of Loudoun.  One striking note from the report “This meeting was remarkable (ny way of contrast with meetings of former years) for the peace which prevailed during the proceedings. There seems to be no dimunition of interet on the part of the teachers.”  What was meant by that? We might never know.
  • Advance sheet containing complete list of prize subjects, except Athletics and Specials. (two copies)
  • Entry sheet.
  • Prize envelopes.  White for first prize and Blue for second. Prizes were awarded on May 4^th, 1917
  • Complete list of prizes awarded, with names of the winners, where they lived and the name of their entry.  Categories were Literature, Manual Training, Home Economics.
  • Summary of prizes won by schools in all departmetns, except public speaking and athletics.
  • Loudoun County Athletic and Forensic meet
  • Committees 1917-18 for Athletics, Public Speaking, Parade, Arithmetic and Spelling and the Executive Committee.
  • Summary of Treasuer’s Report of 1917 Loudoun County School Fair.
  • School Fair Committee expenses

cancelled due to the outbreak of the Spanish Flu.  However, we do surmise that a 1919 school fairs likely did take place, based on the agenda of the 1919 White Teachers’ Institute, “what kind of school fairs shall we have,” evidently directed to high school teachers[1].

• 1920 School Fair, Leesburg in the Unison-Bloomfield grounds[1].  April 30-May 1.  Had sports events.  Exhibits appear to have been limited; but not sure why.  Perhaps the teachers felt they were too much work to handle.
  • Letter of April 13, 1920 from Mr. G.C. Baggett, General Passenger Agent for Washington and old Dominion Railway to make arrangements for trains to handle crowds to the fair.
  • Program (two copies) of Program for Loudoun County School Fair. Includes notes on sports events (see 15.2 Sports.
  • Entry List for Loudoun County School Fair.  Done for entries by students.  Had to be completed by April 17. (two copies)
  • Spelling lists.  8 pages.
  • Complete list of the prizes awarded to contestants in the School Fair of 1920 at Purcellville on May 1.   12 pages.
  • Letter from School Fair Executive Committee Chair to committee (Oct 28, 1919).  A discussion of what means hand work.
  • Report of Business Manager on May 15, 1920 to O.L. Emerick, Superintendent on expenses and receipts.
  • Two Chits for what appear to be bills and receipts.
  • See also a discussion on September 11, 1919 wondering what kind of School Fair the teachers wanted.  Found in Teacher Institute files.  Found in 4.2 (1914-1932) teacher Institutes, White.

• 1921 School Fair.  Held in Leesburg, (Thursday=Saturday) May 5, 6 and 7.

We have a lot of information on this particular fair, including a brochure and many planning documents (LT Staff 1921), which was to include a parade of by the American Legion of ex soldiers and sailors in uniform (LM Staff 1920). 

The School Fair’s planning was also well documented in the media, especially in the Loudoun Mirror, later merged with the Loudoun Times; but there was no overt attention given to African-Americans.  The group was also very patriotic and religious in nature, opening its session by sing “Onward Christian Soldiers” and “America the Beautiful,” followed by a recitation of the First Psalm and prayer.

Emerick felt that the fairs were a burden on teachers.  They certainly were well planned, as well as apparently well attended by the public, so much so that advertising was a big deal.  The official blue program had advertisements on every page.  There was also a list of donors whose funds were used to avoid children enduring any costs.  The program also provided space to pencil in notes, such as who won.  It’s a fascinating mix of sports and academics.

To prepare for the event, the annual fall meeting of  the Loudoun Teachers Association took place at the Purcellville school on October 30.  They decided that each school district should hold its own event prior to the County Fair.  They also 

agree that holding the main fair in the fall would be impossible, so decided on the spring.  One interesting question they couldn’t resolve was whether to “preserve prize exhibits and display them in an educational booth at the Agricultural Fair next year.” (LM Staff 1920).

The fair began at 8pm on Thursday evening with oratorical demonstrations, Recitation by graded school girls, which would have been doing a speech from memory and Declamation by High School boys, which would have been essentially speeches with feeling like political oratory

Friday morning was a mix of arithmetic and problem solving, as well as Junior track, 100 yard dash, high jump, broad jump and 50 yard dash, followed by pole vault, more athletic events, and then spelling, followed by girl’s track.  By noon, the girls were into throwing basket balls and baseball, and a potato race.  Recess was followed by a contest in reading, then the parade and an address by Governor Westmoreland Davis from the Court House Steps.  He was also the last resident at Morven Park in Leesburg.  He had purchased Morven Park in 1901 and left the governorship in 1922.  It’s also worth noting that he was an advocate for good schools, a plank which he ran on in 1917.

Friday afternoon began with a baseball game between Leesburg and Middleburg.  All of the players are listed in the program.  Then in the evening were contests in recitation by graded boys and high school girls, ending with a debate at 9:20pm.

Saturday began with contests in reading, Latin, tennis and algebra.  Algebra went on while senior track took place, as well as girl’s tennis.  That was followed by a girl’s single’s tennis match between Beulah Norman of Leesburg and F. Ballinger of Round Hill, lunch and a match between Lea McDonald of Leesburg and R. Larrick of Round Hill, boys.  So there must have been much preliminary work.

The afternoon featured a girl’s basketball game between Unison and Lucketts, which appears to have ended the show.

We also found a good deal of memoranda about the fair discussing baseball, basketball and tennis tournaments.  Unfortunately, exhibits were banned, based on a memo of Nov 22, 1920 to Rawson, though a different memo of the same data to Mrs. Vincel indicated they were held at the same level as in 1918. (we do not have the 1918 records).  General Information:  School Fair 1921.  Logistical arrangement.

• • Nov 12, 1920.  Emerick expressed to Hurley.  Doubted to the advisability of having more than we had in 1918.  The school fair is a great burden on a few people and we probably should give them a rest on alternative years.  Seem to feel that a fair with exhibits was elaborate. Felt teachers didn’t want them every year.
  • Nov 16, 1920.  Letter from Dwight P. Hurley to Emerick.  Hurley formed the local board into session and present Emerick’s proposal. 
  • Nov 19, 1920.  OL Emerick to D.P. Hurley.  Asked him to serve as chair of the athletic committee again.     Please consider the advisability of an appeal committee to settle disputed games selected from outside the teaching force.
  • Nov 19, 1920.  Letter from OL Emerick to DP Hurley.  Asked Hurley to serve as chairman of the athletic committee.
  • Nov 22, 1920.  Letter from Edward Rawson, Principal of Lincoln High School to OL Emerick.  Suggest someone else be hired.
  • Nov 22, 1920.  Letter from OL Emerick.  Noted that the School Fair will have no exhibits but will include what was had in 1918. Also asked her to head the committee on Arithmetic and Spelling. Wanted Rawson to chair public speaking.
  • Nov 22, 1920.  Letter from OL Emerick to E.B. Rawson.  Said definitely decided to have no exhibits but will have parade, arithmetic and spelling, public speaking and athletic.
  • Nov 26, 1920.  OL Emerick to J.S. Simpson.  Wanted him to char committee on Public Speaking.
  • Nov 26, 1920.  OL Emerick to EB Rawson.  Better to have someone else in charge of this committee, (mentioned in Rawson’s committee of the 22^nd).
  • Nov 22, 1920.  OL Emerick to NM Vincel.  Feared there was a tangle on the school fair.  Felt ¾’s of the working teachers didn’t want exhibits this year.  Asked her to head committee on parade.
  • Nov 28, 1920.  Letter to Superintendent Emerick from unknown person in Lincoln.  Various personnel recommendations.
  • Dec 1, 1920.  OL Emerick to Pamela Ish.  Notification Mr. Mathews and Miss Hawthorne of their appointments and Vincel.
  • Dec 1, 1920.  OL Emerick to Hawthorne to on a committee.
  • Dec 1, 1920.  OL Emerick to JP Matthews of Round Hill, Va.  Asked him to serve on committee regarding Arithmetic and Spelling.
  • Dec 4, 1920.  Letter to DP Hurley from Pamela Ish of Lincoln.  The letter indicated that since there be no exhibits at the fair, perhaps there should be an expansion of contests. She suggested on contest in silent reading.  Others had suggested Latin and algebra.
  • Dec 4, 1920.  Letter to Professor Stark of Ashburn, presumably by DP Hurley, asking Stark to create an algebra committee.
  • Dec 6, 1920.  Card to DP Hurley from Comphur.  I shall accept the chair.
  • Dec 7, 1920.  Letter to Miss Comphur of Middleburg, asking her to sit on the Athletic Committee.
  • Dec 7, 1920.  Letter to O.L. Emerick.  Asked if there are objection  to adding Algebra.
  • Dec 7, 1920 letter to Miss Pamela Ish  Saw no objection to adding Latin.
  • Dec 11, 1920.  Letter from Dwight  P Hurley, Principal of Leesburg High School, to W.C. Hall, Leesburg.  List of the member of the school fair who will attend luncheon hosted by the Chamber of Commerce. Sat, Dec 18.   Hurley was placed in charge of the upcoming fair because Emerick had taken seriously ill, and had been so for some time.

Feb 9, 1921.  Letter from Secretary to Jos Nichols of Purcellville. Including result of committee meeting on Public Speaking.

1922 School Fair.   .      It appears that “colored” pupils could have participated, based on the agenda of the Oct 17, 1921 Loudoun County Institute for Colored Teachers. 

• 1922-1925  School Fairs.  No records.  There was a question however raised in the white Teacher Institute of September 6-7, 1923 at the Leesburg High School of whether a School Fair should be held in 1923/24.   In 1922, the White Teacher’s Institute discussed “the Community Fair or Horse Show as an aid to the school but also held an agenda item called “The Schools’ part in the Loudoun County Fair,” led by F.H. James, manager[1].

• 1926 School Fair.  We have nothing; but the same year there was a League Rally.  Did the Rally replace the School Fairs or were they connected?  Was there still a fair as a separate event? 
  • In this connection, We found a two page memo listing “colored teachers” for 1926/27, and the second page said “An interesting note indicated that the Virginia School Supply company contributed a map of the United States to be given to the school having the best report at the League Rally on Saturday, November thirteenth in Leesburg.   That particular week was the Sixth American Education Week across the country.
  • Given that the prize announcement was part of the announcement for “colored” schools and that the memo didn’t say anything about White schools, it is possible that both could compete; but before that conclusion is drawn, more research will be required. That’s especially true since the one newspaper account only spoke of white LCPS and church officials in attendance.
  • The National Education Association and the American Legion were distressed that 25 percent of World War One draftees were illiterate so in 1919 met on the topic to find ways of rally public support.    Their conventions adopted resolutions in support and in 1921 NEA called for an official week, which was held for the first time December 4-10, 1921.   The U.S. Office of Education followed in 1922 and the PTA joined forces in 1938.  American Education Week is always celebrated the week prior to the week of Thanksgiving (Staff 2015). Question:  Were the School Fairs from 1919 onward connected to this project?  What impact, if any on “colored” school?

In Leesburg in 1926, the rally was held by the county federation of community leagues on Saturday, November 13.  The map was awarded to the Paeonian Springs School.  The Arcola league was a close second. (BRH Staff 1926)  

• •  (BRH Staff 1926).  There was a “colored” Paeonian Springs school; but not an Arcola one, so I suspect both were white.

•  

1928 School Fair.  Not sure if fair was held.  It was however a topic of discussion at the White Teacher Institute[1],

•  

1930 County Fair.  We have no information on the 1930 County Fair, including how it compared with schools fairs; but the September 9, 1930 White Teacher’s Institute did discuss participation in the County Fair[1].   In the same meeting, we also saw that Teachers wondered if there could “be some regulation of the insistent demands made upon teachers to have pupils participate in essay and other special contests.”   Given the tone of the agenda item, teachers didn’t like the requirement.