Photo: Iowa Historical Society
(Des Moines, IA) -- A first-day-of-the-fair tradition will highlight several Iowans' contributions. The State Fair Historical Walking tour will feature George Washington Carver, Ruth Buxton, also known as the first lady of the farm, and Keith Elwick, who invented a manure spreader that gained him a meeting with Queen Elizabeth. The State Historical Society of Iowa and the Iowa Healthiest State Initiative co-hosted the tour. The 45-minute tour begins at 8:15 a.m. on August 10th at the Administration Building on the Grand Concourse.
The tour ends at the fair's opening ceremony.
State Historical Society guides will share stories about Iowa history along the walk which typically attracts hundreds of air goers.
“Iowans are deeply rooted in the history of our state and nothing is more historic than the Iowa State Fair,” State Historical Society of Iowa Administrator Susan Kloewer said. “Opening the fair with the historical walking tour gives Iowans and others an opportunity to follow the footsteps of earlier generations and to learn how our past continues to shape the world in which we live today.”