WEEDSPORT - The animal exhibitions and 4-H exhibits have been a long-time staple of the Cayuga County Fair and a tradition that has continued to grow in recent years, as more and more children get involved with raising animals and showing them at the fair.

And the roots of the 4-H stretch back more than 50 years.

Alongside the displays and presentations in the 4-H building this year, a small section has been dedicated to celebrating that past.

Anne Clapper, of Auburn, a member of the board of the county fair, was searching for ideas that would help celebrate the fair and add a little bit of new life and interest to the fair.

"It was about two in the morning," Clapper said. "And I had a bunch of ideas in my head and then I thought why don't we do something to celebrate the 50-year alumni of the 4-H. I thought it would just be something different to do, something interesting, to look at what we did in the past and what it is like now."

Clapper said that she and her sister, Amy Baliva, were both involved with the Owasco Valley 4-H Riders, a group with a focus on horseback riding, as well as other 4-H activities.

Clapper said that the group would get together and ride their horses to shows as well as participate in local parades ever year.

Once Clapper hit on the idea of having a celebration of the last 50 years of 4-H, she began contacting friends, looking for memorabilia dating back to the '50s.

On display in the 4-H building are numerous photos capturing moments from the 4-H, such as children raising pigs and pheasants.

Loretta Filkins, of Port Byron knew that her mother, Mary Agnes Thomas, and her uncle, Bob Thomas, had been involved in 4-H when they were younger, but she didn't know that they were going to be part of the exhibit.

"I was just walking around and I saw my mother's picture," Filkins said. "She is in a nursing home now, but I think she would be excited to know that her picture is here."

Alongside the photos sit scrapbooks of newspaper clippings detailing the accomplishments of 4-H members in various local and state competitions and events like parades and horse shows.

Clapper also managed to dig up a few other items of interest.

"We have an original songbook," Clapper said. "With all the songs that we used to sing. And there is a handbook from the '50s that tells you how to do different projects and thins like that."

Clapper said that alumni of 4-H even sent items from across the country to be part of the exhibit.

Read the full report in Sunday's edition of The Citizen.