Pictured is the original grandstand.
Submitted photo
Submitted story
The current location of the Champaign County Fairgrounds was established in 1889, at which time a grandstand was constructed. This grandstand, shown (circa 1920 photo), provided a great view of the racetrack.
It had a seating capacity of approximately 1,000. Note the advertisement for Marsh’s Dry Goods Store, which was in the northwest corner of Monument Square in Urbana. Interestingly, the Lone Ranger and Silver appeared before this grandstand in 1948, the last year of its use.
The current grandstand, with a seating capacity of approximately 3,000, was built in 1948-49. The accompanying photo shows it in use at the 1949 fair.
This year marks the 75th anniversary of the grandstand.
Info from Champaign County Historical Society (CCHS).
