The twenty acres of land where the Yolo County Fairgrounds currently operates, was purchased by the 40th District Agricultural Association Board of Directors in 1940. Prior to the Fair, the land was owned and cultivated by Russell Bigelow Blowers and his family. R. B. Blowers was not only a progressive and innovative farmer, he and his family were also community oriented Yolo County residents who helped to establish the flourishing agricultural market that we continue to benefit from today. This display highlights the accomplishments of the Blowers family.
Special thanks to:
Jim Lapsley, Ph.D. Agricultural History, Emeritus Professor of Viticulture and Enology at UC Davis for his research and creation of video supplements for this exhibition.
Michelle Trujillo for her videography skills, filming and editing the exhibits supplemental videos.
The Friends of the Yolo County Archives for financial support in the creation of this exhibit.
Additional thanks to the following repositories for their assistance with research and reproductions:
Yolo County Historical Collection
University of California Davis, Archives and Special Collections Harold Paul Olmo Papers D-280
Crocker Art Museum
University of California Berkeley, Bancroft Library
Russell B. Blowers and Sons records, 1887-1921, BANC MSS C-G 76
Credits
This display was created by: Heather Lanctot (Yolo County Archives & Records Center Coordinator), with contributions from Rachel Poutasse (Library Assistant), Michelle Trujillo (Library Assistant), Dr. James Lapsley (Agricultural Historian), and Danni Greenlee (Yolo County Library Graphic Designer)