I took this photo in 2005 at the Coles County Fair in Charleston, Illinois. The fairgrounds has a rich history. This county fair was first held in 1854 and is the oldest continuing county fair in Illinois. On September 18, 1858 this was the site of the fourth of seven Lincoln-Douglas Debates. A crowd estimated at more than 10,000 attended this debate and would have filled the area seen in this photo. The debaters would have been on a platform a few yard behind where I was when I made this image. A debate museum is now on the fairgrounds. Also, William Jennings Bryant spoke at Chautauquas here and evangelist Billy Sunday once preached on the grounds.This photo has long been a favorite of mine due to the juxtaposition of the blurred Ferris wheel and stationary merry-go-round.
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