The 1977 Farm Progress Show

Submitted photo Local historian Fred Stark of Washington, shares this information with Union readers. On Sept. 27, 28 and 29, 1977, Washington County hosted the 25th annual Farm Progress Show. The show was held on the adjoining Crawford, Jones and Steward farms, 8 miles north of Washington and 1 mile west of Highway 1. The show covered about 1,000 acres. The 1977 Farm Progress Show was billed as the biggest farm show ever. More than 400 agribusinesses and associations were there, and more than 100,000 people attended. The show gave much positive publicity to Washington County and helped the local churches and other organizations that had concession stands raise money for their projects. This photo of the Farm Progress Show was taken a year earlier at the Caryl Shelby farm in Greenfield, Indiana, but was the front cover for the Sept. 1977 edition of Wallaces Farmer.