St. Paul Ag Society

On December 8, 1914, a group of area pioneers formed the St. Paul Agricultural Society.  There was 106 members in the first year.  The society initially focused on agricultural related activities and held annual events such as cattle and swine sales, agricultural exhibits, and sports days.  Horse and chariot racing became popular and a racetrack was built across from where the Ag Barn is currently situated.  In 1938, the track was rebuilt and widened to accommodate up to 40 horses.  These were well-known events, records indicating 600 entries in the agricultural exhibit of 1921 and over 400 people attending the 1944 Sports Day.  Rodeo came to St. Paul through the combined efforts of the society, town and business community.  Being an outdoor event since 1947, rodeo moved indoors in 1973.  St. Paul began hosting the Lakeland Finals Rodeo in 1988.  An Ag Barn was built in 1991 and expanded a number of times over the next 25 years to meet the needs of the society and community.  The Ag Society celebrated its 100th birthday in 2014 with a full day of activities.  This event was a statement to the pioneering spirit of the many dedicated volunteers, past and present, and the larger community who continues to support the organization in its work as the “Cornerstone of the Community”.