DUQUOIN, IL (WSIL) -- Monday was the last day of the 100th DuQuoin State Fair.
We wanted to bring you the history behind it through the words of a man who's been involved with the fair almost as long as it's been going on.
It's a name synonymous with the DuQuoin State Fair, Fred Huff.
The now 93 year old Huff started at the state fair in the 1940's as an usher.
"Tears come to my eyes, I get a little leary I love this place I just love it and it brings back so many memories, explained Huff.
Memories like the world famous Hambletonian horse race.
"It's a great exhibit, and of course I understand a lot of them, looking at that one of Sunny and Cher up there and Sunny holding up that big sign that said keep the Hambletonian in southern Illinois," added Huff.
Names like Cash, Carson. Bob Hope, and Liberace.
"They were good people, fun people, intelligent and pleasant," said Huff.
Huff played a big part booking their performances and making them comfortable even if it included some wild requests like Bob Hope asking Huff if he could get him to Dayton Ohio for a tee time the next afternoon.
"So I said I'll see what I can do and hell I didn't know what I could do," added Huff.
The pilot on the other end of the phone didn't believe Huff.
"I said I tell you what how about if i got Bob over here and have him sing a few bars of thanks for the memories. He said well that may help so I went over to Bob and said Bob guy doesn't believe me I'm an honest guy and he doesn't believe me come on over here and you have to sing to him and Bob said okay and says yeah this is Bob Hope here we go thanks for the memories and he got the job done. He convinced the guy he was Bob Hope and the guy picked him up at 8 o'clock in the morning. As far as I know he got him there I mean crazy stories, crazy stories," explained Huff.
Stories now on display for everyone to witness, and a lifetime of personal memories for Huff to look back on that he was a BIG part of.
"This is a great exhibit in here, I wish it would have been my idea. Whoever came up with this got a winner," added Huff.
The DuQuoin state fair got a winner in Huff for all his work throughout the decades.
