PA, OH, KY, WV, IN portray early U.S. history at the Great American State Fair

(Editor’s note: A series on The Great American State Fair, held in Washington, D.C., in honor of America’s 250th birthday, written by Heartlander News interns.)

While not all were among the original colonies, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Kentucky, West Virginia and Indiana joined the Union within the first 100 years of America’s history. However, some of these older states refused to participate in The Great American State Fair in Washington D.C.

Pennsylvania

Faded American flags, vintage posters and antique furniture bedecked Pennsylvania’s booth. Guests could learn about the state’s agriculture, national parks and history as one of the original 13 colonies and the host of the Constitutional Convention. In the middle of the booth, visitors viewed a replica of the Liberty Bell with its famous crack and could stamp coins through a penny press that produced Pennsylvania-themed designs.

Before the fair, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro announced the state would not officially attend because of the cost to taxpayers. He also told The New Republic he feared the fair would be “the most spectacular TRUMP RALLY of them all.”

Despite the governor’s statement, Sens. John Fetterman and Dave McCormick joined in a bipartisan effort two days after the event began to bring Pennsylvania’s history to the fair, according to a release.

Fetterman and McCormick partnered with multiple organizations, including the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture and the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau Women’s Leadership Committee, to bring a collection of state artifacts and flags to the fair. The booth drew consistent lines spanning half the width of the National Mall.

Ohio

The Buckeye State’s booth highlighted landmarks across the state, including the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force in Dayton, the Toledo Zoo and Aquarium and the Marblehead Lighthouse.

A large faux tree referenced the state’s education initiative, ReadOhio, and programs such as OhioSEE, which offers free eye exams to students in need. In the corner of the booth, a reading nook highlighted Storybook Trails, a program that installs picture-book displays along trails in Ohio state parks and rest areas for children to read as they walk.

A large replica of the Ohio Statehouse played videos detailing the state’s history, landmarks and innovations. Seventeen flags bordered the replica to represent Ohio entering the Union as the 17th state in 1803.

Kentucky

In Kentucky’s booth, guests scrawled signatures on bourbon barrel heads and posed with a life-sized poster of Abraham Lincoln.

The Bluegrass State is the birthplace of the Kentucky Derby, one of the most prestigious horse races in the world and the longest continually held sporting event in American history. The Derby began at Churchill Downs in Louisville in 1875.

Kentucky joined the Union on June 1, 1792, as the young country’s 15th state and the first state west of the Appalachian Mountains. The state still carries the designation of a commonwealth, a term commonly used in 18th-century politics to express an anti-monarchical stance, though it has the same governmental structure as a state, according to Merriam-Webster.

“Our Commonwealth’s rich history and remarkable people are an integral part of the American story, and we’re excited to share that story with the rest of the nation,” the Kentucky Republican Party said in a June post on X.

A patriotic Kentucky resident who visited the fair manned the booth for a short time. He told visitors he was not part of the official volunteer crew but loved the state. He enthusiastically helped guests stamp their state fair passport books and took their pictures.

West Virginia

West Virginia’s booth welcomed guests with a panoramic view of the Appalachian Mountains. In the center of the booth, guests could play a diving-themed video game that featured “Take Me Home, Country Roads.” Guests could also write postcards to friends and family, and the booth later mailed them free of charge.

The Mountain State joined the Union as the 35th state in 1863 after Virginia seceded during the Civil War. The state is rich in bituminous coal and is known for its pepperoni rolls, which miners often ate during long shifts.

West Virginia’s capital moved between Wheeling and Charleston twice before permanently settling in Charleston. It has been nicknamed the “floating capital” because of those relocations.

Indiana

Visitors practiced their golf swings on miniature courses that dotted Indiana’s booth. Each putting green featured a different landmark or aspect of Indiana history, with wooden obstacles shaped like flowers, tractors and Indianapolis 500-themed objects. The Indianapolis 500 is the world’s largest single-day sporting event and is held at a raceway covering 560 acres.

The state is also home to Bosse Field in Evansville, the third-oldest operating professional baseball stadium in the United States.

Although Indiana was first nicknamed the Hoosier State in the early 1830s, residents still dispute the nickname’s meaning and origin. The state is also the birthplace of six U.S. vice presidents, including former Vice President Mike Pence.