By Sheri Trusty, Seneca County Media Relations Coordinator
There aren’t many structures at the Seneca County Fairgrounds that 86-year-old David Hoover hasn’t helped build, improve or repair. He’s been attending the Seneca County Fair since he was a young boy, and he has been leaving his industrious mark on the grounds since he joined the Senior Fair Board 25 years ago.
“I retired from Whirlpool in 1999, and I joined the fair board that year. I’ve been here ever since,” Hoover said.
That was the year his connection to the fairgrounds became official, but he has been active in the fair nearly his whole life. When he became interested in antique machinery in 1976, his involvement deepened. During fair week, anyone looking for Hoover knows to first look amongst the aging John Deeres resting in the tall grass beyond the grandstand. This year, Hoover brought two tractors from his collection that he started years ago through the encouragement of his family.
“My brother was in it. My dad was in it. My neighbor was in it,” he said. “When I go to different fairs, I always look for the antique machinery.”
Hoover doesn’t just show up on fair week. For most of his adult life, he could be seen working on one project or another at the fairgrounds nearly every day of the year.
“I used to do a lot.,” he said. “I still come out a couple times a week.”
The first big project he helped with after joining the fair board in 1999 was the relocation of a fairgrounds building.
“We moved the antique building in the winter, and in the spring, we built the food building,” he said
Other projects he worked on include installing a handicap ramp and platform at the grandstand, building new restrooms, and constructing the livestock pavilion. The pavilion replaced two old buildings that were torn down.
“We used some of the lumber from those buildings to build the milkshake stand,” Hoover said. “That’s one of the bigger projects I worked on.”
Throughout the years, Hoover served on the Senior Fair Board in many capacities, including as president and vice president.
Hoover’s commitment to the fair was honored when he was recognized as an Outstanding Fair Supporter by the Ohio Fair Managers Association this year. He has always enjoyed helping improve the fairgrounds, although he said he has stepped back a bit in the past year. He deserves to sit back and watch another generation of families enjoy his decades of work.
“About ten years ago, my doctor told me to keep doing what I’m doing,” Hoover said. “I always had to have something to do, but in the last year, I’m happy not doing a thing.”
Hoover’s friends would say he will never be happy doing nothing. This year, he attended fair board meetings all year long, and, during fair week, he could be seen riding around on a golf cart, serving as a makeshift taxi and finding ways to help keep the fair running smoothly.
After decades of pouring sweat and muscle into the fair, he understands better than anyone how much work goes into it. He shows his gratitude by handing out milkshake coupons. This year, he bought about $100 worth of milkshake coupons to give away.
“I reward the people who help me,” he said.
Most of those people are the ones who have always inspired his dedication to the fair: the youth.
“It’s all for the kids. That’s what the fair is for,” he said.
Hoover said there are not any big events that stick out in his mind as he reminisces about his decades with the fair.
“But there are a lot of little moments. There was always something going on,” he said. “Sometimes I stand here and think about what happened over the years.”
Hoover’s decades of memories encompass new friends, successful projects, dozens of fair weeks and a fairgrounds built piece by piece by the man who loves it more than most.
“What’s my favorite part of the fair? All of it,” he said. “Well, most of it.”