Ontario's oldest continually operated agricultural fair received its patent on March 29, 1808, from Francis Gore, Lieutenant-Governor of Upper Canada. It is probable that at first, the local farmers simply gathered on the village common or streets. However on June 25, 1814, Sir John Johnson, the founder of Williamstown, granted 5 ha for the express purpose of holding a fair and it has been held here annually ever since. Through the years, this fair, like many others in the province, has raised our standards of agriculture by providing a centre for the display of superior farm products and livestock.