The Concord State Fair was a big celebration at the turn of the 20th century. Even President Theodore Roosevelt made an appearance in 1902. In 1900, several owners of the new-fangled automobile staged an exhibition race at the half-mile oval that previously was used for horse and harness racing. The fair was gone by the second decade of the century, and the authors of "Crosscurrents of Change," the history of Concord in the 20th century, are trying to find the exact location of the fairground entrance. If you know, contact us at info@concordhistoricalsociety.org.

For those of you who still want today's riddle: Guess the time it took for the winning horseless carriage to circle the half-mile track. Find the answer next week in the Insider or check out concordhistoricalsociety.org.

The book, "Crosscurrents of Change," is expected to be published later this year.

The Monitor reported in 1900 that “Dr. A. H. Hoyt of Penacook circled the track in 58 seconds, which stands as the horseless carriage record for the present.” The speed was just short of a mile a minute, Concord residents great and small are the focus of Crosscurrents of Change, the Concord Historical Society’s history of the capital city in the 20th century, expected to be published later this year.

For more information about the fair, see The Concord Insider January 26, 2010.