Dr. John Goodhue Treadwell

Dr. John Goodhue Treadwell bought the land that current day Topsfield Fair was built on in the early 1800’s. He bought the land from Mary Towne and husband Issac Esty, Sr. to use as an experimental farm where he tested and promoted various areas behind the science of agriculture in this 150 acre area. Treadwell was a significant land owner across different areas in Topsfield. In 1857, he left his land to the Essex Agricultural Society, and it’s now the present day Topsfield Fair – the oldest continuous agricultural fair in the country.