Today, the Nebraska State Fairgrounds is filled with people, enjoying the 139th edition of the fair.

Two years from now, the fairgrounds will be empty. The Nebraska State Fair is moving to Grand Island in 2010, ending a run in Lincoln that has lasted for more than a century.

It’s impossible to sum up the history and impact of the fair in Lincoln in just a few paragraphs. Pictures, however, can tell much of that story while bringing back memories for some and illuminating history for others.

Journal Star photo editor Ted Kirk selected the images that appear here using a simple criterion: “Just the ones that are the most fun.”

Journal Star files contain photos dating back to the 1890s. But the earliest images are rather dull — for example, photographs of buildings. So there aren’t any pictures from the 1800s in Kirk’s selection.

But there are images from the 1910s and 1920s that, in some respects, show a far different fair from what is taking place today.

Still, showing animals, racing cars and riding rides have remained fair staples for decades.

In two years, Grand Island will become the fifth city to host the fair.

Nebraska City in 1859 hosted the only territorial fair ever held in the United States and was the site of the first two Nebraska State Fairs in 1868 and 1869. The fair then shifted to Brownville for two years before moving to Lincoln and Omaha, which shared the fair until 1899 when the Legislature designated Lincoln as the permanent State Fair location.

Permanent, however, doesn’t last forever. The fair is leaving Lincoln after next year to make room for a University of Nebraska research and development campus.

So as you think about heading out for a corn dog, a ride on the Ferris wheel or a walk through the barns, we hope you enjoy this look back at the State Fair over the years.