On April 1, 1974, a group of industrious business leaders from the Hernando area realized the importance of forming a business association to protect and promote the city's commercial interests. In 1975, following a series of meetings that had begun the previous year, the Hernando Area Chamber of Commerce was incorporated. In the beginning, the Chamber's key mission was to attract shoppers to the town, which Ferguson said, "stopped at the (railroad) tracks" along Commerce Street. To fund the fledgling organization's operation, Ferguson said the Chamber hosted numerous fundraisers and special events. The Chamber's most successful event, however, was the Hernando A'Fair, an arts and crafts fair that today is one of the best-attended annual events in the county.