Meet Me In St. Louis?

A city's fight to host a World's Fair

St. Louis wanted to host the 1892 World's Fair, a Columbian Exposition to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the voyages of Columbus. Chicago ended up hosting that fair, but St. Louis was still determined to get their own. Here we plot the 6,400 pages in NEH's Chronicling America project between 1890 and 1905 that contain the phrase "St. Louis World's Fair".

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    1890-       -1904   1904

1890: Chicago Picked For Columbian Expo

St. Louis had a World's Fair committee working to win the Columbian Exposition, but it had been a long shot. Even Chicago, the winner, was a long shot, with New York favored. But Chicago out-manuevered New York, and put on a fantastic fair. It included the first Ferris Wheel, and the fairgrounds ended up as the site of the future University of Chicago.

1898: Jostling For The Louisiana Exposition

As the 100th anniversary of the 1803 Lousiana Purchase treaty approached, it was clear it would be a big opportunity for a fair. Kansas City and some other cities vied for the honor. St. Louis had a head start, though. David R. Francis had already been boosting the idea to St. Louis businessmen in mid-1897.

1899: A United Front

The Missouri Legislature passed $6 million in bonds for the fair. By the Summer, support coalesced onto St. Louis from 13 other states, who together called on Congress to provide funding.

1901: St Louis Wins!

The city was excited to learn that Congress had chosen it to host the Louisiana Purchase Exposition.
It was a major news topic for the next three years, as the country watched the fair's progress.

1904: The Fair Opens

Although originally planned for 1903, the fair was delayed one year for completion. Despite some unfortunate events on Opening Day, roughly 20 million visitors viewed the fair. It saw the introduction of ice cream cones and hamburgers on buns to the mass public, and was said to be one of very few world's fairs of the Victorian age to be profitable.
On December 1st, in line with its mandate from Congress, the fair was shut down at 4pm, it's briliant electric liights fading out for the last time.