World Cotton Centennial

Last updated
World Cotton Centennial
1884 Fair Octaganal.jpg
Engraving of the Octagonal Building, part of the Mexico exhibit
Overview
BIE-classUnrecognized exposition
NameWorld Cotton Centennial
Area249 acres (101 ha)
Location
CountryUnited States
City New Orleans, Louisiana
Venue Audubon Park (New Orleans)
Coordinates 29°56′03″N90°07′25″W / 29.93417°N 90.12361°W / 29.93417; -90.12361
Timeline
OpeningDecember 16, 1884
ClosureJune 2, 1885

The World Cotton Centennial (also known as the World's Industrial and Cotton Centennial Exposition) was a World's Fair held in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States in 1884. At a time when nearly one third of all cotton produced in the United States was handled in New Orleans and the city was home to the New Orleans Cotton Exchange, the idea for the fair was first advanced by the Cotton Planters Association. The name "World Cotton Centennial" referred to the earliest-surviving record of export of a shipment of cotton from the U.S. to England in 1784.

Contents

History

The U.S. Congress lent $1 million to the fair's directors and gave $300,000 for the construction of a large U.S. Government & State Exhibits Hall on the site. [1] However, the planning and construction of the fair was marked by corruption and scandals, and state treasurer Edward A. Burke absconded abroad with some $1,777,000 dollars of state money including most of the fair's budget. [2] Despite such serious financial difficulties, the Fair succeeded in offering many attractions to visitors.

Peace, the Genius of History monument from the fair, now on Esplanade Avenue 1884NOLAFairEsplanadeMonument.jpg
Peace, the Genius of History monument from the fair, now on Esplanade Avenue

The Centennial covered 249 acres (101 ha), stretching from St. Charles Avenue to the Mississippi River, and was notable in that it could be entered directly by railway, steamboat, or ocean-going ship. The main building enclosed 33 acres (13 ha) and was the largest roofed structure constructed up to that time. It was illuminated with 5,000 electric lights (still a novelty at the time, and said to be ten times the number then existing in New Orleans outside of the fairgrounds). There was also a Horticultural Hall, an observation tower with electric elevators, and working examples of multiple designs of experimental electric street-cars. The Mexican exhibit was particularly lavish and popular, constructed at a cost of $200,000, and featuring a huge brass band that was a great hit locally. [3] [4]

On December 16, 1884, U.S. President Chester Arthur opened the fair via telegraph (two weeks behind schedule). [1] It closed on June 2, 1885. In an unsuccessful attempt to recover some of the financial losses from the Fair, the grounds and structures were reused for the North Central & South American Exposition from November 10, 1885, to March 31, 1886, with little success.[ citation needed ] After this the structures were publicly auctioned off, most going only for their worth in scrap.

The site today is Audubon Park and Audubon Zoo in Uptown New Orleans.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">World's Columbian Exposition</span> Worlds Fair held in Chicago, Illinois, U.S. in 1893

The World's Columbian Exposition was a world's fair held in Chicago in 1893 to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus' arrival in the New World in 1492. The centerpiece of the Fair, held in Jackson Park, was a large water pool representing the voyage Columbus took to the New World. Chicago had won the right to host the fair over several other cities, including New York City, Washington, D.C., and St. Louis. The exposition was an influential social and cultural event and had a profound effect on American architecture, the arts, American industrial optimism, and Chicago's image.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">World's fair</span> Large international exhibition

A world's fair, also known as a universal exhibition or an expo, is a large international exhibition designed to showcase the achievements of nations. These exhibitions vary in character and are held in different parts of the world at a specific site for a period of time, typically between three and six months.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Centennial Exposition</span> First official Worlds Fair held in the US, 1876

The Centennial International Exhibition of 1876, the first official World's Fair to be held in the United States, was held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from May 10 to November 10, 1876, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia. Officially named the International Exhibition of Arts, Manufactures, and Products of the Soil and Mine, it was held in Fairmount Park along the Schuylkill River on fairgrounds designed by Herman J. Schwarzmann. Nearly 10 million visitors attended the exposition, and 37 countries participated in it.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fair Park</span> United States historic place

Fair Park is a recreational and educational complex in Dallas, Texas, United States, located immediately east of downtown. The 277-acre (112 ha) area is registered as a Dallas Landmark and National Historic Landmark; many of the buildings were constructed for the Texas Centennial Exposition in 1936.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Texas Centennial Exposition</span>

The Texas Centennial Exposition was a world's fair presented from June 6 to November 29, 1936, at Fair Park, Dallas, Texas. A celebration of the 100th anniversary of Texas's independence from Mexico in 1836, it also celebrated Texas and Western American culture. More than 50 buildings were constructed for the exposition, and many remain today as notable examples of Art Deco architecture. Attracting more than six million people including US President Franklin Roosevelt, the exposition was credited with buffering Dallas from the Great Depression.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Panama–California Exposition</span> Exposition in California, United States

The Panama–California Exposition was an exposition held in San Diego, California, between January 1, 1915, and January 1, 1917. The exposition celebrated the opening of the Panama Canal, and was meant to tout San Diego as the first United States port of call for ships traveling north after passing westward through the canal. The fair was held in San Diego's large urban Balboa Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Audubon Zoo</span> Zoo in Louisiana, United States

Audubon Zoo is an American zoo located in New Orleans, Louisiana. It is part of the Audubon Nature Institute which also manages Audubon Aquarium of the Americas, Audubon Louisiana Nature Center, Freeport-McMoran Species Survival Center, Audubon Park, and Audubon Coastal Wildlife Network. It covers 58 acres (23 ha) and is home to over 2,000 animals. It is located in a section of Audubon Park in Uptown New Orleans, on the Mississippi River side of Magazine Street. The zoo and park are named in honor of artist and naturalist John James Audubon who lived in New Orleans starting in 1821.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1984 Louisiana World Exposition</span> Worlds Fair in New Orleans

The 1984 Louisiana World Exposition was a World's Fair held in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. It was held 100 years after the city's earlier World's Fair, the World Cotton Centennial in 1884. It opened on Saturday, May 12, 1984, and ended on Sunday, November 11, 1984. Its theme was "The World of Rivers—Fresh Waters as a Source of Life".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition</span> 1905 Worlds Fair in Portland, Oregon

The Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition, commonly also known as the Lewis and Clark Exposition, and officially known as the Lewis and Clark Centennial and American Pacific Exposition and Oriental Fair, was a worldwide exposition held in Portland, Oregon, United States in 1905 to celebrate the centennial of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. While not officially considered a World's Fair by the Bureau of International Expositions, it is often informally described as such; the exposition attracted both exhibits and visitors from around the world. During the exposition's four-month run, it attracted over 1.6 million visitors, and featured exhibits from 21 countries. Portland grew from 161,000 to 270,000 residents between 1905 and 1910, a spurt that has been attributed to the exposition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">International Cotton Exposition</span>

International Cotton Exposition (I.C.E.) was a world's fair held in Atlanta, Georgia, from October 4 to December 31 of 1881. The location was along the Western & Atlantic Railroad tracks near the present-day King Plow Arts Center development in the West Midtown area. It planned to show the progress made since the city's destruction during the Battle of Atlanta and new developments in cotton production. It demonstrated the rebirth of Atlanta and the South by announcing an end to the Reconstruction Era and the sectional hostilities that had plagued the nation for several decades.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Audubon Park (New Orleans)</span> City park in New Orleans

Audubon Park is a municipal park located in the Uptown neighborhood of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the United States. It is approximately 350 acres. The park is approximately six miles to the west of the city center of New Orleans and sits on land that was purchased by the city in 1871. It is bordered on one side by the Mississippi River and on the other by St. Charles Avenue, directly across from Loyola University and Tulane University. The park is named in honor of artist and naturalist John James Audubon, who began living in New Orleans in 1821.

The Audubon Nature Institute is a family of museums and parks dedicated to nature and based in New Orleans, Louisiana.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cotton States and International Exposition</span> 1895 worlds industrial fair

The Cotton States and International Exposition was a world's fair held in Atlanta, Georgia, United States in 1895. The exposition was designed "to foster trade between southern states and South American nations as well as to show the products and facilities of the region to the rest of the nation and to Europe."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">14th Ward of New Orleans</span>

The 14th Ward or Fourteenth Ward is a section of the city of New Orleans, Louisiana, one of the 17 Wards of New Orleans. The Ward was formed in 1870 from part of Jefferson City and the town of Greenville, which were annexed by New Orleans.

Edward Austin Burke or Burk, was the Democratic State Treasurer of Louisiana following Reconstruction. Burke later fled to Honduras after it was discovered that there were misappropriations of state treasury funds. While in Honduras Burke became a major land owner and held government positions within Honduras' nationalized railway systems. He remained an exile until his death nearly four decades later.

The following is a timeline of the history of the city of New Orleans, Louisiana, USA.

The National Woman's Press Association (1884-?), or NWPA, was an American professional association for women journalists.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Poplar Grove Plantation (Louisiana)</span> United States historic place

The Poplar Grove Plantation, also once known as Popular Grove Plant and Refining Company, is a historic building, site and cemetery, the plantation is from the 1820s and the manor house was built in 1884, located in Port Allen in West Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana. The site served as a sugar plantation worked by enslaved African Americans, starting in the 1820s by James McCalop. Starting in 1903, the site was owned by the Wilkinson family for many generations.

References

  1. 1 2 Reeves, Thomas C. (1975). Gentleman Boss . NY, NY: Alfred A. Knopf. pp.  382. ISBN   0-394-46095-2.
  2. Stall, Gasper J. "Buddy" (1988). Proud, Peculiar New Orleans: the Inside Story. Baton Rouge, LA: Claritor's. pp. 124–126. ISBN   0-87511-679-5.
  3. Jayes, Janice Lee (2011). The Illusion of Ignorance: Constructing the American Encounter with Mexico, 1877-1920. ISBN   9780761853541.
  4. "Mexican Music in 19th-Century New Orleans « LSU Libraries Special Collections Blog". hill.blogs.lib.lsu.edu. Archived from the original on 2014-05-17.
Publicity for North, Central & South American exposition North, Central & South American exposition as compared with other international exhibits LCCN2003681738.jpg
Publicity for North, Central & South American exposition
Preceded by World Expositions
1884
Succeeded by