My father was a number of years my mother's senior, having been born at the turn of the 20th Century, and his father was a newly married young man when the World's Fair, also called The Columbian Expo, came to Chicago in 1893. My grandparents, Edwin and May Gould, took the train from North Dakota to Chicago, where they spent a few days taking in the sights with friends. The following is part of my grandfather's diary entries for that week.
1893
9/17. Owen took May and I to Gilby where
we took the N.T. train for Chicago and the World’s Fair.
9/18 Arrived in St. Paul 7:20. After
eating our lunch we took a walk up town. May bought a hat and brush. Left for
Chicago over Burlington road at 3:30.
9/19 Arrived in Chicago at 7:10 a.m. Took
Adams Co. horse car. Got off at Lexington Ave, 863 St. and registered at Hotel
Hayes. Arrived on fair grounds at 9:45 and went at once to N.D. Blvd., where we
met friends, when all hands started out sightseeing. First passed through CA
State Building and then took in many attractions. We walked down lake front to
anthropological bldg, also Columbus fleet, Krupp gun exhibit, Viking ship, and
wooded island. Left grounds at 6 p.m. after supper, Geo. and I took electric
road for city. I bought two tickets at Chicago Opera House.
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| Viking, replica of the Gokstad Viking ship |
9/ 20-22. Got on grounds at 9:20. Passed
through horticulture building, Women and children’s buildings, from there to
fisheries building where we saw the wonderful display of beautiful fish. From
there to Manufacturing building to meet Dr. and Lila. Then to Guatemala coffee
house and had dinner. U.S. Govt. building after dinner. Saw old time stage
coach and modern stage coach, coins of all the countries in the world. Big tree
from Sequoia Nat’l Park, 26’ in diameter, 81 ½’ in circumference, 300’ high.
Old time plough, made in 1740, drag thresher used in Asia Minor, made of stones
set in board. Smith ploughs patented 1800, cotton plants, Burpee orchard, water
buckets used by George Washington while a member of fire company at Alexandria
Va., N.Y. Herald printing machine, light keeper’s outfit, World’s fair Post
Office, sea lion, stuffed poultry and birds display, Indian on horse, canal
locks, dry docks, pontoon bridge, Sims Edison fish torpedo, (each cost $85.00),
rifles and cartridges, 14th century gun found in Hudson River, Gattling
gun—1200 shots per minute, Pen State building to see Liberty Bell.
_Government_building.png) |
| US Government Building at World's Fair |
To Chicago Opera house and saw Ali Baba
played. Brazil: thatched hut. Havana: cases of cigars. Trinidad, cases of small
stuffed birds. Mexico: sugar, cotton plants. Japan, long tailed fowl. Germany:
monument of chocolate- 30,000#. Several states showing large display of
cereals. North Dakota: Lady Dakota in wheat. New Jersey: canoe with mast of grapes.
France: chocolate arch. One days make, weight 50 tons, value $40,000. Ivory
tusk 7 ½ feet. After leaving forestry bldg. we took in dairy and Indian
village, then took R.R. around grounds and took in Chicago gun boat.
9/23. Transportation building in morning.
Sulky drawn by Nancy Hanks when she made her big time. Pullman palace train, old
coaches and R.R. transportation of every description.
We all went down the Midway and took in Moorish
palace and theater. We scattered and I took in the Arabian Settlement and
ostrich farm, from there to Cairo, saw them ride camels. Took in Theater and
saw abdominal dancing girls. From there I left fair grounds and took in Buffalo
Bill’s Wild West show. Home to hotel from there.
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| Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show |
9/25. Got on grounds at 8 a.m. Saw the
new Peace bell. Took a look in Swede building, saw largest band saw in
world—220’ long, 12” wide. To choral boulevard to hear Mexican orchestra. Saw
Arabian trick players and Rosa the Turkish dancing girl. At 6 we left the
golden door and fair ground, paid our bill at the Hotel and packed our trunk.
9/27. Arrived in
Johnstown in the morning and Owen met us with horse and buggy.
Miralee
and her husband, Allen, live on eleven acres in the beautiful Columbia River
Gorge in southern Washington State, where they love to garden, play with their
dogs, take walks, and go sailing. She is also able to combine two other
passions—horseback riding and spending time with her grown children—since her
married daughter lives nearby, and they often ride together on the wooded
trails near their home.
It didn’t take long to discover she had a
natural flair for the historical time period, having read and watched so many
Western stories while growing up. Her 1880s stories continue to grow in acclaim
each year. Her novel Love Finds You in
Sundance, WY, won the Will Rogers Medallion Award for Western Fiction, and
Universal Studios requested a copy of her contemporary debut novel, The Other Daughter, for a potential
family movie.
After serving five years as the president of
the Portland/Vancouver chapter of ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers),
Miralee now volunteers as a board member and belongs to a number of writers’
groups. She also speaks at women’s groups, libraries, historical societies, and
churches about her writing journey.
www.miraleeferrell.com
www.miraleesdesk.blogspot.com
www.twitter.com/miraleeferrell
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What an interesting post on the Chicago World's Fair 1893. Interesting to note the things that were " big things" then- the Buffalo Bill Wild West Show, printing machines, modern-day stagecoach!, etc. How things have changed, just in our lifetimes. Thanks for the research and the post. Nice to have parents' old diaries to browse through. Merry Christmas, Sharon, CA
ReplyDeleteSharon, that was one of my thoughts when I first read it....especially the reference to the modern-day stagecoach versus the older ones. And to think that my grandfather was alive to see Buffalo Bill! Wow~!
DeleteMerry Christmas!
ReplyDeleteWhat a cool account. It's hard to imagine their being such an elaborate event like this back in the 1800s. I have a small red glass pitcher that one of my ancestors bought 1893 World's Fair. Fun post!
I know what you mean, Vickie. I think of that time period as being much more uncivilized, but it wasn't the case on the east coast or as far west as Chicago. Thanks for taking the time to read and comment!
DeleteThis is fascinating, Miralee. Thanks for serving us a delicious slice of your family's history! Your Grandfather's diary is a good reminder that we should be writing, leaving legacies for our own grandchildren. Merry Christmas!
ReplyDeleteSo true, Julia. My brother keeps the family legacy going. I've tried from time to time, but never seem to keep up after the first few months of the year. Merry Christmas!!!
DeleteMiralee, I loved the sections from your grandfather's diary. Very interesting.
ReplyDeleteThanks for taking the time to read it, Lena. I've learned some interesting things from our family diaries.
DeleteI enjoyed reading this first account of events at The Columbian Expo in your grandfather's words, Miralee. It's exciting! I'm reading a novel set in 1893 and partly at this fair. The protag gives her impressions of the buildings, Midway and the first Woman's Pavilion.. A momentum time with many new inventions and radical changes within society as the women Suffrage movement gains new momentum. Thank you for this post..
ReplyDeleteHi Pat, I'd love to know the name of the novel you're reading, it sounds good! Yes, there have been such a large number of changes over the last hundred years. Thanks so much for stopping by.
DeleteI enjoyed reading this first account of events at The Columbian Expo in your grandfather's words, Miralee. It's exciting! I'm reading a novel set in 1893 and partly at this fair. The protag gives her impressions of the buildings, Midway and the first Woman's Pavilion.. A momentum time with many new inventions and radical changes within society as the women Suffrage movement gains new momentum. Thank you for this post..
ReplyDeleteSuch a great memory, thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteMarjorie, thank you so much for stopping by and taking the time to read and comment. That means a lot to a blogger! Merry Christmas!!!
ReplyDelete