In 1898, following the financial panic of 1893 and the droughts
of 1894-95, a world-class
exposition was held in Omaha under the guidance of Gurdon W. Wattles
and other civic leaders.
The Trans-Mississippi and International Exposition emulated earlier
"world's fairs" such as at
Chicago in 1893. Twenty-nine states, three territories, and eleven
foreign countries were
represented.
Exhibits illustrated the "Progress of the West" after
the presumed closing of the frontier. The
government authorized a congress of more than 500 Indians from
thirty-five tribes, whose
presence exhibited cultures seemingly doomed to extinction. Notable
guests included President
William McKinley, statesman William Jennings Bryan, and showman
William F. (Buffalo Bill)
Cody.
The exposition occupied a 184-acre tract encompassing present
Kountze Park at 20th and
Pinkney streets. Centered around a lagoon, the Grand Court was
lined with monumental, though
temporary, buildings constructed in the popular Neo-classical
revival styles under supervision of
architects C. Howard Walker and Thomas R. Kimball. The fair attracted
over 2.5 million visitors
from June through October and helped propel Omaha's development
as a progressive commercial
center in the twentieth century.
Trans-Mississippi Exposition Historical Association
Nebraska State Historical Society
Heartland of America Park, between Farnam and Harney Streets at
9th Street, Omaha
Douglas County
Marker 400