Comments on: The 1893 Fair That Changed the World http://www.terrastories.com/bearings/chicago-worlds-fair Geography at its Finest Tue, 16 Mar 2010 14:15:06 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: jtcolfax http://www.terrastories.com/bearings/chicago-worlds-fair/comment-page-1#comment-103464 jtcolfax Fri, 12 Feb 2010 00:34:24 +0000 http://www.terrastories.com/bearings/?p=286#comment-103464 I don't know why I do some of the things I do, but I enjoy living in the past so much, I have decided to TRY to type in an entire article from an old paper about the Fair. If it was about the fair in general,..as in: being AT the fair, I wouldn't bother, as there is so much available online. But, this is different. Frankly, it might be dull as toast to most people, but I will make the effort because this article shows the dull day to day workings surrounding the fair from afar. Namely, Binghamton NY, 600 miles from Chicago. The article speaks of the Fair offices throughout NY State, and I just feel it's sort of different than what's out there in the usual sense. It's boring work-a-day stuff, but in articles like this one glimpses how massive the fair was in a National sense. I got the article from microfilm at the Binghamton library when I made a copy of the article NEXT to it depicting someone being mugged by a gang on the land that later became an Iron Works which is now an abandonment I have explored. Later, when I browsed this site I realized this might be a bit of off the wall trivia for this Fair story, or for those researching the fair. And so: here is work-a-day trivia about FAR OFF Fair Offices. Headline: Columbian Exposition From: Binghamton Republican, Jan. 31st 1893 "Yesterday afternoon a Republican reporter called at the offices of the World's fair commissioners in the Strong Block. They occupy the Western portion of the building and are three in number. A private hall separates them from the public hall. The tables are covered in pamplets containing information upon different matters relating to the fair. Opening from this room is a smaller one containing a handsome desk and rugs. This office is one of eight which have been established in this state. (NY). There is one in each of the eight Judicial districts. (Leaving off the flowery language the article points out the 8 as: NYC, Brooklyn, Albany, Saratoga, Syracuse, Binghamton, Rochester, and Buffalo). The commission is created for 2 years and the commissioners of this district are Hugh Duffy of Cortland, George O'Niel (wealthy merchant who built huge building that was demolished in 2009), and Prof. Thurston of Cornell University. Each commissioner is represented in the office by a clerk. They are B.S Curran Jr. of this city (Binghamton...Curran was the son of a Mayor and was involved in a snowball fight in the 1870's that caused the arrest of the man the street I live on is named after). (The two other clerks mentioned)...Since the office was opened there have been some sixty applications for space to exhibit (at the fair). In almost all cases these have come from the cities or large towns in the district, and the major part of these are manufacturers exhibits. There are some applications for agricultural or stock exhibits. Mr. Curran was in the office at the time the reporter called and he gave the scribe some interesting information. "The object of these district offices is to receive applications and investigate them. If they are all right they are entered upon the books of the office and forewarded to Albany. They are again registered and sent to the authorities in Chicago. The applicants have space assigned to them in which they desire to exhibit and a diagram is sent to them. There is no charge for an exhibit, but the exhibitor is required to furnish show cases etc. for whatever he sends. He is required to pay the freightage at special rates one way. Many applications at first were sent to Chicago. All had to be returned to the district offices and the person sending them looked up. (Senseless and unfinished sentence here). During the exhibition the officials in the offices will give any information regarding trains, hotels, and other matters that people desiring to attend want to know. The offices in this city are open everyday from 9 until 4. Mr. Curran is pleased to receive callers during those hours. I don’t know why I do some of the things I do, but I enjoy living in the past so much, I have decided to TRY to type in an entire article from an old paper about the Fair. If it was about the fair in general,..as in: being AT the fair, I wouldn’t bother, as there is so much available online.
But, this is different. Frankly, it might be dull as toast to most people, but I will make the effort because this article shows the dull day to day workings surrounding the fair from afar.
Namely, Binghamton NY, 600 miles from Chicago. The article speaks of the Fair offices throughout NY State, and I just feel it’s sort of different than what’s out there in the usual sense. It’s boring work-a-day stuff, but in articles like this one glimpses how massive the fair was in a National sense. I got the article from microfilm at the Binghamton library when I made a copy of the article NEXT to it depicting someone being mugged by a gang on the land that later became an Iron Works which is now an abandonment I have explored. Later, when I browsed this site I realized this might be a bit of off the wall trivia for this Fair story, or for those researching the fair.

And so: here is work-a-day trivia about FAR OFF Fair Offices.

Headline: Columbian Exposition
From: Binghamton Republican, Jan. 31st 1893

“Yesterday afternoon a Republican reporter called at the offices of the World’s fair commissioners in the Strong Block. They occupy the Western portion of the building and are three in number. A private hall separates them from the public hall. The tables are covered in pamplets containing information upon different matters relating to the fair.

Opening from this room is a smaller one containing a handsome desk and rugs. This office is one of eight which have been established in this state. (NY). There is one in each of the eight Judicial districts. (Leaving off the flowery language the article points out the 8 as: NYC, Brooklyn, Albany, Saratoga, Syracuse, Binghamton, Rochester, and Buffalo).

The commission is created for 2 years and the commissioners of this district are Hugh Duffy of Cortland, George O’Niel (wealthy merchant who built huge building that was demolished in 2009), and Prof. Thurston of Cornell University. Each commissioner is represented in the office by a clerk.
They are B.S Curran Jr. of this city (Binghamton…Curran was the son of a Mayor and was involved in a snowball fight in the 1870’s that caused the arrest of the man the street I live on is named after).

(The two other clerks mentioned)…Since the office was opened there have been some sixty applications for space to exhibit (at the fair). In almost all cases these have come from the cities or large towns in the district, and the major part of these are manufacturers exhibits.
There are some applications for agricultural or stock exhibits.

Mr. Curran was in the office at the time the reporter called and he gave the scribe some interesting information.

“The object of these district offices is to receive applications and investigate them. If they are all right they are entered upon the books of the office and forewarded to Albany. They are again registered and sent to the authorities in Chicago. The applicants have space assigned to them in which they desire to exhibit and a diagram is sent to them. There is no charge for an exhibit, but the exhibitor is required to furnish show cases etc. for whatever he sends. He is required to pay the freightage at special rates one way. Many applications at first were sent to Chicago. All had to be returned to the district offices and the person sending them looked up.

(Senseless and unfinished sentence here). During the exhibition the officials in the offices will give any information regarding trains, hotels, and other matters that people desiring to attend want to know. The offices in this city are open everyday from 9 until 4. Mr. Curran is pleased to receive callers during those hours.

]]> By: Jonathan Haeber http://www.terrastories.com/bearings/chicago-worlds-fair/comment-page-1#comment-46857 Jonathan Haeber Thu, 08 Jan 2009 20:28:49 +0000 http://www.terrastories.com/bearings/?p=286#comment-46857 Stan, Thank you! I stand corrected. You are absolutely right. When I have a chance, I will make that update. Stan,
Thank you! I stand corrected. You are absolutely right. When I have a chance, I will make that update.

]]> By: Stan Barker http://www.terrastories.com/bearings/chicago-worlds-fair/comment-page-1#comment-46820 Stan Barker Thu, 08 Jan 2009 18:55:28 +0000 http://www.terrastories.com/bearings/?p=286#comment-46820 Jonathan, please take a closer look at the bird you identify as a "phoenix" at the bottom of the Midway Plaisance view. It's clearly marked "Old Vienna", the name of the Midway concession that's pictured. Rather than being a phoenix, I believe it represents the eagle which appears of the city seal of Vienna. Though a double-headed eagle was the symbol of the Austro-Hungarian empire, the single headed eagle, often black, was frequently used to symbolize the city of Vienna over the centuries. Jonathan, please take a closer look at the bird you identify as a “phoenix” at the bottom of the Midway Plaisance view. It’s clearly marked “Old Vienna”, the name of the Midway concession that’s pictured. Rather than being a phoenix, I believe it represents the eagle which appears of the city seal of Vienna. Though a double-headed eagle was the symbol of the Austro-Hungarian empire, the single headed eagle, often black, was frequently used to symbolize the city of Vienna over the centuries.

]]> By: Jonathan Haeber http://www.terrastories.com/bearings/chicago-worlds-fair/comment-page-1#comment-11044 Jonathan Haeber Tue, 19 Aug 2008 01:54:10 +0000 http://www.terrastories.com/bearings/?p=286#comment-11044 Thanks Andrew. I'll definitely do that. I need to make it there some day. I hear so much about Chicago. In the meantime, you should tell me more about Gary. :-) Thanks Andrew. I’ll definitely do that. I need to make it there some day. I hear so much about Chicago. In the meantime, you should tell me more about Gary. :-)

]]> By: andrew bisset http://www.terrastories.com/bearings/chicago-worlds-fair/comment-page-1#comment-10573 andrew bisset Sun, 17 Aug 2008 10:25:09 +0000 http://www.terrastories.com/bearings/?p=286#comment-10573 if you ever make it out to Chicago, check out the Art Institute and the Museum of Science and Industry, the only two buildings left standing from the 1893 fair. if you ever make it out to Chicago, check out the Art Institute and the Museum of Science and Industry, the only two buildings left standing from the 1893 fair.

]]>