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In 1889, Americans already were preparing for the 400th anniversary of the arrival of Christopher Columbus in the Americas in 1492. A grand "World's Fair" was planned to open in 1892 as part of the "Great Columbus Celebration" in honor of the 400th anniversary.
Eventually the event opened as the "World's Columbian Exposition," a world's fair held in Chicago. Although dedication ceremonies were held on October 21, 1892, the fairgrounds were not ready for the public. Thus, the World's Columbian Exposition did not open to the public until May 1, 1893. Consequently, the Exposition often is referred to, informally, as the "1893 Chicago World's Fair." It also is referred to as the 1892 World's Columbian Exposition and the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition.
In 1889, organizers of the upcoming Exposition were still searching for a site on which to build the fairgrounds. Believe it or not, the Town of Pelham was in the running as a possible fairgrounds site for the World's Fair.
I have written about consideration of the Town of Pelham as the site of fairgrounds for the World's Fair before. See Tue., May 30, 2017: Parts of the Town of Pelham Were Considered as a Site for the 1893 World's Fair. Today's Historic Pelham article provides more information about early efforts to tout Pelham as the site for the fairgrounds.
At least as early as the summer of 1889, New York City Mayor Hugh John Grant -- who remains the City's youngest Mayor ever even to this day -- already was working to attract the planned World's Fair to the New York City region. That summer he reached out to five hundred notable New Yorkers to attend a massive meeting to begin planning New York's bid to attract the extravaganza.
One of the first issues the group had to confront was the site of the massive World's Fair. The event was expected to be so massive that there seemed to be a broad consensus that it could not be hosted on Manhattan island. Although there were suggestions that Central Park might be a suitable site, the news media was quick to object. One newspaper wrote:
"Central Park is not to be thought of. Any serious proposition to turn that beautiful breathing place into a big fair ground would probably kill the whole project. The people want Central Park for themselves, and won't give it up."
Attention quickly turned to the three new parks on the mainland north of Manhattan: Van Cortlandt Park, Bronx Park, and Pelham Bay Park (then part of the Town of Pelham before New York City annexed the region in 1895). Most agreed, as one newspaper put it, that Pelham was:
"delightfully situated for such a purpose as a grand world's fair. Its area is more than twice that of Central Park. It contains 2,700 acres of undulating land, with a water front of at least five miles on Long Island Sound. The question of drainage is one of much importance in the case of a great fair ground, and that is already solved by nature at Pelham Bay. The whole Park drains naturally into the deep water along its five miles of picturesque shore."
Pelham Bay Park was sufficiently large for the fair. Its picturesque shore front offered important opportunities for water activities associated with the fair. Additionally, Eastchester Bay and Pelham Bay offered important transportation opportunities. The construction of docks there would permit the transport of goods for the fair. As one article, quoted in full below, noted: "Ships from all parts of the world could go right up to a dock at Pelham Bay and land their cargoes close by the exhibition buildings." Moreover, fair visitors could be ferried cheaply to the site via waterways from all over the region. The same article stated: "If visitors to the fair preferred going by water, they could not desire a more delightful trip than up the East River and through the waters of the Sound into Eastchester Bay or Pelham Bay itself. This trip can be made from the Battery within an hour, and the fare need not be more than 10 or 15 cents." Proponents of the plan further emphasized that the New Haven Branch Line that ran through Pelham also offered important transportation alternatives to and from the site.
Some, however, objected that New York should host the fair within its city limits -- not within the limits of the adjacent Town of Pelham. Proponents of the plan dismissed such objections with an interesting observation. As one newspaper put it:
"The objection that Pelham Bay Park is outside the city limits probably will not exist in 1892. Before the great fair was talked of at all, it was intended to ask the Legislature to extend the city line eastward from the Bronx River to the Sound, and thus take in the beautiful new Park, and the request will probably be made when the next Legislature meets."
Of course, New York City's efforts to annex the Pelham Bay Park region from the Town of Pelham did not bear fruit until 1895 -- long after the World's Fair ended. Nevertheless, even in the late 1880s (and earlier), all expected the new park to be annexed by the city.
Of course, efforts to hold the fair in the Town of Pelham failed. Eventually, the exhibition was held in Chicago and was wildly successful. For a time, however, the world watched as New York City notables discussed the little Town of Pelham as a possible site for the World's Columbian Exhibition.
"Bird's Eye View of the World's Columbian Exposition, Chicago, 1893"
Showing What the Area in Pelham May Have Looked Like Had Pelham
Bay Park Been Chosen as the Site. NOTE: Click on Image to Enlarge.
* * * * *
Below is the text of a newspaper article published on July 21, 1889 that forms the basis of today's Historic Pelham Blog article. The text is followed by a citation and link to its source.
"The Proposed Great Fair.
Mayor Grant's call for a meeting of 'representative citizens' to consider the question of a great world's fair in 1892, gives that question what may be called a boom. Mayor Grant sees Mr. McAllister and goes him a hundred better, for his call is issued to 500 New Yorkers, instead of 400. All of the 500 probably will not respond, for several are at the other side of the Atlantic, looking at the great show in Paris and having a good time in other ways, and many more are at summer resorts at home, and may not care to leave them just to attend a meeting. But a sufficient number of representative citizens will doubtless come together to consider the question in a practical and serious way. At the moment it seems highly probable that the idea of getting up a great fair for the 400th anniversary of the discovery of the land of the free and the home of the brave will be carried out. And should it be carried out, the show will certainly be on a magnificent scale, very different from the Crystal Palace affair of 1853, though that was considered a great thing then. One of my favorite early recollections is that of seeing President Franklin Pierce ride up Broadway at the head of a great procession to perform the important function of opening that exhibition, and I have a vivid remembrance of a sideshow near by, in which an armless young woman astonished me beyond measure by writing visiting cards with her toes, or rather with a pen held between two of them; also of a rickety 'observatory,' likewise near by, from the top of which, after one had climbed up to it, a pretty fair view of New York and a good deal of the surrounding country could be had. The Crystal Palace Fair was held in Reservoir Square, now Bryant Park, at Sixth Avenue and Forty-second Street. There was no Central Park then and above Forty-second Street there were very few houses. The population of New York was about one fourth of what it is to-day. The great metropolis of to-day was hardly imagined. Should the outcome of the meeting called by the Mayor be the appointment of a committee to make arrangements for a really great fair, it is to be hoped that men with axes to grind won't get the thing into their own hands. Satisfactory results certainly need not be expected if they do. Several years ago a movement was started for a grand centennial international exhibition in 1889, but the men with axes to grind spoiled the whole business. After the appointment of a committee the next step will be the raising of money. Millions will be needed. It is already proposed that the city shall subscribe generously, and then the State, and next the United States. All right, if they are willing. There will be use for every dollar. And it may be expected, as a matter of course, that a good many dollars will go astray.
The Question of a Site.
Next after determining upon the fair itself will come the question of a suitable site for it. Central Park is not to be thought of. Any serious proposition to turn that beautiful breathing place into a big fair ground would probably kill the whole project. The people want Central Park for themselves, and won't give it up. It is more than likely that the fair won't be held on Manhattan Island at all. A site for it will probably be selected in one of the new parks north of Harlem River. Three of these are mentioned as offering suitable grounds -- Van Cortlandt Park, Bronx Park, and Pelham Bay Park. The latter would be decidedly the best. Pelham Bay Park is delightfully situated for such a purpose as a grand world's fair. Its area is more than twice that of Central Park. It contains 2,700 acres of undulating land, with a water front of at least five miles on Long Island Sound. The question of drainage is one of much importance in the case of a great fair ground, and that is already solved by nature at Pelham Bay. The whole Park drains naturally into the deep water along its five miles of picturesque shore. Another important question is that of facilities for the delivery of goods for exhibition. Ships from all parts of the world could go right up to a dock at Pelham Bay and land their cargoes close by the exhibition buildings. New York City itself could not offer better facilities in this respect. Pelham Bay is about 12 miles from Union Square. It can be reached by rail from Harlem in about 10 minutes. The Westchester branch of the New York & New Haven Railroad runs through the Park. If visitors to the fair preferred going by water, they could not desire a more delightful trip than up the East River and through the waters of the Sound into Eastchester Bay or Pelham Bay itself. This trip can be made from the Battery within an hour, and the fare need not be more than 10 or 15 cents. The objection that Pelham Bay Park is outside the city limits probably will not exist in 1892. Before the great fair was talked of at all, it was intended to ask the Legislature to extend the city line eastward from the Bronx River to the Sound, and thus take in the beautiful new Park, and the request will probably be made when the next Legislature meets. Pelham Bay Park is by all odds the best place for the great fair, and it ought to be selected without hesitation. But the first thing is to organize for the fair itself, and that is likely to be done very soon."
Source: The Proposed Great Fair, Buffalo Courier [Buffalo, NY], Jul. 21, 1889, Vol. LIV, No. 202, p. 9, cols. 4-5.
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