The Greater America Exposition was a world's fair held on North Omaha, Nebraska from July 1 to October 31, 1899.[1]
Formation
After the 1898 Trans-Mississippi Exposition exhibition a group of investors decided to retain some of the buildings and hold a second season at Kountze Park in 1899 with a new theme.[2] President William McKinley expressed support for the exhibition as an opportunity to show America's new colonial possessions following the Spanish–American War.[2]
Grounds
The grounds were refurbished with 500 staff patching and painting buildings and replanting flower beds.[1] And the concrete walkways were replaced by red brick ones.[1]
Buildings
There were
agriculture,[3]
apiary,[4]
colonial exhibits,[5]
dairy,[6]
fine arts and liberal arts,[7]
horticulture,[8]
international,[9]
manufactures,[10]
and
mines and mining,[11]
buildings,
a machinery hall,[12]
a 520 by 150 feet United States pavilion,[13]
and auxiliary buildings including press, fire, police and a hospital.[14]
New possessions
One March 18, 1899 the government agreed to transport agents to fetch exhibits from Cuba, Hawaii, the Philippines, and Porto Rico.[2]
60 tubs of Hawaiian plants were destroyed when customs officials dumped the Hawaiian shipment,[2] and a second Hawaiian shipment went missing between San Francisco and Omaha.[2] After the exhibition some of the Hawaiian exhibits were sent to a forthcoming Paris exhibition.[2]
The Cuban village included over 700 snakes, a garrotte and the hangman Valentine Ruiz.[2]
The Philippines had planned to include monkeys, native birds and four water buffaloes. Six water buffaloes were shipped though only two water buffaloes arrived in Omaha.[2]
See also
Treaty of Paris (1898) for the Treaty that led to the new possessions which McKinley wanted to show.
