In 1898, following the financial panic of 1893 and the droughts of 1894-95, a world-classexposition 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 atChicago in 1893. Twenty-nine states, three territories, and eleven foreign countries wererepresented.
Exhibits illustrated the "Progress of the West" after the presumed closing of the frontier. Thegovernment authorized a congress of more than 500 Indians from thirty-five tribes, whosepresence exhibited cultures seemingly doomed to extinction. Notable guests included PresidentWilliam 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 andPinkney streets. Centered around a lagoon, the Grand Court was lined with monumental, thoughtemporary, buildings constructed in the popular Neo-classical revival styles under supervision ofarchitects C. Howard Walker and Thomas R. Kimball. The fair attracted over 2.5 million visitorsfrom June through October and helped propel Omaha's development as a progressive commercialcenter in the twentieth century.
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