August 9, 2022
Near the turn of the 20th century, four classical American cities vied to host the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition. The massive World Fair attracted more than 27 million people from all corners to mark the landing of Christopher Columbus while creating the now defunct holiday in the process. New York, Chicago, St. Louis, and D.C. all promised financing in the $100 million range in today’s money for the honor of hosting the monumental event.
In the end, Chicago won out and turned 630 acres of Jackson Park and around Midway into a palatial playground with over 65,000 exhibits. Many historic firsts at the Columbian Exposition included diet soda, Aunt Jemima syrup, and even Chicago’s own Wrigley’s Juicy Fruit gum! In a much darker turn, the massive influx of people and uncertainty created the perfect storm for infamous serial killer H.H. Holmes. Let us take you back to Chicago circa 1893.
Swinging You Know Whats
The final two cities in the bid for World’s Columbian Exposition came down to long-time rivals Chicago and New York. A venerable list of rich guys squared off to see who could plop down the most cash. For New York Cornelius Vanderbilt, William Waldorf Astor and J. P. Morgan eventually fell to Marshall Field, Philip Armour, Gustavus Swift, and a last-minute push from banking magnate Lyman Gage.
Big Promises
After winning the much sought-after bid, the Chicago heavyweights began the huge undertaking of putting payment on their promises. First, they hired Fredrick Law Olmsted, America’s preeminent landscape architect, to lay out the sprawling grounds in what would become known as the “White City.” Using over 40,000 laborers they built a lagoon system on which they placed a litany of attractions.
Endless “Entertainment”
Besides the thousands of exhibits and thousands of displays. The Fair also boasted a field museum, along with separate buildings housing Anthropology, Horticulture, Mines, Mineralogy, and Metallurgy, not to mention cultural villages. The event also, rather incredibly, became the first fair to specifically set aside a section for “amusement.” Don’t the 1800s sound great?
In all seriousness, in the throes of extremely old fashion fun, some groundbreaking inventions debuted. If you’ve ever enjoyed Aunt Jemima’s pancake mix, you can thank the Fair. The same goes for shredded wheat, Pabst Blue Ribbon beer, and fluorescent light bulbs!
Star Attraction
Despite a bevy of options for fairgoers who paid only 50 cents per adult and a quarter for kids under 12, the head honchos knew they needed a draw to drop jaws. They considered many bids, headlined by Gustave Eiffel who offered to build an even bigger version of his world-famous Tower. Ultimately, they went American, selecting Pittsburgh engineer George Washington Ferris.
The original Ferris Wheel measured over 260 feet tall, capable of lifting well over 2,000 people into the sky at a time. The Chicago backers choose wisely, likely without the Wheel, the entire Fair could become a financial nightmare. The ride elicited such fanfare they moved it to the North Side, continuing to rake in the proceeds for another decade before eventually selling it to St. Louis for the 1904 World’s Fair.
Dark Under Belly
Unbeknownst to everyone, while the entire city ran around preparing for the Fair, a murderous psychopath tortured and killed over 200 people. A pharmacist by reputation, H.H. Holmes operated a three-story building, which the press labeled his “Murder Castle.” The killing spree finally ended in 1894 when his true celebrity came to life. The Heart newspaper chain paid him over $200,000 in today’s money to detail his harrowing crimes.
To make matters worse, two days before the Fair opened, the newly elected mayor Carter Harrison Sr was shot and killed. Apparently, a disgruntled appointment seeker felt he was robbed of a political position. Plans for a grand closing ceremony were altered in favor of a memorial to the slain mayor. Only in the 1800s…