This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Surnames: Expo Classification: Query Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/zJB.2ACE/329.2.1 Message Board Post: >From "The Daily News, History of Buchanan County and St. Joseph, Missouri" This is scanned from an OCR reader so there is no doubt a few errors. Early in 1889, when St. Joseph was proud with prosperity, when the spirit of enterprise was upon the people, and when nothing was too big to undertake, it was decided to have an exposition, the magnitude and novelty of which would overshadow not only all previous efforts at home, but elsewhere in the West. Sioux City had astonished the world with a corn palace, Denver with a mineral palace, Fort Worth, Texas, with a grass palace, and Ottumwa, Ia., with a coal palace, but St. Joseph was to eclipse all of these with a New Era exposition. The genius of this undertaking was H. D. Perkey, who had come here during the previous summer and who had but recently established steel car works at Brookdale. Mr. Perkey had been prominently connected with the Mineral Palace at Denver and was therefore in a position to take the leadership of this movement. On April 4, 1889, the National Railway, Electric and Industrial Exposition Association was formed, with a capital stock of one million dollars. The association was to continue for one year and was incorporated under the laws of Colorado, because these laws did not require so large a proportion of the capital stock to he paid up as the laws of Missouri. It was to have a national scope and offices were, to be established in every state capital. The incorporators were G. J. Englehart, John S. Lemon, R. E. Turner, C. B. France, A. M. Saxton, John Donovan, Jr., R. L. McDonald, D. M. Steele, George W. Samuels, Louis flax, Wm. E. Hosea, D. D. flumes, H. R. W. Hartwig, S. C. Woo! dson, F. M. Posegate, T. F. Van Natta, S. A. Walker, A. M. Dougherty, W. B. Smith, Harry Keene, J. Francis Smith, R. T. Davis and Winslow Judson. The directors were John S. Emery, Chas. A. Shoup, W. J. Hobson, Herschel Bartlett, Robert Winning, 3>. C. Bonnell and H. D. Perkey. Alarge tract of land east of the city, beyond Wyatt Park, and surrounding the Steel Car Company’s plant, was secured and prepared during the summer. The Car Company had a building 80x960 feet, which was used as a shop. The western portion of thisbuilding, which was two stories in height, was made the main hail of the Exposition The grounds were dotted with beautiful pavilions, two score in number, of quaint architecture “Korn is King” was the motto of the enterprise and this idea was carried into every decoration The pavilions and buildings were decked with cereals in various colorings and design The effect was entrancing, especially at night when the grounds were fully illuminated with electric lights. The most admired of the pavilions were the “Ladies’ Palace of Delights,” the “Reporters’ Lodge,” “Pomona’s Pavilion,’ “Cupid’s Bower” Pocahontas” 2��Mondamin,” and ‘Horticultural Hall” Aside from the buildings there were artificial lakes! , waterfalls an old grist mill and other picturesque novelties. The architectural triumph, however, was the amphitheatre, which hid a seating capacity of eleven thousands and an arena of two acres. The exposition opened on September 3, 1889 and continued to October 3. Bach’s band, a famous musical organization of Milwaukee was engaged for tivo concerts daily in the amphitheatre Capt. Jack Crawford the “poet scout, was director of entertainments in the arena, and he had, beside a band of cowboys, several hundred Apache Indians General Russell A Alger of Michigan formally opened the exposition. Hon. Jeremiah Rusk, Secretary of Agriculture, spoke in the amphitheater on September 18th and on September 23d Governor Larrabee of Iowa and Governor Francis of Missouri spoke there also. The attendance was not what it should have been. If the time had been ten days instead of one month the effort might have met. with better reward. Mr. Perkey doubtless had some good ideas, but they did not fit this case, and there were, consequently, disappointments. However, the difficulties might have been overcome had not an irreparable disaster visited the exposition. On Sunda! y night, September 15, at about 9 o’clock, just as the crowds were leaving the grounds, flames burst from the roof of the main building. The fire was beyond control from the start and the entire building, with all of its contents, excepting two pianos and a carriage in which General Lafayette had toured Virginia, were destroyed. The loss was $193,000, upon which there was only $50,000 insurance. One life was lost. Capt. John Foster, a guard, who had quarters in the building, near where the fire broke out, was burned to death. The fire is supposed to have originated from defective electric wiring. At a meeting of the Board of Trade on the following day it was decided to at once rebuild Machinery Hall, but this was not done. The Exposition continued until October 3, and then there was a benefit week for employees. The buildings stood until the following year and were gradually removed. There is nothing left to mark the location of the brilliant but ill-fated New Era Exposition, and it lives to-day only as a painful memory with those who backed it heavily. There was no race track connected with the New Era Exposition, but this class of sport was provided by the Lake Shore Cornpany. A half-mile track was built at Lake Contrary and a grandstand with a seating capacity of 3,000 was erected: Mayor H. R. W. Hartwig was president of the company and Captain Charles F. Ernst secretary. The first meeting was held September 17, 18, 19 and 20, 1889. Several meetings were subsequently held, but the ventures were not profitable.