International Cotton Exposition facts for kids

Quick facts for kids International Cotton Exposition (I.C.E.)
Contemporary rendering of the Exposition
Overview
BIE-class	Unrecognized exposition
Name	International Cotton Exposition (I.C.E.)
Visitors	250,000
Location
Country	United States
City	Atlanta, Georgia
Venue	along the Western & Atlantic Railroad tracks near the present-day King Plow Arts Center development
Timeline
Opening	October 5, 1881
Closure	December 31, 1881

The International Cotton Exposition (I.C.E.) was a big fair held in Atlanta, Georgia, from October 4 to December 31, 1881. It was like a world's fair but focused on cotton and showing how much the South had grown. The fair took place near the Western & Atlantic Railroad tracks, where the King Plow Arts Center is today. Its main goal was to show how Atlanta and the Southern United States had recovered after the city's destruction during the Battle of Atlanta in the American Civil War. It also highlighted new ways to produce cotton. The exposition announced that the difficult Reconstruction Era was over and that the nation was healing. About 250,000 people visited the fair.

Founding the Cotton Expo

The idea for this special fair came from Edward Atkinson of New York in August 1880. He wrote a letter suggesting an exhibition to improve how cotton was grown and handled. The Atlanta Constitution newspaper thought it was a great idea and encouraged action.

A few weeks later, Atkinson visited Atlanta. He spoke to many important citizens in the state Senate chamber on October 28, 1880. He explained why Atlanta was the perfect place for a cotton exhibition. He believed it would help create better ways to grow cotton and boost the entire region's industrial growth.

Soon after, meetings were held to plan the fair. A committee was formed with important people like Governor A.H. Colquitt and Mayor W.L. Calhoun. They decided to create an organization for the fair. Senator Joseph E. Brown became the president, Samuel M. Inman was the treasurer, and J.W. Ryckman was the secretary.

Organizing the Exposition

In February 1881, a company was officially formed to run the exposition. Many people from Atlanta joined, including R.F. Maddox and Evan P. Howell. People from other parts of Georgia, and even from states like Pennsylvania, New York, and Massachusetts, also joined. Even people from London, England were involved!

At first, the fair was only going to be about cotton. This included how it was grown, moved, and made into products. The company started with $100,000 to get things going. But as more people became interested, they decided to include all kinds of products from every region. So, they increased the money needed to $200,000.

H. I. Kimball was chosen to lead a committee of 25 members. Their job was to raise the money. It was believed that if Atlanta raised one-third of the money, other cities would help with the rest. Atlanta quickly raised its share in just one day! Kimball then visited Northern cities like New York, Boston, and Philadelphia. He successfully raised more money there. Because of this great interest, Kimball was named the director-general and CEO of the exposition.

The Cotton Exposition was a huge boost for Atlanta's economy. It showed everyone that Georgia was a leading state in the South.

Building the Fairgrounds

Oglethorpe Park was chosen as the location for the exposition. It was city land, about two and a half miles northwest of the railroad station, right on the Western & Atlantic Railroad line. This park had been set up for agricultural fairs in 1870. However, a lot of work was needed to get the grounds ready and build the necessary structures for the exposition.

The construction began under Kimball's direction. The work was completed quickly, and everything was ready in plenty of time for the fair's opening.

The main building was designed to look like a cotton factory. It was shaped like a Greek cross, which means it had four arms of equal length. The building was very large, stretching 720 feet long and 400 feet wide at its widest point. Other important buildings included:

• Railroad building: 200 by 100 feet
• Agricultural implement building: 96 by 288 feet
• Art and industry building: 520 by 60 feet
• Horticultural hall: 40 by 80 feet

There were also many other smaller buildings, like the Florida building, a press pavilion, and police headquarters. Many individual companies also built their own display areas.

Grand Opening and Success

The exposition officially opened on October 5, 1881. This day was a very important moment in the history of Atlanta. Many governors, senators, and congressmen attended the event. Speeches were given by Kimball, Governor Colquitt, and senators like Z.B. Vance from North Carolina.

The exposition was a success in every way. There were 1,113 different exhibits in total. More than half of these came from the Southern states. The fair had 76 open days, with an average of 3,816 visitors each day. The busiest day was December 7, known as Planters' Day, when 10,293 people attended.

Governor's Day, on October 27, 1881, was another special day. A painting called "The New South Welcoming the Nations of the Earth" was shown. This mural, by J.H Moser, celebrated the idea of a "New South." Sadly, the painting was never found, and no images of it exist today. However, many people described it in detail. It showed a young woman with the American flag, pointing to the exhibits. Above her, Uncle Sam welcomed visitors. The painting also included African Americans picking cotton in a field, showing the importance of cotton to the South.

The exposition also showed how cotton gins worked. On Governor's Day, machines picked cotton from the fields at Oglethorpe Park in the morning. This cotton was then taken to a Crompton loom, where it was woven into cloth. Finally, the cloth went to the Wheeler and Wilson exhibit in the main building. By the end of the day, two complete suits were made and tailored for the governors to wear that evening. This entire process was shown to visitors in just one day! The two governors, one from the North and one from the South, wore their new suits to a ball. This was seen as a huge step towards uniting the North and South after the Civil War.

After the exposition closed, the Exposition Cotton Mills opened on the same site in 1882. They continued to operate until 1969.

See also

• World Cotton Centennial, 1884 in New Orleans
• Piedmont Exposition, 1887 in Atlanta
• Cotton States and International Exposition, 1895 in Atlanta