Piedmont Exposition facts for kids
The Piedmont Exposition of 1887 was the very first big fair, or exposition, held in Piedmont Park in Atlanta, Georgia. It was a huge event that showed off the amazing resources and progress of the Southern states.
Starting the Piedmont Exposition Company
In June 1887, a group of important people met in Atlanta to start the Piedmont Exposition Company. Their main goal was to create a big exhibition. They wanted to show everyone the natural resources and new developments from the Piedmont region. This area includes states like Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Alabama.
Some of the key leaders who helped make this happen were Charles A. Collier, who was the President, and Henry W. Grady, who was the Vice-President.
Planning the Big Fair
It took only 104 days to plan this huge event! The organizers had a lot to do. They had to clear out a large forest area, which was about 189 acres. This land is now known as Piedmont Park.
They also had to build several large and expensive buildings. One of the most impressive was the main exhibition building. It was about 570 feet long and 126 feet wide, and it had two stories! They even built a horse racetrack for the event.
Opening Day and Special Visitors
The Piedmont Exposition of 1887 opened on October 10. It was a massive success right from the start! On the very first day, about 20,000 people came to visit.
Important leaders gave speeches to celebrate the opening. Governor John Brown Gordon of Georgia spoke, and so did Samuel J. Randall from Pennsylvania. Randall talked about how well the South was recovering and growing after the American Civil War. After his speech, cannons were fired to officially start the events!
Visitors could see all sorts of amazing things at the fair. There were beautiful works of art, local raw materials like special marble, and incredible woodwork. Many famous people came to see the displays.
New York's Governor David B. Hill gave a speech. Even the President of the United States, Grover Cleveland, came to visit on October 19 with his wife, Frances Folsom. Over 50,000 people gathered to hear President Cleveland speak!
The Exposition closed on October 22. In total, about 200,000 people visited the fair. After the event, leaders in Atlanta felt that the Exposition had successfully shown everyone that Atlanta was a great place to visit and do business.
The Exposition also helped Atlanta show that it was ready to host an even bigger event, like a World's Fair.
