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The Tennessee Centennial and International Exposition was an exposition staged between May 1 and October 31 of 1897 in Nashville in what is now Centennial Park. A year late, it celebrated the 100th anniversary of Tennessee's entry into the union in 1796.[1]
History edit
Nashville lawyer James Douglas Anderson is credited as the first person to publicly advocate for a centennial celebration by sending editorials to major newspapers in 1892. [2][3] In 1893, the idea was taken up by William Crawford Smith, who encouraged the Nashville Commercial Club to organize a committee to plan the event.[2] The Executive Committee formed, and John W. Thomas, president of the Nashville, Chattanooga and St. Louis Railway, was named chairman.[1] Though railroad companies supported the event by providing reduced rail fare and advertising, the Centennial was held a year later than planned due to the economic recession and disagreements.[1][4]
The Tennessee Centennial and International Exposition opened May 1, 1897 in Nashville, Tennessee and ran until October 30, 1897.[2] A total of 1,786,714 people attended the event.[2]
See also edit
- The Parthenon replica built for the exhibition was rebuilt between 1920-1931 with more permanent materials and still stands in Centennial Park (Nashville).
- The 1982 World's Fair held in Knoxville
References edit
- ^ a b c Tennessee Centennial Exposition, Tennessee Virtual Archive, Tennessee State Library and Archives.
- ^ a b c d Committee on Publication (1898). Justi, Herman (ed.). Official History of the Tennessee Centennial Exposition. Nashville, Tennessee: Press of the Brandon Printing Company. Retrieved 2019-03-02.
- ^ James Douglas Anderson Papers, 1854-1951, Tennessee State Library and Archives.
- ^ Tennessee Centennial and International Exposition Collection, 1895-1900, Tennessee State Library and Archives.
External links edit
- The Parthenon
- Centennial Exposition on Nashville's web page
- University of Tennessee's account of the Exposition
- Tennessee Centennial Exposition digital collection on the Tennessee Virtual Archive.
- Tennessee Centennial and International Exposition items on Nashville Public Library digital collections.
Further reading edit
- Cardon, Nathan. "The South's 'New Negroes' and African American Visions of Progress at the Atlanta and Nashville International Expositions, 1895-1897" Journal of Southern History (2014).
- Cardon, Nathan. A Dream of the Future: Race, Empire, and Modernity at the Atlanta and Nashville World's Fairs (Oxford University Press, 2018).
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Category:1897 in Tennessee
Category:Events in Nashville, Tennessee
Category:History of Nashville, Tennessee
Category:1897 festivals
Category:May 1897 events
Category:June 1897 events
Category:July 1897 events
Category:August 1897 events
Category:September 1897 events
Category:October 1897 events
Category:19th century in Nashville, Tennessee