Greater America Exposition
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| Greater America Exposition | |
|---|---|
 Grand Court with red brick walkways | |
| Overview | |
| BIE-class | Unrecognized exposition |
| Name | Greater America Exposition |
| Visitors | 845,000 |
| Organized by | George Miller |
| Location | |
| Country | United States of America |
| City | Omaha |
| Venue | Kountze Park |
| Coordinates | 41°17′29″N 95°56′21″W / 41.2914798°N 95.9391403°W |
| Timeline | |
| Opening | July 1, 1899 |
| Closure | October 31, 1899 |
The Greater America Exposition was a world's fair held on North Omaha, Nebraska from July 1 to October 31, 1899.[1]
After the 1898 Trans-Mississippi Exposition exhibition a group of investors decided to retain some of the buildings and hold a second season at Kountze Park in 1899 with a new theme.[2] President William McKinley expressed support for the exhibition as an opportunity to show America's new colonial possessions following the Spanish–American War.[2]
Grounds
Buildings
There were agriculture,[3] apiary,[4] colonial exhibits,[5] dairy,[6] fine arts and liberal arts,[7] horticulture,[8] international,[9] manufactures,[10] and mines and mining,[11] buildings, a machinery hall,[12] a 520 by 150 feet United States pavilion,[13] and auxiliary buildings including press, fire, police and a hospital.[14]
New possessions
One March 18, 1899 the government agreed to transport agents to fetch exhibits from Cuba, Hawaii, the Philippines, and Porto Rico.[2]
60 tubs of Hawaiian plants were destroyed when customs officials dumped the Hawaiian shipment,[2] and a second Hawaiian shipment went missing between San Francisco and Omaha.[2] After the exhibition some of the Hawaiian exhibits were sent to a forthcoming Paris exhibition.[2]
The Cuban village included over 700 snakes, a garrotte and the hangman Valentine Ruiz.[2]
The Philippines had planned to include monkeys, native birds and four water buffaloes. Six water buffaloes were shipped though only two water buffaloes arrived in Omaha.[2]