The Pan-American Exposition
Historic New York
Extending one mile north from Delaware Park Lake, between Elmwood and Delaware Avenues, the Pan-American Exposition was a spectacular sight to over eight million visitors from May 1 to November 2, 1901. Ornate buildings, embellished with decorated arches and topped with domes and towers, were colored in vivid hues. Electric lights outlined these structures and the central feature, the nearly 400-foot-high Electric Tower, to give a dazzling impression at night. The exposition grounds were laid out with courts, pools, fountains, colonnades, statuary and a “Grand Canal.” Planned to demonstrate the importance of commerce among the nations of the Western Hemisphere, the exposition included industrial, agricultural and cultural displays from the United States and foreign countries.
The only permanent structure, the white marble New York State building, designed by George Cary, resembled a classic Greek template. Later enlarged by the City of Buffalo, it houses the Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society, organized in 1862.
On September 6th, while receiving visitors at the Temple of Music, President William McKinley was shot; he died eight days later. Theodore Roosevelt then took the oath of office as President of the United States in the Wilcox House, 641 Delaware Avenue.
Marker can be reached from Nottingham Terrace east of Elmwood Avenue.
Courtesy hmdb.org
