Panama-California Exposition
| EXPO San Diego 1915–1916 | |
|---|---|
Official guide book
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| Overview | |
| BIE-class | Unrecognized exposition |
| Name | Panama–California Exposition |
| Area | 640 acres (260 ha) |
| Visitors | 3,747,916 |
| Organized by | Panama–California Exposition Company |
| Location | |
| Country | United States |
| City | San Diego |
| Venue | Balboa Park |
| Coordinates | 32°43′53″N 117°09′01″W / 32.73139°N 117.15028°W |
| Timeline | |
| Opening | January 1, 1915 |
| Closure | January 1, 1917 |
| Specialized expositions | |
| Simultaneous | |
| Other | Panama–Pacific International Exposition (San Francisco) |
The Panama–California Exposition was an exposition held in San Diego, California, between January 1, 1915, and January 1, 1917. The exposition celebrated the opening of the Panama Canal, and was meant to tout San Diego as the first U.S. port of call for ships traveling north after passing westward through the canal. The fair was held in San Diego's large urban Balboa Park.
Beginning on July 9, 1909, San Diego's Chamber of Commerce president and local businessman Gilbert Aubrey Davidson proposed an exposition to commemorate the completion of the Panama Canal. San Diego by 1910 had a population of 37,578, and would be the least populated city to ever host an international exposition. In contrast, San Francisco had a population nearly 10 times larger and would ultimately be supported by politicians in California and Washington, D.C. for the official Panama Canal exposition, the Panama–Pacific International Exposition. Although representatives from San Francisco urged San Diego to end its planning, San Diego pressed forward for a simultaneous exposition. Several San Franciscans persuaded both members of Congress and President William Howard Taft to deny support for San Diego's exposition in exchange for pledged political support for Taft's campaign against Republicans. With no federal and little state government funding, San Diego's exposition would be on a smaller scale with fewer states and countries participating.
The Panama–California Exposition Company was formed in September 1909 and its board of directors was soon led by president Ulysses S. Grant, Jr. and vice president John D. Spreckels. After Grant resigned in November 1911, real estate developer "Colonel" D. C. Collier, was made president of the exposition. He was responsible for selecting both the location in the city park and the Pueblo Revival and Mission Revival architectural styles. Collier was tasked with steering the exposition in 'the proper direction,' ensuring that every decision made reflected his vision of what the exposition could accomplish. Collier once stated "The purpose of the Panama–California Exposition is to illustrate the progress and possibility of the human race, not for the exposition only, but for a permanent contribution to the world's progress." The exposition's leadership changed again in early March 1914, when Collier encountered personal financial issues and resigned. He was replaced by Davidson who was also joined by several new vice presidents.
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