Found in the linen closet…
Today I was going through Glensheen’s linen closet prepping it for the new Servants’ Tour (starts July 1st!) and I found this!
This is a ticket to the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair, or World’s Columbian Exposition as it was officially called.
Clara Congdon states in her 1893 diary “July 9 & 10 — We all went to stay with Aunt Caroline while visiting the Exposition”. Later on she comments about one of her visits to the fair — “Electric fountains lovely. Copenhagen ware and Russian iron beautiful”.
Her July 25th entry (see below) mentions two members of the family “reported a cool day at the fair and a very gay time on the Plaisance riding the camel & donkey, etc.”
The Chicago World’s Fair, just like preceding World Fairs, was a massive exhibition lasting many months. It featured 46 countries’ pavilions, each highlighting that country’s uniqueness. Norway even sent a replica Viking ship! The Congdons would also have been able to see a 1,500 pound chocolate Venus de Milo and ride on a 250 foot high Ferris Wheel that could hold up to 60 people in each of its 36 cars. They may have even strolled down the “Street of Cairo” which featured one of the first American exhibitions of exotic dancing.
The United States also had its own pavilions. As part of this Duluth’s own St. Louis County Women’s Auxiliary commissioned Duluth native Ann Weston, a designer for the Tiffany Glass Co., to design the stained glass window on the left which was displayed at the 1893 Fair. (You can still see this beautiful art work at the main entrance to the Duluth Depot.)
Another awesome Duluth connection to the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair: the head architect for the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair was Daniel Burnam who also designed the St. Louis County Courthouse which was built in 1908–1909! (Coincidentally, the same years Glensheen was being finished). I wonder if Chester Congdon was instrumental in Burnham being chosen as the architect for the courthouse?
