OVERVIEW
Minnesota Historical Society
Minnesota. Board of World's Fair
Managers.
World's Columbian Exposition
records.
1884-1885, 1891-1894.
Materials in English.
Records documenting the board's fundraising for and
construction and management of the Minnesota Building and exhibits at the 1893 World's Columbian
Exposition in Chicago.
3.5 cu. ft. (3 boxes, 1 oversize
folder).
See [Detailed Description](a9) for shelf
locations.
HISTORICAL NOTE
On April 20, 1891, the Legislature passed an act establishing the Minnesota Board of
World's Fair Managers [Laws 1891 c157] and authorizing the governor to appoint six
managers to develop exhibits for the World's Columbian Exposition representing the
natural resources, industrial development, and general progress of the state of
Minnesota. An appropriation of $50,000 accompanied the legislation, however, it could
not be used to construct a building or compensate the managers. On May 1, Governor
William R. Merriam appointed D. A. Montfort, St. Paul, George N. Lamphere, Moorhead,
Charles McCormack Reeve, Minneapolis, A. L. Ward, Fairmont, Jay LaDue, Luverne, and John
J. Furlong, Austin, to the board. In August, the board held a convention of county and
civic officials resulting in the authorization of a special subscription fund of
$100,000 for construction of the Minnesota Building and its exhibits, with each county's
quota based on its property tax base. By early 1893, slightly over $96,000 had been
raised.
On February 17, 1893, the Legislature provided an additional $100,000 [Laws 1893 c217]
to reimburse both the pledges made through the subscription fund and the managers'
expenses. The Minnesota Building was sold after the exposition; the exhibits were
returned to the state and housed in a variety of state and private institutions.
SCOPE AND CONTENTS
The correspondence, much of which is addressed to board secretary Charles McCormick
Reeve or superintendent L. P. Hunt, is divided into four sections: Chicago office,
exhibitors, board, and miscellaneous. The Chicago office letters are mainly from fair
officials including general instructions sent to all states but also regarding specifics
related to the Minnesota exhibits. The exhibitors correspondence documents the planning
for and erection of the exhibits, particularly those relating to flour milling,
forestry, and education. The board correspondence includes letters from Governors
Merriam and Nelson; board members Montfort, LaDue, Furlong, Lamphere, and Ward;
superintendent Hunt; Women's Auxiliary Board head Mrs. L. P. Hunt; state geologist N. H.
Winchell, and Conde Hamlin, St. Paul Pioneer Press. The
miscellaneous correspondence, kept by Reeve, deals with a wide variety of topics
involving the board's management and activities.
The subject files also cover a wide variety of topics related to the board's work and
include bids for the building, a May 1893 commissioner's report, employment
correspondence, petitions on closing the building on Sundays, financial statements,
special subscription fund statements, and Women's Auxiliary Board records.
There are also correspondence and reports kept by superintendent Hunt, visitors
registers of Minnesota residents who visited and toured the building, and award
certificates presented for the education, fish, and forestry exhibits.
CATALOG HEADINGS
This collection is indexed under the following headings in the catalog of the Minnesota
Historical Society. Researchers desiring materials about related topics should search the
catalog using these headings.
Topics:
Agricultural exhibitions -- Minnesota.
Education -- Minnesota -- Exhibitions and
museums.
Fishes -- Minnesota -- Exhibitions.
Flour industry -- Minnesota -- Exhibitions.
Forests and forestry -- Minnesota --
Exhibitions.
Horticultural exhibitions -- Minnesota.
Sunday legislation -- Minnesota.
Persons:
Furlong, John J.
Hamlin, Conde.
Hunt, L. P.
LaDue, Jay.
Lamphere, George Nathan,
1845-1918.
Merriam, William Rush,
1849-1931.
Montfort, D. A.
Nelson, Knute, 1843-1923.
Reeve, Charles McCormick,
1847-1947.
Ward, A. L.
Winchell, N. H. (Newton Horace),
1839-1914.
Organizations:
Minnesota. Governor (1889-1893 :
Merriam).
Minnesota. Governor (1893-1895 :
Nelson).
Minnesota. Board of World's Fair Managers.
Women's Auxiliary Board.
Meetings:
World's Columbian Exposition (1893 :
Chicago, Ill.)
Places:
Chicago (Ill.) -- Exhibitions.
Document Types:
Guest registers.
ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION
Preferred Citation:
[Indicate the cited item and/or series here]. Minnesota.
Board of World's Fair Managers. World's Columbian Exposition Records. Minnesota
Historical Society.
See the Chicago Manual of Style for additional examples.
Provenance:
Received in 1920 from Secretary of State's Office; certificates found in MHS Library
(1983).
Accession Information:
Accession number: None
Processing Information:
Catalog ID number: 001704141
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Correspondence, 1891-1894
112.A.5.4F
Chicago Office correspondence,
1891-1894.
Department of Admissions,
1893.
Agriculture Department, W. I. Buchanan,
1891-1893.
Auditor’s Department,
1893-1894.
Director General, George R. Davis,
1891-1893.
Ethnology and Archeology, F. W. Putnam,
1893.
Fine Arts Department,
1892-1893.
General correspondence,
1891-1894.
Horticulture, J. M. Samuels,
1891-1893.
Board of Lady Managers,
1891-1894.
Liberal Arts Department,
1892-1893.
Manufactures Department,
1892-1893.
Mines and Mining Department, F. J. V. Skiff,
1891-1893.
Publicity and Promotion, Moses P. Handy,
1891-1893.
Director of Works, D. H. Burnham,
1891-1894.
Exhibitors correspondence,
1891-1894.
Minnesota State Agricultural Society,
1891-1894.
Minnesota Bee Keepers Association,
1892-1893.
Dairy Exhibit, A. P. McKinstry,
1892-1893.
Minnesota State Dairyman’s Association, Foster,
1892-1893.
Minnesota Educational Exhibit, F. T. Wilson,
1892-1894.
Department of Public Instruction, Kiehle,
1891-1893.
Souvenir Manual,
1893.
2 copies.
Literature samples:
State.
St. Paul.
Minneapolis.
Duluth.
Journalism.
Music: History of Music Instruction, Ramsey, Hennepin, St. Louis, Goodhue, and Washington Counties.
Music selections:
Now Softly Close Thine Eyelids Sweet, Stella Prince Stocker, Duluth.
Duluth Galop, Emilie Moore, Duluth.
Heavenly Father, Hear Me and St. Paul Glide Mazurka, Fredericka Granger Bell, St. Paul.
Fish and Fisheries, R. O. Sweeney,
1891-1893.
Minnesota State Forestry Association, Minnesota and Its Flora, J. O. Barrett, Mankato Free Press,
1893.
Board of Game and Fish,
1892-1893.
Minnesota State Horticultural Society,
1891-1893.
Livestock Exhibit,
1892-1893.
2 folders.
Milling and Millers Exhibit,
undated, March-April 1893.
3 folders.
L. C. Porter Milling Company,
1892-1893.
Poultry Exhibit,
1893.
Board correspondence,
1891-1894.
John J. Furlong, Treasurer,
August 1891-May 1894.
2 folders.
Conde Hamlin, St. Paul Pioneer Press,
1893.
H. H. Hart, Board of Corrections and Charities,
1892-1893.
Mrs. L. P. Hunt, Women’s Auxiliary Board,
1893-1894.
L. P. Hunt, Superintendent,
July 1891-April 1894.
2 folders.
Jay LaDue, Vice-President,
1891-1894.
George N. Lamphere, Commissioner,
1891-1894.
William R. Merriam, Governor,
1891-1892.
D. A. Montfort, President,
June 1891-July 1894.
3 folders.
H. B. Moore, National Commissioner,
1892-1893.
Knute Nelson, Governor,
1893.
George R. Purvis, Decorative Artist,
1892-1893.
Thomas Storey, Taxidermist,
1891-1893.
A. L. Ward, Commissioner,
1891-1894.
Winchell, N. H., State Geologist,
1891-1894.
112.A.5.5B
Miscellaneous correspondence,
1891-1894.
23 folders.
Arranged first alphabetically, then chronologically within each letter; largely the incoming correspondence of secretary Charles McCormick Reeve.
Subject Files, 1884-1894
112.A.5.5B
Address to the People of Minnesota,
undated.
Awards for Minnesota,
February 20, 1894.
Bids for Minnesota State Building,
1892-1893.
Chicago World Book Company,
1892-1894.
Commissioner’s Report,
May 31, 1893.
Employment correspondence,
September 1892-August 1893.
5 folders.
Financial statements,
1892-1893.
Minnesota Day,
October 13, 1893.
Minutes,
March 11, 13, 14, 1893.
New England Furniture and Carpet Company,
1893-1894.
Petitions on Sunday Closing,
1892-1893.
Photography bids,
1892.
Special Subscription Fund,
1892-1893.
University of Minnesota,
1891-1894.
Women’s Auxiliary Board correspondence and reports,
1892-1893.
2 folders.
World’s Industrial Exposition, New Orleans,
1884-1885.
Miscellaneous,
1891-1893.
Superintendent L. P. Hunt Files, undated, 1891-1893
112.A.5.5B
Instructions to the Superintendent,
undated.
Monthly Reports,
September 1891-February 1892, July 1893.
Superintendent’s Report,
November 1892.
Incoming correspondence,
undated, August 1891-December 1893.
10 folders.
Visitors Registers,May-October 1893
Registers signed by Minnesota residents who visited the Minnesota Building; information recorded may include date of arrival, name, Minnesota residence city, Chicago residence during fair, and date of departure.
108.J.14.4F-2
A-C,
May 9-August 21, 1893.
3 volumes.
108.J.14.5B-1
D-E,
August 22-October 4, 1893.
2 volumes.
108.J.14.5B-2
F-G,
October 4-30, 1893.
2 volumes.
Award Certificates,1893
A3/ov4 Dr5
Awards for the educational, fish, and forestry exhibits,
1893.
1 oversize folder.