History
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Extending one mile north from Delaware Park Lake between Elmwood and Delaware Avenues, the Pan-American Exposition drew more than eight million visitors from May 1 to November 2, 1901. Ornate buildings with decorated arches, domes, and towers were colored in vivid hues, and electric lights outlined them and the nearly 400-foot-high Electric Tower to create a dazzling nighttime display. The grounds included 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 featured industrial, agricultural, and cultural displays from the United States and foreign countries. Its only permanent structure was the white marble New York State building, designed by George Cary in a classic Greek style; later enlarged by the City of Buffalo, it houses the Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society, organized in 1862. On September 6, while receiving visitors at the Temple of Music, President William McKinley was shot, and he died eight days later. Theodore Roosevelt then took the oath of office as President of the United States in the Wilcox House at 641 Delaware Avenue.
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Buffalo, New York · United States
