C O N T E N T S — o r D s rst Pri ze oster a C ve e ign Fi P by Cl ren ce H an son . For eword Page 4 The Pr oject 5 The Organization 9 — Cleveland l 796 - 1 909 I 2 A Century of Industry 1 3 T he Cleveland Chamber of Commerce 39 Opening Ceremonies 42 Special Days 43 Pri ze Competitions 44 Diagram of Exposition Building 46 Diagram of Armory 47 Dir ectory of Exhibitors 48 Classified L ist of Cleveland Manu facturer s 7 ] CI T Y OF CLEVELAND F O R E W O R D According to the Greek philo sopher it i s good for a man to know himself. If hebenefits by know mg the s ca bo i s not oo for him to kno the phy i l dy, it g d w bo cor orat the arter es of commerce dy p e , i , the sinews of trade " manufacturer s w ho planned the Cleveland Industrial Exposition had this theory in View . They wanted ‘ Cleveland t o know itself. They wanted Cleve an er s to un er stan the messa e of stack and l d d d g , ammer and ee and to r ea ze t e e ten and h , wh l , li h x t variety and quality of Cleveland-made products . They hope that the fruition of their efforts w ill be both e ucat ona and entertal nm t at stren t en d i l g, h it will g h ’ local loyalty and still further extend our city s splendid fame . une 909 J , T H E P R O J E C T HE Cleveland Industrial Exposition was suggested by Mr . F . F . Prentiss 1 0 8 in December , 9 . The idea was submitted to a meeting of local m a n u fa c t u r er s . , called by President Charles S Howe of The Cleveland Chamber of t h . Commerce , December o At this gath ering the proj ect was so warmly approved that the Chamber decided to hold an exposition of Cleve - land made products the coming year . President Howe appointed an Exposition Committee of one hundred . From this number an Executive Committee " was selected with the following members Mr . Charles E . Mr . Adams , Mr . W . D . B . Alexander , Charles E Farnsworth Mr . S . P . Fenn, Mr . Munson A . Havens , Mr . William H . Mr . Hunt , . H . A Higgins , Mr John G Jennings , Mr . L . H . K . ittredge , Mr . M . A Marks , Mr Harry New , Mr Robert W . Ney , Mr . Charles A . Paine , Mr . S . L . Pierce , Mr . F . F . Prentiss , Mr . Willard N . Sawyer , Mr . W . D . Sayle , Mr . F . S co fie ld . R , Mr Ambrose Swasey , Mr Lyman H Treadway f The o ficers chosen for both committees were " Mr . F . F . Prentiss , chairman ; Mr . Charles E . Farnsworth , treasurer ; G . Mr . William Rose , secretary The details of the work were divided among six sub - commi ttees " Halls and Head t quarters , Publicity , Decoration , En ertainment , Transporta f O tion , Finance . O fices were pened in The Chamber of Commerce building , and the preparatory work began in January . The Executive Committee found at an early date that the available public halls would not accommodate the pro s p ect i v e exhibitors . I t was therefore decided that an exhibition building was necessary , and the Committee selec ted as a site the plat of ground upon which the coming city — ’ — hall a part of Cleveland s Group Plan is to be erected . O The land is nearly pposite the Central Armory , the use of which for exposition purposes was secured from the trustees . 5 A grant for the occupancy of the city hall site having been given by the city authorities , Mr . J . Milton Dyer was selected ’ as the Committee s architect , and the erection of the build ing began on March 3 oth . On May 2 4 t h the structure was in readiness for the exhibitors . The Exposition Building , erected - in forty seven working days , has a larger ground floor exhibit area than any other exposition structure in the U nited States . I ts total area is DET AIL OF DECORATION square feet , and this added to the area of the armory and the bridge connecting the two buildings , gives a grand total of square feet , a space greatly in excess of that of any previous home product exhibition . The new building is of unique construction . The walls are of wood covered f fir e r oo fe d with sta f , and the p and water proofed canvas roof is supported by three huge masts mounted on structural iron supports which are anchored to thirty - ton blocks of iron weighted concrete . From these supports quarter - poles are ex tended , adding strength to the network of steel cables that holds t h e roof . At the west of the main building is a Pompeiian garde n of novel design I N THE GARDEN and with original features . The Exposition d ecorative scheme incl u des the approach to the exhibition buildings , beginning at the intersection of 6 t h e Superior avenue and East street , where two massiv statues representing the “ Spirit of Pro ” gress , designed by Architect J . Milton Dyer and executed by Sculptor Her man Matzen , stand on pedestals at either side of the roadway . More than d twenty thousand electric lamps , aide D OR V P N L EC ATI E A E by searchlights a n d other powerful ar e illuminants , supply the lighting . The interior walls covered with white bunting , relieved by adornments in har a mony with the char cter of the Exposition , while fountains , f statuary , flowers and shrubbery add to the general e fect . 6 A notable supplementary feature of the Exposition is t h e elaborate street decorating scheme planned and executed ’ e by the Retail Merchants Board , the lighting item alon requiring the use of fifteen thousand electric lamps . The plans of the Executive Committee were outlined and plats and application blanks issued in March . Within a week enough favorable responses were received to guaran tee the success o f the proj ect and to warrant the erection of the Exposition Building . The publicity campaign thereupon commenced . One million Exposition gum seals , more than 1 0 0 - 7 monthly proof sheets , invitation booklets , and postcards were printed and circulated ; and posters and window cards w ere distributed locally and through all cities and towns within a radius of 2 0 0 miles . A slogan competition drew out participants , and a poster T HE EXPOSITION BUIL DING c ompetition increased popular interest . A souvenir book of t h e Exposition , containing a directory of the exhibitors , a c lassified list of Cleveland manufacturers , and other matter p ertaining to local industries , was prepared . The work of t h e publicity department was aided by favorable arrange — m ents for transporting out - o f town visitors to the ci t v during t h e Exposition period . The entertainment material secured by the Committee i ncluded two of the best local bands ; the famous boy chorus O f 0 0 . 5 , Mr J Powell Jones , director ; and other features of a - h igh class character . Throughout these arrangements the Committee has kept view the primal obj ect of exploiting the city by a compre h en s i v e display of its manufacturing resources . The Expo ’ zs i t i o n will draw attention to Cleveland s peculiar advantages a s a manufacturing center , and it is believed this better ‘ ’ u nderstanding will materially add to the city s industrial p rosperity . As a local exhibit the Exposition will be found e e ducational as well as ent rtaining , and it is hoped it will w i n the approval of the Cleveland public both as an interest i n g exhibit and a commercial obj ect lesson . In this connec t ion the Committee is gratified to note that a number of A merican cities are preparing for home product expositions o f the same general scope and purpose as our own . With the conclusion of “ this hurried summary of the d etails of inception , construction , promotion and administra t O ion , that have brought the proj ect to its pening hour , the p reliminary chapter ends . The Cleveland Industrial Exposition must now speak f or itself . 1 0 June , 9 9 . T H E O R G A N I Z A T I O N E XE CU TI VE COMMI TTE E . P R EN I S S C a i r m an F F T , h C . E . R N S OR H r ea s u r e r FA W T , T IL L I G. R OS E S ecr et a r W AM , y D E PA RT M E N T CO M MITTE ES H AL L S A N D H EAD Q U AR TER S Am b r o s e S wa s ey r l E m s Cha e s . Ad a H en M u n s on A . av s a r k s M . A . M Willa r d M . S awy e r D ECOR ATI ONS illi m H H u n t W a . H a r r y N ew S . L . P i e r ce .