This Artifact-of-the-Month selection was originally posted on August 13th, 2024.
In 1901, the temporary buildings of the Pan-American Exposition’s majestic “Rainbow City” rose from what was previously farmland on the northern edges of the city of Buffalo. But did you know that the Pan-Am was originally going to be built in a different location?
Planning for the Pan-Am officially began when the Pan-American Exposition Company was incorporated on June 25, 1897. The first issue for the company to solve was finding a site on which to construct the Exposition grounds. It was quickly decided that Cayuga Island in the Niagara River, just south of the city of Niagara Falls, would be the location of the Pan-Am. This is where, in fact, President William McKinley drove a ceremonial first stake on August 26, 1897.
However, preparations for the Pan-Am were temporarily halted when the Spanish-American War broke out in April 1898. When organization efforts resumed after the conclusion of the short war, a movement was started to hold the Pan-Am in Buffalo, closer to the much larger population center and closer to the major railroad lines. The Artifact of the Month is a letter dated December 28, 1898 from Buffalo attorney A. W. Stone, still attempting to secure use of some land on Cayuga Island necessary for the fair. On the reverse side of the letterhead is a map of the Cayuga Island location and its proximity to Niagara Falls and Buffalo. (A close-up of the letter can be viewed here.)
Ultimately, the organizers re-thought the selection of Cayuga Island, deciding that it was, indeed, too remote. On May 11, 1899, the 350 acre farm owned by Bronson Rumsey, located just north of Delaware Park and Forest Lawn Cemetery, was chosen. The lease on the land was signed on September 5, 1899 and the groundbreaking took place three weeks later.
Sometimes, I think about how very different the Exposition would have been in the Cayuga Island location. These are the types of things that keep historians up at night!
– Amy Sanderson, Collections Manager
