A Dream Worth Remembering (con’t.)

In 1910, nearly three years before the canal’s completion, the federal government solicited proposals from those cities who were willing to take on such a project. The financiers and politicians of San Francisco fixed their gaze on this prize sensing that if they could produce an Exposition of unparalleled brilliance it would prove to the world that the “Can Do” city had not merely recovered, but had managed to surpass its former glory. The infusion of capital which such an event was sure to generate was another factor which motivated the leaders of a community still in the midst of recovery. When this consortium presented their proposal to Washington, only four years had passed since the 1906 catastrophe.

While four other cities expressed interest, San Francisco’s plan was the only one stipulating that it could complete the work without any financial assistance from the federal government. This was a determining factor, and in February 1911, Congress announced that San Francisco was the winner of the competition.

Having been formally recognized as the “Exposition City”, all that remained was to acquire the financing, award the design and building contracts, secure the participation of as many states and foreign governments as possible, solicit exhibitors, select the concessionaires, and construct the buildings and grounds. These prodigious efforts culminated in the creation of a veritable “Baghdad by the Bay” which The Jeweled City describes in detail.

The outbreak of WWI in August of 1914 caused the organizers considerable consternation forcing them to consider cancellation. Some cautioned that the conflagration in Europe had dampened people’s spirits to such a degree that the attendance levels necessary for the Exposition to be a success couldn’t be achieved. While the directors recognized that this was a definite possibility, their overweening desire to realize a return on the millions of dollars they’d already invested prompted them to proceed as planned. Had the opening occurred a year later, these fears might have been realized, but in early 1915 the full import of the war had not yet impacted the psyche of an isolationist nation.

Ceremonial Groundbreaking in Golden Gate Park. This location was chosen because the site of the Exposition had not yet been determined. President Taft shovels earth into a box before a crowd of local dignitaries and interested onlookers.