Plateau of States
The Plateau of States was an ideal site for the forty or more beautiful homes, erected by the various States of the Union at the southeastern portion of the fairgrounds. As a rule, these State buildings are merely handsome club houses for the comfort and convenience of the people from the several States, though some buildings ; such as Alaska, displayed their resources. Many of them had restaurants that fairgoers could use to sample regional cuisine.
On Independence Day, 179,258 people visited the Fair. They were all encouraged to visit their `home' state building where they could sign a registry. Free gift souvenirs and token were given out that day.
Buildings
- Arkansas
- California
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Connecticut
- Georgia
- Illinois
- Idaho
- Indiana
- Indian Territory
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Dakota
- Texas
- Tennessee
- Utah
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Vermont
Non-Participating States
The following states did not have an official state building at the Fair.
Alabama
Alabama made no appropriation from its treasury for an official building at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition in 1904. Taxes could not allow the city of Birmingham to raise the capitol.
Delaware
Delaware had no official building as well as no official entries or exhibits at the 1904 World's Fair.
Florida
Florida did not have an official building but did show an expensive fruit exhibit in the Palace of Agriculture.
Hawaii
Hawaii did not have an official building and at the last minute, due to funding issues, they had to back out. They did have some displays in the US Government Building.
North Carolina
North Carolina did not have an official state building.
The state exhibited a strong exhibit of crops and produce in the Palaces of Agriculture and Horticulture.
In the Mines Palace, North Carolina's area he exhibit covered a floor space of about 2,200 square feet. It consisted of a full, systematic collection of the minerals of the State, a representation of the ores of gold, copper, silver, iron, nickel, and tin that are native to North Carolina, and a very full exhibit of the economic minerals. Also, the state exhibited: diamonds, garnets, beryls, rubies, sapphires, emeralds and other rare gems.
At the Palace of Agriculture, there were exhibits of special tobacco displays and the collection of grains and seeds in the main space.
North Carolina's display at the Department of Horticulture was small, because of a poor growing season that year.
The state's largest exhibit was at the Palace of Forestry, Fish, and Game.
North Dakota
North Dakota did not have an official building, the commission decided to pool their $50,000 appropriation for exhibits at the Palaces of Mines and Metallurgy (lignite and Portland cement), Education, Agriculture (their principal display), Horticulture and Forestry, Fish and Game.
North Dakota did have a very popular exhibit at the Palace of Agriculture, the display of the `Roosevelt Cabin.' From 1883 to 1886, President Roosevelt, a cattle owner in western North Dakota at the time, occupied this two-roomed log cabin. Inside, there was furniture, Roosevelt's clothes, wall-mounted animals and such that decorated the cabin. Also, exhibits of every variety of grain and species of grass grown in the state, gathered from the very best samples obtained from the crop of 1903, were shown.
The Mines Palace housed the states display of coal, clays, cement, building stones, etc.
