The Pike - US Attractions - 1904 St. Louis World's Fair

1904 St. Louis World's Fair
THE PIKE
U.S. Attractions

Link to 1904 W.F. Society

On these Pike Pages, the 50+ Pike attractions and
concessions are divided into several groups:

The approximate opening date for each attraction is in Green.
Information about similar concessions at the 1893 Chicago World's Fair is in Blue.

1. United States Attractions (this page)

Hunting in the Ozarks
Old St. Louis
Deep Sea Divers
Cliff Dwellers
Boynton's Naval Exhibit
Hale's Fire Fighters
Galveston Flood

Battle Abbey
Old Plantation
Jim Key
Peanuts & Popcorn
Baby Incubators
Palais du Costume
Temple of Palmistry

Hagenbeck's Zoological Paradise
(Cummins') Wild West Indian Congress
Esquimau (Esquimaux) Village
Glass Weaving
Moving Pictures
Spectatorium
Statisticum
Poultry Farm

2. Foreign Cultures

Tyrolean Alps Irish Village Streets of Seville Ancient Rome Great Siberian Railway Boer War

Chinese Village Constantinople Streets of Cairo Paris and French Village Moorish Palace

Mysterious Asia Fair Japan & Japanese Tea Gardens Ostrich Farm Morocco Jerusalem

3. Rides

Under and Over the Sea Creation Magic Whirlpool Shoot the Chutes

Scenic Railway Golden Chariot Hereafter Temple of Mirth

New York to the North Pole Observation Wheel (Ferris Wheel)

4. Other Notable Concessions

Miniature Railway Intramural Railway Bird Cage Roller Chairs

Lincoln Museum Grant's Cabin (Hardscrabble) Great Anthracite Coal Mine

Launches and Gondolas ( . . . on the Grand Basin) DeForest Wireless Telegraph Tower ( . . . Buffalo Tower),

"Boynton's Naval Battle" at the 1904 World's Fair

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U.S. Attractions

Hunting in the Ozarks (Open on May 3)
-- Free concession, but customers bought 7 shots for 25¢

Reproduction of Frisco Railway, real train traveling through wilderness
Shooting gallery (target practice) at moving 'game' in 'real woods'

Hagenbeck's Zoological and Trained Animal Circus (Opened by May 20)
-- 10¢ adult admission (arena 50¢/25¢, monkey, elephant, reptile, hybrid, bear shows or rides 10¢, 'track' riding 10¢, $1.00 for other shows)

One of best patronized exhibits at the fair
Baby elephant was born on way to St. Louis onboard ship from Calcutta
Open air panoramas of wild and domesticated animals from around the world

Uncaged animals was forerunner of modern zoos

3,000 seat theater with caged arena of trained, wild animals gave continuous performances

Shows included bears, monkeys, seals, elephants, snakes, lions and tigers
Elephants slid down a chute (slide) into a pool, and were sometimes hard to get out

Giant tortoises (carried children), reptiles, talking birds
Hybrid animals: lion-tiger, zebra-horse, shetland pony-mule
Rides on elephants, camels, llamas, ostriches, and zebras

Hagenbeck's Zoological Arena Company was also at the 1893 Chicago World's Fair

Old St. Louis (Open on May 3)
-- 25¢ adult admission (theater, arena 25¢/15¢, Cahokia Court House 10¢, 65¢ total for other attractions)

Reproduction of village of St. Louis in 1803

Forts, stockades, government house, churches, court house, schools
Dwellings occupied by the August, Pierre, and Veurve Choteaus, LaClede, and Gratiot
Church is museum, with documents from the Louisiana Purchase

Band of 20 performers to enliven the attraction
Replicas of New Orleans Cabildo and Cahokia Court House (which was a separate exhibit near the Plateau of States)
Arena shows included expert displays of horsemanship, trick riding, high wire acts, slack wire walker, high wire bicycle, high dive, other feats of skill
A stage in the Government House showed 'negotiations' for the Louisiana Purchase, with Livingston, Monroe, Jefferson, & Napoleon
Edelweiss Restaurant, 2-story

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(Cummins') Wild West Indian Congress and Rough Riders of the World
-- 25¢ adult admission (box seat 50¢)

Frederick T. Cummins' Wild West Show
Famous Indian Chiefs: Chief Joseph, Chief Redcloud, American Horse, Seven Rabbits

51 tribes represented, 800 actors played cowboys and Indians

Sham battles, running the gauntlet, life on the plains (attacks on a settler's cabin)
Riding demonstrations, target and trick shooting, lasso tricks
Some free events, such as daily Indian lacrosse games
Special events included bullfight and chariot race
On September 15, St. Louis day, Custer Massacre was recreated, with Cummins as Custer

Note: The entrance was on the Pike, but the arena was North of the main Pike, outside of the 'main boundary' of the Fair. This exhibit may have been a 'late' addition to the Pike.

Note: Buffalo Bill's Wild West show was 'at' the 1893 Chicago World's Fair, but just outside the Fairgrounds. His Show was touring Europe and England in 1904.

Deep Sea Divers (Opened by May 21)
-- 15¢ adult admission (children 10¢)

Showed life under the sea, latest inventions for underwater exploration (searchlight, telephone, etc.)
Glass front tank holds 40,000 gallons, divers descend in armor
Equipment of U. S. Submarine Diving Company
Show how to raise ships, recover property, rescue bodies

Creation, Siberian Railway, and Deep Sea Divers all operated by same owners

U.S. Submarine Diving Company was at the 1893 Chicago World's Fair

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Esquimau (Esquimaux) Village (Alaska and Laplanders) (Opened by May 7)
-- 25¢ adult admission (children 15¢, 50¢ total for other attractions)

Polar landscapes of igloos, reindeer, snow, and glaciers
Demonstration of Alaskan gold mine
Klondike River display, patrons pan for gold nugget
'Fight' between Esquimaux and wild dogs, kayaks on real lake with reindeer skin huts

Displays of native sports, wedding ceremony, burial rites

Nancy Columbia, born at 1893 Chicago fair, was at her third exposition (Buffalo 1901)

Her mother interpreted for Admiral Peary

Lapland Village was perhaps a similar show at 1893 Chicago World's Fair

"Cliff Dwellers" at the 1904 World's Fair

Cliff Dwellers (Open on May 3)
-- 25¢ adult admission (children 15¢, arena 15¢, theater 25¢, 75¢ total for other attractions)

"Stone age" caves reproduced in cliff face, 100' tall, 250 feet wide

As seen in Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico
Narrow trail can be climbed or ride on burros

Five-acre Pueblo of Taos with theater and Indians (on first-time display at a Fair)
12 buildings, 300 natives, including Moki (Hopi) and Zuni

Performances of Snake Dance and Dance of Kachinas (wearing masks)
Craftsmen sold wares and souvenirs

Similar show at 1893 Chicago World's Fair

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Boynton's Naval Exhibit (Opened by May 10)
-- 25¢ adult admission (reserved seats 25¢ extra, saw 50¢ & 15¢ tickets)

"The most realistic and thrilling production of Naval Battles ever given."
Basin of water 300' x 180' (size of football field), about 3' deep

Recreated famous naval battles: Battle of Santiago Bay (or Manila or Port Arthur)
Battle of Santiago (from 1898 Spanish-American War) showed famous attempt of Spanish to "run the blockade"
Program was changed weekly

Large scale ships, in water, with operators inside, powered by electric motors

21 boats: 8 battleships, 6 cruisers, 6 torpedo boats, 1 submarine, 12' to 21' long,
Every show, 100 working guns on the boats fired 20,000 shells

Hale's Fire Fighters (Open on May 3)
-- 25¢ adult admission (children 15¢, saw 50¢ ticket)

Operated by and named for George C. Hale, former Kansas City Fire Chief
5,000 seat auditorium, 50 minute show, 4 times daily

Firemen alerted, respond, and put out 6-story fire
No real fire; illusion w/ electricity, steam, glass, celluloid, silk
Building on fire collapsed after the rescue

Exhibition of historical and modern fire fighting equipment
2,000 seat restaurant

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Galveston Flood (Opened by May 20)
-- 25¢ adult admission (children 15¢, also saw tickets for 50¢)

Recreates great disaster of September 8, 1900

Tidal wave nearly wiped out Galveston, killing 6,000 in a single day (of 38,000 population)
Worst catastrophe ever for an American city

Used plastic art, mechanics, electricity, to show the city in miniature
Used water, and wind to recreate the storm's destruction (omits gruesome deaths)
Then the beauty of a new Galveston 'arises' from the destruction

Similar show at Luna Park at Coney Island

Battle Abbey (Opened by June 1)
-- 25¢ adult admission (15¢ children)

Building designed like medieval castle (400' x 250'), towers, bastions, parapet, drawbridge
Battle history and war museum of the American Republic

Attendants in military uniforms, including Union & Confederate

Six plastic cycloramas (reproductions) of famous battles:

Yorktown (Revolutionary War, 1781), New Orleans (War of 1812), Buena Vista (Mexican War, 1846), Manassas and Gettysburg (Civil War, 1861/1863), Custer's Massacre (last stand, 1876), Manila (Spanish-American War, 1898)
Gettysburg cyclorama was 400' in circumference, 50' high

Old Plantation (also called Old Virginia Homestead) (Open on May 3)
-- 15¢ adult admission (children 10¢)

Showed the antebellum South, Dixieland
Showed charming Southern home and the 'olden life of American Negro'
'African theater' for dancers and singers

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Jim Key the Educated Horse (Opened by May 7)
-- 15¢ adult admission (children 10¢)

13-year old Arabian Hambletonian
Could read, write, spell, do arithmetic, sort mail, tell time, make change for shoppers, Bible knowledge
Only equine honorary member of the American Humane Society
Only equine millionaire, travels in special 'car'

Peanuts & Popcorn

Concession of American Pop Corn Co.

Baby Incubators (Infant Incubators)
-- 25¢ adult admission (15¢ children)

Efforts of science to help humanity's struggle for life
One of the few fire-proof buildings on the Pike
Typically 20-30 infants, occupying 24 Incubators, 4 beds and a nursery

Also had a store with baby goods

Employed 3 doctors, ~10 nurses, used sanitary and scientific treatments to reduce chance of illness

Had a 'problem' with sanitary conditions (many infants died) -- 'cleaned up' the facility, put in glass walls for separation of visitors, more attendants -- improved
Directed by Dr. Joseph Hardy

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Palais du Costume (Open on May 3)
-- 25¢ adult admission (children 15¢)

Same exhibit that was at Paris' 1900 W.F. and London's 1902 exhibits
Exhibit and costumes valued at several $100,000

Claimed to be most expensive exhibit

33 scenes of fashion throughout the centuries, dating back to 1st century

From Roman costumes to the present, life-sized figures in proper costumes and settings
Included coiffure and hairstyle section
Complete with period furniture and architecture

Tableaux #28 was "Eve of Coronation", 1804

Napoleon watching Josephine prepare, velvet and ermine robe

Final tableaux (#33) has costumes of the present presented on live actors

Gowns of all Nations and latest Parisian fashions, from designers Redfern, Worth, Paquin, Doucet, Felix

Barr's Dry Goods furnished the costumes

Temple of Palmistry

Only woman-controlled concession
Sciences of astronomy, astrology, and thought transmission

Glass Weaving (Open on May 3)
-- 25¢ adult admission (children 15¢)

Deknatel Glass Blowers weave glass into thread

Used to produce tablecloths, napkins, neckties, gowns
Sometimes combined with silk

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Moving Pictures
-- 10¢ adult admission (or free(?), profits from the machines)

Byaphone pictures (nickelodeons, coin arcades) showed dances and songs

St. Louis had no motion picture theaters in 1904

Spectatorium
-- Free admission

Mills Edisonia, had coin machines for movies (travel, etc.), commodities such as candy, gum, peanuts, cigars, stamps, and weight, strength, grip
Building also used by the Fair's Official Photographer

Statisticum (Opened by May 10)
-- 10¢ adult admission

Collections of facts, figures, and moving models
Presented information in a way to comprehend:

Example: Pictures flash by of 2 babies every second ... to watch 1 million at 10 hours a day, would take 2 weeks

Poultry Farm (Open on May 3)
-- 25¢ adult admission (saw 15¢ ticket, childs?)

Domestic fowl of every type were on display to promote breeding, mating methods, and methods of incubating
Incubator cellar, shows hatching chicks and ducklings--raised, fattened, and then killed, dressed, and served in the restaurant
Just North of Boer War

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