Vigo County Historical Society
Historical Treasure Article

Historic Treasure of the Week - March 16, 1986
By Susan J. Dehler
Vigo County Historical Society

The 1893 exposition Stool recalls world’s fair visit

Many arrived by steamship, landing at the 2,500-foot pier off Lake Michigan. They rode a moving sidewalk powered by the relatively new phenomenon--electricity--and entered the Columbian Exposition through a spectacular colonnade of Greek pillars.

More than 28 million visitors attended the Chicago World’s Fair of 1893. The events to see throughout the "White City" were varied. There were buildings devoted to manufacturing, liberal arts and women’s interests. Individual states, erected clubhouses which contained displays of their art, education, history and natural resources.

For those who ventured along the midway, the wonders of technology abounded. A ride could be taken on the Ferris wheel, which held more than 2,000 people at one time. Risque attractions, such as the dancers in the streets of Cairo exhibit, were for the more adventuresome.

This original camp stool on display in the Historical Museum of the Wabash Valley, was bought and used at the World’s Fair Columbian Exposition in Chicago (although a new canvas seat was tacked on in 1946). It was donated by Helen A. Condit, daughter of Blackford D. Condit, a minister and a Terre Haute historian.

Miss Condit recalled her family’s visit to the fair in 1893: "Brothers Allen and Joe and I carried the stool so mother could visit now and then. . ." Her mother was Sara Mills Condit, daughter of Caleb Mills, a teacher at Wabash College.

Many citizens from Terre Haute were directly involved in the fair’s preparation. Benjamin F. Havens, lawyer, insurance agent and former mayor of Terre Haute, was appointed executive commissioner for Indiana’s contributions. Attorney William McLean was an alternate World’s Fair commissioner and attended board meetings.

To supervise the women’s activities, a board of lady managers was established and Susan W. Ball, society editor of the Terre Haute Daily Gazette, was appointed alternate. Mary Hannah Krout, a Crawfordsville native and former editor of the Terre Haute Express, established a place at the Woman’s Building for women correspondents at the fair.

A Terre Haute company, Collins & Ohm, was granted the contract to construct the state building from Indiana limestone. Terre Haute sculptor, Janet Scudder, was commissioned to do a statue--"Nymph"--which was displayed in the assembly room of the Indiana building.

Indiana Day was celebrated Sept. 27, 1893, at the fair. More than 100,000 Hoosiers attended, with an organized group from Terre Haute, including Lewis B. Martin, banker; Col. William McLean, attorney; and Maj. Albert B. Mewhinney, confectioner.

From the beginning, Terre Hauteans showed enthusiasm about the Columbian Exposition. The Terre Haute Art Association invited Chicago sculptor Lorado Taft to lecture on the "Architecture and Sculpture of the World’s Fair."

President Frances M. Haberly postponed the art association’s annual May exhibit and appealed to members to participate in the fair’s activities. "We in Terre Haute need a little more enthusiasm put into our blood. I am trusting that the World’s Columbian Exposition will do it. We shall see such an aggregation of pictures as the world has never seen before."

The Historical Museum of the Wabash Valley, 1411 S. Sixth St., is open from 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday through Friday.