User:Aeriallibrarian/sandbox/TNCentennial

The Tennessee Centennial and International Exposition was an exposition staged between May 1 and October 31 of 1897 in Nashville in what is now Centennial Park. A year late, it celebrated the 100th anniversary of Tennessee's entry into the union in 1796.

History
Nashville lawyer James Douglas Anderson is credited as the first person to publicly advocate for a centennial celebration by sending editorials to major newspapers in 1892. In 1893, the idea was taken up by William Crawford Smith, who encouraged the Nashville Commercial Club to organize a committee to plan the event. The Executive Committee formed, and John W. Thomas, president of the Nashville, Chattanooga and St. Louis Railway, was named chairman. Though railroad companies supported the event by providing reduced rail fare and advertising, the Centennial was held a year later than planned due to the economic recession and disagreements.

The Tennessee Centennial and International Exposition opened May 1, 1897 in Nashville, Tennessee and ran until October 30, 1897. A total of 1,786,714 people attended the event.