TENTH ANNUAL YEAK BOOK— PART VI 11)9 



realizing tlie cliaracter of the ground and the marvelous growth of the 

 state fair, with its consequent crying needs for changes and expansion in 

 its present site and equipment. 



In the first place, we beg to say, as we have already stated on the 

 plan, that this scheme is only tentative. A great deal of difficulty was 

 experienced in basing the new plan on a previous map which a number 

 of surveyor's check measurements showed to be only approximate in 

 many instances. 



In view of this fact, the proper and wise thing to do was to make a 

 complete and thorough survey of the whole grounds, locating accurately 

 all structures, trees and present plantings. The only reason this was not 

 done was the understanding on our part that the amount' of money to 

 be expended on the plan was limited. 



A ground of the nature of the state fair ground should have some 

 imified plan of treatment with respect to the setting and character of its 

 buildings, as well as with regard to its plantings. To be frank, we find 

 that it has no plan whatever. In the distant past a Chicago firm was 

 employed to work out a plan for the grounds. This they executed quite 

 admirably, using the unit plan, grouping the various exhibits in more 

 or less segregated sections or departments. Even if this plan had been 

 carefully followed out by those in authority, the following serious blunders 

 were made by the designers. First, they failed to realize the magnitude 

 to which an industrial and agricultural exposition of the nature of our 

 state fair must attain in a commonwealth such as our own. The plan 

 did not recognize the variety and abundance of exhibits which cheap 

 and rapid transportation and unparalleled agricultural and industrial de- 

 velopment in the ^Mississippi valley were to yearly mass upon the fair 

 ground. In the second place, their plan called for numerous structures 

 of a temporary nature, usually comparatively small. These were con- 

 structed quickly of lumber, with battened cracks. This style of building 

 required constant repair and this, and the number required to house the 

 various exhibits, combined with the prohibitive prices of lumber of late 

 years, evidently caused a departure from this plan. 



More pretentious buildings of more permanent characti'r and capable 

 of housing the increasing activities were introduced. This in itself was 

 the perfectly natural thing and would have been a laudable thing to 

 do had a definite plan of placing been devised. But the large Agricul- 

 tural Hall was located at the foot of the western slope, and cut into the 

 hill evidently with the aim of lowering it so that it could not possibly 

 obstruct the view of the city from the temporary exposition building 

 en the summit of the knoll to the east. The great crime in choosing its 

 site, however, was made when the axis of the building was laid in a 

 southwestern and northeastern direction. Being so placed, askew with 

 the world, it destroyed any chance that might have been utilized to 

 set all permanent buildings according to some related, unified scheme. 



Next, the large stock pavilion was placed just to the south across 

 Capitol Avenue from Agricultural Hall, undoubtedly because it was handy 

 to the stock barns lying immediately in their various groups to the west, 

 south and southeast of the proposed site. Another point that evideTirly 



