In Honor of our nation’s 250th anniversary, come hear the story of Elva Ferguson and the Philadelphia Sesquicentennial this Thursday, July 16 at noon at the Watonga Public Library. Bring your lunch.
In 1926, the nation celebrated the 150th (sesquicentennial) anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. The celebration was the brainchild of John Wannamaker who served on the 1876 Centennial celebration in Philadelphia, Sesquicentennial celebration Wikipedia. Thirtythree states, including Oklahoma were to participate in this World’s Fair, as well as many countries.
Oklahoma had participated in the 1903-1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis, a celebration of the 100th anniversary of the 1803 Louisiana purchase, of which Oklahoma was a part. T.B. Ferguson was governor of Oklahoma Territory, and Elva was First Lady. The threestory exhibit in St. Louis was a major success. This exhibit helped move Oklahoma toward 1907 statehood. With that success, and as Editor of The Watonga Republican and Vice-Chair of the Republican Party, it is no surprise that Elva Ferguson was chosen to serve on the executive committee for the Oklahoma Exhibit of the Sesquicentennial celebration in Philadelphia.
Planning for the 1926 Sesquicentennial began a decade before, but was interrupted by WW1 and Spanish influenza. A new planning committee began in early 1920s. A swampy area of South Philadelphia near the Philadelphia Naval Yard was chosen. Building began in earnest in late 1925, not nearly enough time to complete the exhibits. The complex consisted of large exhibit halls, exhibits from states and countries, agriculture, and technology and a 10,000-seat auditorium. A huge cement stadium holding 100,000 people (later named JFK Stadium), a swimming pool, and an amusement area with rides were constructed. The gateway was an 80 foot Liberty Bell replica with 26,000 15-watt lights Philadelphia encyclopedia.
The opening ceremony, while adorned with many top officials, was plagued by a heavy downpour. In fact, it rained over half of the the184 open days. There were major events, such as the heavy weight fight of Gene Tunney and Jack Dempsey in September and the patriotic pageant “Freedom”.