The San Antonio International Fair of 1889: A Comeback Story

The San Antonio International Fair of 1889 was a great success after the first event the year prior was a miserable mudfest.

The inaugural San Antonio International Fair in 1888 faced considerable challenges, including adverse weather conditions that dampened attendance and caused financial losses as few people were able to make it to the event. However, undeterred by these setbacks, organizers made significant improvements for the 1889 fair, as documented by Paula Allen in the San Antonio Express-News. The introduction of a railroad spur improved transportation logistics, facilitating easier access for visitors and exhibitors alike. This enhancement not only boosted attendance but also streamlined the logistics of transporting exhibits, particularly agricultural products and industrial machinery. The fairgrounds themselves were a testament to urban development and architectural ingenuity. Temporary pavilions and exhibition halls, meticulously planned to accommodate large crowds and elaborate exhibits, symbolized San Antonio's transformation into a modern city by the turn of the century.

The organizers published an article in the San Antonio Light on the eve of the first day. In the article the organizers extend a warm welcome to exhibitors from Mexico, Texas, and other states, as well as to visitors. The management invites everyone to register at their office on Commerce Street and encourages advertising. The city offers a hearty welcome, promising a vibrant and hospitable experience, and invites guests to enjoy everything the city has to offer. They used strong language to achieve a catchy phrase, saying “We bid you a warm and cordial welcome. Our city does so in Red White and Blue. That is we give you a Red hot welcome, treat you White and give you no chance to feel Blue.” The hospitality is described as generous and free. The description of the events were bursting with enthusiasm, saying “”Grand street parade forms at 10 a m. to march to the depot. Concerts during the day by the grand Mexican band. At 11 a. m. and 3 p. in.—Prof. Hickey's wonderful exhibition with the trained dogs.”

They had cause to be so welcoming and to encourage people to come. The San Antonio International Fair and Exposition faced a tough start. The first event, opening a year prior on November 13, 1888, on 80 acres of leased land south of downtown, was plagued by severe weather. San Antonio, promoted as “Where the sunshine spends the winter,” experienced relentless rain, as reported by the San Antonio Light on January 3, 1888. “Unprecedentedly horrible weather” turned the fairgrounds into a mire of shoe-sucking mud, making access nearly impossible. This foul weather earned it the dubious honor of being remembered as the Great Mudfest of San Antonio. The approach roads, unpaved at the time and later upgraded to Roosevelt Avenue, became so treacherous that visitors struggled to reach the fair on foot, horseback, or in carriages. The heavy rains also overwhelmed transportation options; streetcars didn’t extend to the fairgrounds, and other transport was unreliable. As a result, only half of the expected visitors actually arrived, with many abandoning their plans in frustration. The muddy conditions also impacted accommodations. With hotels and boardinghouses full, many fairgoers had to find alternative lodging, sometimes sleeping on dining room tables or even in mortuary slabs. This logistical nightmare led to a significant loss in admission revenue and hindered the fair’s success. With so much loss in expected ticket revenue the fair was an unmitigated disaster and cost the fair huge sums of money. It was a black eye for the city which had hoped to promote itself as an important city and competitor to neighboring Houston.

But this year, the organizers were determined to redeem themselves. At the second fair in 1889, the fairgrounds were a hive of activity. Workers toiled day and night, laying down gravel paths and constructing sturdy wooden platforms for the exhibits and performances. The city had invested in a temporary train rail, drainage systems, and even imported tons of hay to spread across the grounds in case of rain. Great efforts were made to ensure that the train was able to keep up with the demand. The contract for the railroad was published in its entirety in the paper. The grantees were allowed to start laying railway tracks and constructing the line whenever they saw fit, but must complete it before the San Antonio International Fair in 1889. The railway can only be used for transporting passengers, and the tracks must be removed and streets restored within 15 days after the fair ends. The fare for a one-way trip to or from the fairgrounds is capped at 15 cents, and a round trip ticket is capped at 25 cents. Before starting construction, the grantees must post an additional $1,500 bond to ensure they restore the streets to their original condition after the fair. This contract shows that the city was going to great effort to have a rail that was able to keep up with demand. Despite there was some of the usual issues and a group of late departers found themselves with no train, “A party of 10 or 20 San Antonians had to foot it In from the fairgrounds at 10:30 o’clock last night on account of no train coming down for them although they had return tickets dated for yesterday. They are kicking and say the road was under contract by its tickets to carry them back to the City.” As always there are issues with those trying to catch the last train. Despite all this preparation, heavy rain struck on Monday November 4th, the day before the formal opening scheduled to start on Tuesday, making the road nearly impassable. Organizers delayed the formal ceremony by one day but event goers were still keen to participate on the postponed day on Wednesday. Mud would slow them down, but because they were prepared, the event was able to get the railroad going after an hour, allowing early guests to enter. Despite this small delay the train was a smart choice even though it was slowed by the rain it still ran and allowed everyone to enter and importantly pay for the fair tickets. The large attendance on the main day on Saturday ensured that the fair would be a success.

Continued rain on Wednesday did allow the fair to begin but the mud naturally precluded racing on the track. The prepared boardwalks and gravel paths allowed ambulation past the mud and the esteemed former Texas governor Richard B. Hubbard, nicknamed Jumbo, arrived for a speech on Saturday. Saturday arrived with blessed weather and a performance by the First Artillery band of Mexico and the Nineteenth US Infantry band and the races could finally begin on the now dry ground.

The San Antonio International Fair of 1889 left a lasting legacy on the city's cultural and economic landscape. The $50,000 in premiums and prizes offered at the fair, as reported by the Galveston Daily News, underscored the ambitious scope of the event and its economic significance for San Antonio with its deep connection to Mexico and Texas as a whole. The fair continued to grow slowly and saw that the fair in 1899 attracted 67,177 paid attendees and generated $66,249 in receipts. The following years saw continued success, with attendance rising to approximately 72,000 in 1900 and 80,000 in 1901. The fair's success solidified San Antonio's reputation as a regional center for trade and cultural exchange, laying the groundwork for San Antonio to become the state’s largest city again, after Galveston passed it in 1850, until 1930. The fair built upon a tradition of stock shows and rodeos and helped increase the prominence of San Antonio and Texas in the eyes of the world.

Metadata