Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1896-11-05
Wisconsin Semi=CentenniaI EXPOSE
ton.
To Members Of County Boards:

To Members Of County Boards:
One of the first moves made in
the interest of the Wisconsin Semi
Centennial Exposition a year ago,
following the successful Milwaukee
City Semi-Centennial celebration,
was an invitation extended to
the County Boards of Supervisors
to appoint delegates to the Semi
Centennial Conference held January
Is, 1896. Nearly all the County
Boards responded favorably to this
invitation, which was extended by
the mayor Of the city of Milwau-
kee, the chairman Of the Milwau-
kee County Board and the presi-
dents Of the Milwaukee Merchants
and Manufacturers Association
and Chamber of Commerce. The
conference was composed Of be-
tween 400 and 500 representative
citizens Of the state, who voted en-
phatically and enthusiastically in
favor of appropriately celebrating
the hftieth anniversary ofthe advent
of Wisconsin into the Union. A
preliminary organization was after
wards effected by the appointment
of committee of One Hundred
and Woman's Auxiliary Board,
and it has been definitely deter
mined that the celebration shall
take the form OF a great Industrial
and Educational Exposition in Mil
Waukee in 1858.
The promotion Of the numerous
plans proposed for the Exposition
has awaited the subsistence Of the
political excitement. AS soon as
possible after election it is the pur-
pose to organize a corporation
with sufficient capital to build and
conduct the Semi-Centennial Ex-
position along the most approved
| lines. The Executive committee
has voted to raise $4,000 for
Exposition purposes, and it is be-
lieved that when the benefits of the
Exposition are fully understood by
the people of the state there will
be no difficulty in securing all the
funds necessary.
1t is the wish Of the Semi-Cen-
tennial officials that every county
in Wisconsin shall make a credit
able county exhibit, space for which
will probably be assigned in a
special state building. Many
County Boards hold but one ses-
sion each year, in November, and
delay of an entire year will re-
suit if the claims of the Semi-Cen-
tennial Exposition are not pre-
sented at the approaching Novem-
Der session. We therefore wish to
urge upon Supervisors the import
ance Of taking preliminary steps
this year for suitable county ex-
hibits. In view of the fact that
the plans for the arrangement of
the county exhibits have not yet
been definitely formulated, it is
probably not advisable to make
appropriations of money at this
time; but we suggest that every
County Board appoint an active
committee of three or more super
ViSors who may act in connection
with the regular Semi-Centennial
organization as soon as it shall be
formed. These local committees
should be appointed at the coming
meeting of the County Boards,
and its members should hold them
selves in readiness to act when the
proper time shall come. They can
also supplement the efforts of the
members Of the committee of One
Hundred in interesting the people
of the various localities in the com
ing Exposition.
A suggestion which will be con-
sidered by the Semi-Centennial
officials atthe proper time is that
the county exhibits be arranged in
the form of a state map, each
county's display to occupy its rel
alive position. This would give
an opportunity for geographical
comparison, and the success of the
plan would be dependent on the
| cO-ODeratiOn of every. cOuntvin the