The Punta Gorda herald. [volume] (Punta Gorda, Fla.) 1893-1958, 1915-11-11
A CENTENNIAL
EXPOSITION IS
NOW PROPOSED
Celebrating Ceding of Florida to
the United States
WOULD BE A GREAT THING
World Wide Attention Would be
Attracted to the State-Should
Commence Now to Make Ar
rangements.

Nothing could be more appro.
pirate than that this state should
celebrate the centennial of the
ceding of Florida to the United
States on the date of February %
1919, and this area s admission as
a territory during the month fol
lowing Since 1876 there has been
one continual round Of such cele-
brations-all of them more or less
world-renowned, and all of them
bringing to the states in which the
commemOrations have occurred
much notoriety and advertising.
Florida has for the past half
dozen years been making titanic
strides towards improvement and
growth along all lines. For GEN.
turies after the landing OF deLeon
this entire territory was in a state
of semi-chaoS; raids, expeditions,
massacres, are written in history
with precision which permits no
dispute. Under many flags there
was but little progress made to-
wards exploiting the advantages
here to be found; and even after
its acquis 8n by this government
internal troubles were constantly
before the slowly-increasing resi-
dents on this peninsula.
The east and west portions of
the state could find no common
ground upon which they might u
mite in making one great, sturdy
and Influential state-and even as
recently as 1869, when Alabama
offered one million dollars if the
western portion would annex it.
self to that state, there was a de-
termined effort upon the part Of
many to make division-al-
though the entire area had been
admitted as a member of the ga
laxy of states nearly a quarter Of
a century before. q
In little more than three years
from now there should be hid at
some prominent spot in the state
an exposition worthy of the event
which it would commemorate.
There is no time to be lost in this
protector, should the PROPOSE
tion meet with general favor and
receive the endorsement from ev~
cry portion of the state, the state
in its entirety, and the federal
government, there will be entail
ed a vast amount of work and the
expenditure of no small sum of
money. There must be a site Sc
lected for this affair-which
should be of a magnitude suffi-
cient to make a showing which
will bring people from all portions
of the country to the state which
will tender so cordial a reception,
and present so grand attractions.
There will be needed the three
years which lie between the pres
ent date and the centennial of the
observance mentioned in which to
prepare for all that is to be. The
earnest cooperation of each of the
able representatives of Florida
now in the congressional halls will
be needed to back this movement. |
This state in its official capacity
must take cognizance of the ex-
position which means much for its
advancement. Only those who
have entered into one or more of |
these projects can comprehend the
magnitude of the undertaking, or
realize the vast army that must go
to make up the official directory |
and the horde of artisans of every |
clan and class that must be inten-
saiy ccc1ricd from the very COM