On March 25, 1903, the legislature of the State of California passed a bill appropriating the sum of $130,000 for the purpose of adequately exploiting California’s resources and progress at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition, and providing for two commissioners—­one to have had one year’s residence in the southern half of the State; both to have had experience in installing and managing exhibits at former, expositions.  In addition to this appropriation, there was about $120,000 raised by the various counties of the State for exclusive county displays to be installed in the Agricultural Building.  These displays were intended to set forth the possibilities of California in an agricultural and horticultural way.  The cost of installation of said features was about $40,000.  The transportation of all the exhibits, including those of the counties, which were paid by the State, amounted to, approximately, $15,000.

The California State Building was located on “The Trail” in the vicinity of the buildings erected by Georgia and other Southern States, and was always an object of interest to sightseers at the fair.  The pavilion was built after the Mission style of architecture, modeled after the houses in which the old Spanish settlers in California used to live.  The front of the building was an exact copy in reduced proportions of the Mission at Santa Barbara, which was erected by the Franciscan monks in 1786.  The pavilion contained no special exhibits, but its furnishings and decorations were entirely of Californian material, manufactured by Californian labor.  The cost of the building complete was about $17,000, the balance of the appropriation by the State being consumed in the collection of the exhibit, its maintenance, and in general demonstration.

In the Forestry Pavilion California showed altogether 73 varieties of commercial and cabinet woods.  A separate exhibit in the same place displayed an exhibit of the fish and game of the State.  Just outside of the building there was an exhibit of forestry containing five logs, or timbers, which were too heavy to be placed on the Exhibition Building floor.

In the Agricultural Building the State made a distinctive feature of wine, dried fruits, canned fruit, processed vegetables, honey, hay, hops, canned fish, seeds and cereals, grasses and vegetable fibers, etc.  A facade was erected in this department and decorated most artistically.  The counties made separate displays.  Altogether 23,300 feet of space was occupied by the State in agriculture, exclusive of aisles.

In the Horticultural Building the State occupied 9,000 square feet of space and made a strong showing of processed fruits, fresh fruits, nuts, and a panoramic scene illustrating methods of orchard irrigation.  There was also shown a cabinet containing the insects that prey on California orchards, and their parasites.

An operating mill and concentrators were displayed in the Mining Gulch, and in the Palace of Mines the State occupied 5,200 feet of floor space with an exhibit showing all the commercial minerals of California.  Altogether there were forty-odd varieties.