The organization of the Louisiana Purchase Exposition Company was not formally perfected until about a month after the first meeting of the National Commission, when the association which had theretofore existed under that name was duly organized and became an incorporated company under and in conformity with the laws of the State of Missouri.  In the meantime informal conferences were held between the Commission and the prospective officers of the company in reference to a site for the exposition.

The municipal assembly of the city of St. Louis enacted an ordinance authorizing the use of a portion of Forest Park as a site for the exposition, as follows: 

An ordinance authorizing the use of either O’Fallon Park or Carondelet Park or a portion of Forest Park as a site for the world’s fair, to be held in commemoration of the Louisiana Purchase.

    Be it ordained by the municipal assembly of the city of St.
    Louis as follows:

Section 1.  The corporation or association formed to manage and conduct the world’s fair or exposition in commemoration of the purchase of the Louisiana Territory, when organized or incorporated in accordance with the law, is hereby granted the privilege of using either O’Fallon Park or Carondelet Park or that portion of Forest Park lying west of the line described as follows, to wit:  Beginning at the intersection of the south line of Forest Park with the north line of Clayton road, and running thence in a northerly direction along the west line of the Concourse drive two thousand five hundred fifty feet; thence in a northerly direction to the east end of the large lake, a distance of twelve hundred feet; thence northwesterly direction about two thousand feet to the intersection of the south line of Lindell avenue, with the west line of De Baliviere avenue produced southwardly, for and as a site for said world’s fair or exposition, reserving, however, unto the city of St. Louis all regulation and control of any of the sites above described, together with all right to excises and licenses.

Sec. 2.  The board of public improvements shall at all times, beginning with the selection of the site out of the three sites above referred to, until the close of said world’s fair or exposition, and until the complete restoration of said site as hereinafter provided, have the power to provide such regulations, conditions, and requirements as it may deem necessary to protect the interests of the city with respect to the construction of all sewers, drains, and conduits of any kind, and the laying of water pipes or fixtures; and the plans and specifications for the construction of the foregoing work shall be subject to the approval of the board of public improvements, and no such work of any kind shall be done without such approval by the board.  All such sewers, drains, conduits, pipes, and fixtures shall become and be the property of the city.