While Ohio as a State maintained only one exhibit in the Mines and Metallurgy Building, consisting chiefly of clay and its products, over 150 private individuals and corporations throughout the State added to the prominence and magnitude of the exposition by installing costly exhibits, which were maintained by them at very great expense.  These miscellaneous exhibits showed to very good advantage the natural resources of the State and its diversified products.  In the Palaces of Electricity, Machinery, and Transportation the State was represented remarkably well by these private exhibitors, and much credit is due to them for their attractive and interesting display.  In the Liberal Arts Building it may be correctly intimated that the Ohio exhibitors were predominant.  In the Department of Anthropology, also, Ohio took the grand prize over all competitors.  The display consisted principally of relics taken from the historical mounds of the State, which in themselves were very interesting.  Not only was the grand prize awarded for the display, but a special gold medal was presented to Prof.  W.C.  Mills, librarian and curator of the Ohio Archaeological and Historical Society, for his untiring efforts in revealing to the public of to-day the mode of livelihood and the characteristics of the oldest and most historical race of this continent.

OKLAHOMA.

The Oklahoma World’s Fair commission was appointed on April 19, 1901, and organized ready for active work on May 1, 1901.  Two days after it was decided to hold the World’s Fair in Forest Park, the Oklahoma commission notified Secretary Stevens that Oklahoma was ready to select her site for a building.

Oklahoma was among the very first to select a site on the World’s Fair grounds, was first to lay a corner stone for the Territorial building, and the first to accept her building complete from the contractor and dedicate the same.

By an act of the legislature of the Territory of Oklahoma, dated March 1, 1901, the sum of $20,000 was appropriated for the participation of the Territory at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition.  Subsequently, on March 14, 1903, the legislature of the Territory enacted a bill appropriating $40,000 additional for the erection and equipment of the building on the grounds of the exposition, and for the transportation and installation of the exhibits of the Territory.  The following were appointed by the legislature as a commission in charge of Oklahoma exhibits: 

Joseph Meibergen, chairman; Otto A. Shuttee, treasurer; Edgar B. Marchant, secretary.

The Oklahoma Building was of semi-Moorish architecture, size 71 by 72, with balconies above, below, and in front, the full width of the building.  It contained reception halls, parlors, toilet rooms, and commissioner’s office, 14 rooms in all.  The building was two stories high, with basement, provided with rugs and carpets of Wilton velvet.