Hosford's Guide

Hosford's Handy Guide to the
Cotton States and International Exposition, Atlanta, 1895.

The development of the Cotton States and International Exposition began in earnest in January 1894. Grant Wilkins, a civil engineer from Atlanta, was hired to turn the small exposition grounds created for the 1887 Piedmont Exposition into an exposition ground suited to host a much larger event. A great deal of earth moving was required to implement his plan. A large lake was dug, hilltops leveled, terraces built, and the different elevations connected with wooden steps running between stone balustrades and planters.

Today the lake, Clara Meer, remains the scenic focal point of the park and hills leveled for exhibition building sites house the tennis courts and the Noguchi Playscape. Many of the stone balustrades constructed for the Exposition still embrace steps.

Map Legend (major buildings numbered counter clockwise from top)

1 - U.S. Government
2 - Plant System
3 - State of Alabama
4 - State of Illinois
5 - State of Massachusetts
6 - Manufacturers & Liberal Arts
7 - Woman's Building
8 - Electricity
9 - Transportation
10 - Southern Railway
11 - Georgia Manufacturers
12 - Buffalo Bill Stadium
13 - Negro Building
14 - State of California
15 - Machinery
16 - Minerals & Forestry
17 - Agriculture 18 - Auditorium
19 - Administration/Main Gate
20 - State of Georgia
21 - Fire Department
22 - State of Pennsylvania
23 - Piedmont Driving Club
24 - State of New York
25 - Fine Arts

The development of the Cotton States and International Exposition began in earnest in January 1894. Grant Wilkins, a civil engineer from Atlanta, was hired to turn the small exposition grounds created for the 1887 Piedmont Exposition into an exposition ground suited to host a much larger event. A great deal of earth moving was required to implement his plan. A large lake was dug, hilltops leveled, terraces built, and the different elevations connected with wooden steps running between stone balustrades and planters. Today the lake, Clara Meer, remains the scenic focal point of the park and hills leveled for exhibition building sites house the tennis courts and the Noguchi Playscape. Many of the stone balustrades constructed for the Exposition still embrace steps.

Map Legend (major buildings numbered counter clockwise from top)
	1 - U.S. Government 2 - Plant System 3 - State of Alabama 4 - State of Illinois 5 - State of Massachusetts 6 - Manufacturers & Liberal Arts 7 - Woman's Building 8 - Electricity	9 - Transportation 10 - Southern Railway 11 - Georgia Manufacturers 12 - Buffalo Bill Stadium 13 - Negro Building 14 - State of California 15 - Machinery 16 - Minerals & Forestry 17 - Agriculture	18 - Auditorium 19 - Administration/Main Gate 20 - State of Georgia 21 - Fire Department 22 - State of Pennsylvania 23 - Piedmont Driving Club 24 - State of New York 25 - Fine Arts