New York State

Black illustration of a building with a path leading up to its front door with trees, grass and bushes on an off white background

In 1901, New York was the host to the Pan-American Exposition (Pan-Am) World's Fair from May 1 through November 2 in Buffalo. The exposition was a reaffirmation of friendship and mutual interests and acted to showcase new technologies. Several buildings were built in preparation for this exposition and were painted and lit brightly using classical architecture with Spanish influences to inspire the exposition’s nickname, Rainbow City. This unique creation was the largest display of electricity in the United States powered by the power plants at Niagara Falls, New York. Pan-Am was particularly notable due to the assassination of President McKinley who was shot September 6th and died on the 14th. The exposition was shadowed after the assassination; however, Buffalo gained a prestigious reputation as an electricity hub and transportation network in the months and years after.