The “Trans-Mississippi” region, composed of 24 states and 2.6 square million miles of land, was initially conceived of and described the “Great American Desert,” not because of its fertile soil but because it was so sparely populated. This narrative gave way to one of settlement and progress as the region became home to white farmers, who displaced Native Americans. To many on the East Coast, Nebraska and the plains represented the West, agriculture, and the frontier; the region was unsophisticated and agrarian. Omaha (Nebraska), one of region’s leading cities, was selected to host the Trans-Mississippi and International Exposition in 1898. The Fair’s goal was to demonstrate that Omaha and the “Trans-Mississippi” region were economically important to the United States. This paper argues that the organizers of the fair looked primarily to Roman architecture, including triumphal arches and columnar facades, to create its main court and that the architecture was purposefully modeled on that of Chicago’s Court of Honor to demonstrate that Omaha was the equal of Chicago and New York.

 

Elizabeth Macaulay is Associate Professor and Executive Officer of the Liberal Studies program at the CUNY Graduate Center in New York City. Her research focuses on the gardens and architecture of the Middle East and North Africa in the Classical and Islamic periods, as well as in their reception.