The 1876 World’s Fair in Philly celebrated America’s first century

The 1876 World’s Fair in Philly celebrated America’s first century

John L. Campbell could not have anticipated what he started. Campbell, a professor of mathematics, natural philosophy, and astronomy at Wabash College in Crawfordsville, Indiana, wrote to both the Smithsonian Institution and the Mayor of Philadelphia in December 1866, suggesting the country hold a World’s Fair in Philadelphia in 1876, which would also commemorate the 100th anniversary of the nation’s founding. Philadelphia took him up on his sug…