AUSTIN, Texas — It’s no secret that many Texans are proud of their state, and that pride was evident long ago when people from across the United States celebrated 100 years of Texas independence with what historians consider to be the first World’s Fair in the southwestern United States.
The year was 1936, as Texas celebrated 100 years of independence. The centennial was a very big deal, with festivities in small towns and big cities alike.
By far the biggest celebration was held at Fair Park in Dallas. A movie made at the time offers a rare look at the Texas Centennial Exposition and shows what drew crowds back then.
Like the Texas of today, the brief documentary film reveals an exposition that celebrated both technology and traditions. The technology included a 10-foot tall robot that moved, lights that created sound and sounds that created light, the mechanical ingenuity of modern cars of the time, massive robotic dinosaurs that engaged in battle and much more. Traditions were observed, including square dancing to country fiddle music, displays of Longhorn cattle and skits demonstrating Old West-style justice that looked like something out of the cowboy movies.
The film also depicts scenes that capture the stark differences between Texas’ rural, mostly agrarian life and the dynamism of its big cities: A split both politically and culturally that still exists today.
Unique for the times was the first ever exhibition hall that honored the contributions and culture of Black Americans.
The echoes from that exposition are still reverberating in the form of so many of the remarkable buildings from that time that are still used today. Last November, Dallas voters approved spending up to $300 million for improvements at Fair Park, site of the 1936 exposition and the Cotton Bowl.
So, next time you attend the Texas State Fair at Dallas’ Fair Park, think about all those people who were there in 1936 – six million in all – who walked the very steps you’ll likely be walking - steps taken from a time when Texas – and the world - were a much different place.