In the exposition of The Devil in the White City, we are introduced to Daniel Burnham. Daniel Hudson Burnham was born in Henderson, New York, into a family devoted to obedience, self-subordination, and public service. A thousand trains a day commute to and from Chicago. On the afternoon of Monday, February 24, 1890, crowds were gathering in order to witness the fair.New York and St. Louis wanted the fair. The fate of the cities, however, was not in the hands of the people, but rather in Congress'. One day a man, John B Sherman, walked into their office wearing all black. He introduced himself to Burnham and ended up liking him. Burnham and Margaret, Sherman's daughter, got married on January 20, 1876. Sherman bought them a house. Meanwhile, there is still much commotion outside of the Tribune building. People were anxiously waiting for the news of Chicago's success.
Quote:
"In a letter to Olmsted, Ellsworth wrote: 'My position is this: The reputation of America is at stake in this matter, and the reputation of Chicago is also at stake ... " (Larson 51).
Reaction:
This quote appealed to me because it is very much Larson's theme. The reputations of both the United States and Chicago were being attacked. The United States had done little to promote its architecture in France, which homed Eiffel's structure, the Eiffel Tower. All of a sudden, both St. Louis and Chicago wanted to host the United States World Fair. Chicago was the heart of United States commerce, manufacture, and architecture. Chicago was a very priful city. In Chicago's anticipated victory in the The Tribune, people were excited when Chicago had a margin of 43 votes on New York.
