Alaska Yukon Pacific Exposition - 1909

The original 1909 Dixie Day program can be found in the Washington State Historical Society archive, in Tacoma, WA.

For 1909 AYPE photo archives, click here.

The ALASKA-YUKON-PACIFIC EXPOSITION DIXIE DAY CELEBRATION
"Mrs. G.A.C. Rochester, United Daughters of the Confederacy, Robert E. Lee Chapter #885 President stated in a local newspaper that the program includes receptions for the visiting governors, a banquet, and a musical festival with a troupe of negro jubilee singers aided by a banjo club, and a grand ball with music of the Virginia Reel, Money Musk, Sir Roger de Coverly and other old favorite dances will be prominent. Souvenirs of small cotton bales to be pinned on the participants’ clothing plus 500 pounds of cotton bolls to be given out were shipped up from New Orleans."

"Mr. Harold A. Bushea, in charge of the Dixie Day celebration, issued a call to all Southerners to register in the Dixie Day offices located in room 914 of the Alaska Building. Governor A. W. Gilchrist of Florida agreed to be orator of Dixie Day according to Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition Committee Chairman Judge Alfred Battle. Admiral Uriel Sebree, Southerner and member of the U.S. Navy, will be in the receiving line. It is estimated that 10,000 Southern visitors will attend throughout the day."

For 1909 AYPE photo archives, click here.

ALASKA-YUKON-PACIFIC EXPOSITION COMMITTEE MEMBERS
"Music: Mrs. G.A.C. Rochester- chairman, Mrs. Samuel H. Piles, Mrs. C.F. Whittlesey, Gen. J.B. Metcalfe, W.C. Keith, E.S. McCord, and R. Percy Allen.
Decoration: Claude C. Ramsay-chairman, D.E. Frederick, Judge William J. Moore, Miss Rebecca Collins, Mrs. Daniel Kelleher, Judge R.B. Albertson, and J.R. Justice.
Finance: Thomas M. Green-chairman, W.P. Trimble, J.T. Blakistone, Col. J.H. Allen, J.V. Stewart, Warren Gazzam, and H.R. King.
Invitation and Reception: Frank L. Meares-chairman, Josiah Collins, A.J. Park, E.I. Garrett, Mrs. Joshua Green, E.B. Burwell, Mrs. W.A. Peters, Hugh Garland, and Mrs. Henry Dickinson.
General Program and Arrangements: Mrs. Walter B. Beals-chairman, C.B. Yandell, Mrs. E.S. McCord, Mrs. W.P. Trimble, Otho Ridgeley, and James E. Blackwell."

For 1909 AYPE photo archives, click here.

ALASKA-YUKON-PACIFIC EXPOSITION DIXIE DAY SCHEDULE
"The United Confederate Veterans banquet will be held at noon in the Nikko Café with Governor Gilchrist as chief guest.
Principal celebration will begin at 2 pm in the natural theatre. Everyone will gather in the theatre wearing their state badge and a miniature cotton bale where informal receptions will be held under their state banners. Knoxville, TN, had the largest delegation. States represented in the Dixie Day celebration were: Virginia, Maryland, Tennessee, Louisiana, Kentucky, Texas, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Alabama, Missouri, Arkansas, and Mississippi.
After music provided by the Dixieland Band with singers, invocation will be given by Rev. M.A. Matthews. President J.E. Chilberg and Director-General I.A. Nadeau will give a speech. Afterwards, Joseph Collins will introduce Governor Gilchrist.
Following the Governor, The Hayden Male Quartet will perform and the audience will be encouraged to join in singing “Dixie.”
The Chamber of Commerce of Stockton, CA, sent 5,000 watermelons from Mareca in San Joaquin Valley to Commissioner Frank Wiggins of the California Building for distribution during Dixie Day.
A reception given by the UDC Robert E. Lee Chapter will be held between 4-5 pm at the Woman’s Building.
A Southern melodies concert will be given at 7:45 pm followed by a banquet and ball."

Articles and photos of the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition are in the University of Washington Special Collections, Seattle, WA.

"The Chapter joined forces with the Confederate Veterans and Sons of Confederate Veterans to develop a bureau of information where Southern people in the city who have rooms for rent may list their houses. A local newspaper announced plans of, 'Funds for the publicity work and for the entertainment of Southern visitors have been raised by private funds among the Southern people of Seattle, augmented by the UDC, SCV, and Confederate Veterans.'"

"The committee proposes to operate, without any registration fee, a bureau of information where Southern people in the city who have rooms for rent may list their houses for the entertainment of the visitors. Southern headquarters are to be maintained at the office of Judge John H. Allen, in the Maynard building; where the attention of strangers will be called to its existence by an immense banner suspended across the street. This bureau of information will be advertised in the Seattle papers, at the expense of the three organizations that it represents. Different members of the three local organizations will be appointed to take charge of the bureau each week and will give their services free of cost.”

"At a chapter meeting, motion was made and carried that the profit for $200 raised from Dixie Day picnic should be contributed to the Confederate Monument Fund in Seattle and Dixie Day should be an annual event."

For 1909 AYPE photo archives, click here.

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