How San Francisco Rebuilt in Time for the First Transcontinental Phone Call

In ‘This Week in History,’ as San Francisco rebuilt after an earthquake to host the World’s Fair, a phone company promised to accomplish the impossible.

Alexander Graham Bell (C), about to call San Francisco from New York. Public Domain

In 1904, St. Louis hosted the World’s Fair. Formally known as the Louisiana Purchase Exposition, St. Louis had completely redesigned approximately 1,200 acres of Forest Park to accompany nearly 1,500 buildings and 20 million visitors over a seven-month period. The fair, as indicated by its name, was a celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Louisiana Purchase.

Reuben Hale, a San Francisco merchant tycoon, believed his city was destined to be the next American city to host the world’s fair. The same year as the Louisiana Purchase Exposition, Hale, along with the San Francisco Merchant Associates, requested $5 million in federal funds to help build the future international exposition. The request was not unreasonable. It was the same amount St. Louis had received from Congress. The St. Louis World’s Fair was underwritten for $15 million—the other $10 million split evenly between the state government and private money.