On This Day – September 9

On this day in 1915 the Panama-Pacific International Exposition celebrated California Admission Day – 65 years after California joined the Union. The biggest parade the state had ever seen assembled at the Ferry Building. It was five miles long, and took three hours to pass into the fairgrounds. There were 100 floats, 43 bands and drum corps, and 30,000 marchers. The parade was led by three divisions of military, including the California Grays in their dress whites and the Nationals in their red and yellow uniforms. The parade entered the fairground through the Van Ness ate, into the Zone, and passed in review of the Column of Progress. Governor Hiram Johnson, Mayor James Rolph, State Senators and many other VIPs were in attendance for ceremonies on the Court of the Universe. In the evening there were receptions, banquets, and balls everywhere – the Australian and Cuban Pavilions, the Pennsylvania, Kansas, and Massachusetts buildings, the Inside Inn, Old Faithful, and, of course, at the  California Building revelers danced all night. In all, this day’s admissions counters recorded 182,321 people.